Word gets around

With all the pressures involved in getting set up for college, housing is usually the headache at the top of the list. For those of us who moved to Portland from other parts of the country, how are we to know where to live, and which rental companies to trust?

I can tell you one rental company that definitely should not be considered: College Housing Northwest.

This company was once listed on the Portland State University Web site as a good alternative to on-campus housing. Recently, it was dropped from the list. Why?

For example, student Casey Ford’s experience during her tenancy at one College Housing Northwest building sounds like something out of a nightmare. Earlier this year, her water heater exploded after a maintenance worker turned it up far too high, despite the instructions printed on the outside of the heater. They were without hot water for five days.

Last month, their bathroom ceiling caved in due to a massive leak in an upstairs apartment. This was after Ford and her husband put in several work orders to fix the leak. There was extensive damage to the ceiling and entire bathroom area.

After these horrible experiences, Ford contacted the board of directors at CHNW to ask for a rent reimbursement, which was perfectly within her tenant rights. According to the Fords, CHNW’s Dana Brandt sent them a check for $238. When the Fords contacted Ms. Brandt to find out why they would not be reimbursed for the full rent amount, they were rudely informed that the board would not be contacting them and no further reimbursement would be issued.

To avoid issues like this in your college housing (as if students don’t have enough to worry about), use resources like Craigslist and the PSU recommended Places4Students.com. Don’t get involved with shady businesses when it comes to something as important as the roof over your head!