1. Tenant Union

2. Road Map

3. History Established September 20, 1971 and has been located in the Illini Union since opening in 1972 Complaint Records Started in 1972 Not Recommended List in 1972 Landlord of the year contest 72-78 Mission Focused

4. Target Population/s Freshman First Time Student Renters International Students

5. Services Assistance in locating suitable housing Landlord Complaint Records Lease reviews Educational & Interactive Programs Empowerment & Advocacy

6. Locating & Securing Suitable Housing http://www.tenantunion.illinois.edu/downloads/quickguide.pdf

7. Complaint Records

8. Complaint Records Exist to: Expedite maintenance request/s of student renters Hold Landlord/Management Company Accountable to legal and/or contractual obligations Inform prospective student tenants on their peers experiences with a particular management or company NOTE: Address of complaint is not included in official complaint summary unless it was a city code violation

9.  The number of complaints filed on the landlord each year for the past five years;  The nature of each complaint filed;  The landlord’s written response to the complaint; if given  The ultimate resolution of the dispute, if known. NOTE: While it is not required, Tenant Union staff does encourage tenants to attempt resolution of a dispute on their own prior to filing a complaint Accessing Complaint Records

10. Procedures  W hen a written complaint is filed, a copy of the complaint and a Reply To Complaint Form, along with any additional documents provided such as pictures, will be sent to the landlord via email.  A response within seven days is requested. Landlords are encouraged to respond in writing if they wish to have their side of the story reflected in the complaint file.

11. Complaints Filed Versus Lodged Filed = 15 Lodged = 184 Dropped = 2

12. Withdrawing a Complaint A written complaint will NOT be placed in the file if: 1)Tenant Union finds that the nature of the complaint is not related to the contractual or legal obligations of the landlord 2) the complaint has no factual basis

13. A complaint cannot be withdrawn or removed from the record unless: All issues of the complaint are resolved to the tenant’s satisfaction within 48 hours after the complaint was sent to the landlord and the tenant appears in person at the Tenant Union office to verify that: 1)all matters were resolved within 48hrs. 2) the tenant’s request is made of his or her own free will, without coercion or threats from the landlord 3) the landlord did not require withdrawal of the complaint as a condition for resolution of the complaint.

14. A complaint cannot be withdrawn or removed from the record unless: The tenant who filed the complaint contacts the Tenant Union after the lease has ended and 1)the deposit has been refunded 2)all other matters between the landlord and tenant have been resolved 3)verifies that the request to withdraw the complaint is made of his or her own free will without coercion or threats from the landlord 4)the landlord did not require agreement to withdraw the complaint as a condition for resolution of the complaint.

15. Lease Review

16. Empowerment & Advocacy  Tenant Union may call a landlord to: –Expedite a maintenance request that is a city code violation and/or poses an imminent threat to the tenant –With international students for clarity, understanding and interpretation

17. Recent Trends

18. International Students

19. Fires

20. Programs  The “Nuts & Bolts” of Renting  Speed Rommate-ing  Experienced Renter Panel  Lease Lasso http://tenantunion.illinois.edu/engagement.asp

21. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA- CHAMPAIGN TENANT UNION SERVICES & LANDLORD RESOURCE CONFERENCE SAVE THE DATE! MAY 29, 2015 Call for ProposalsCall for Proposals | Keynote Speaker NominationsKeynote Speaker Nominations