Annual Subscription Fee Structure

OCL LETTER ANNOUNCING NEW FEE STRUCTURE

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE OF OFF-CAMPUS LIVING

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION POLICY

All housing providers who wish to have their rental property/properties listed with the University of Pennsylvania OFFICE OF OFF-CAMPUS LIVING must agree to the following terms: 

1.Pay an annual fee to OCL based on the number of units owned and/or managed in the Greater Philadelphia area
2.Possess proper licensing from the City of Philadelphia and the Department of Licenses and Inspections and provide tenant with license number upon request; 
3.Represent that the unit(s) offered for rent and the property of which it is a part comply with all applicable housing and housing related codes and regulations; 
4.The Office of Off-Campus Living will have the right to distribute the results of tenant surveys and other information generated by students/residents of the units owned and/or managed by the company; 
5.If/when a tenant files a complaint with OCL with a copy to the landlord, the complaint and any landlord response will be made available to prospective tenants upon request. 
6.OCL retains absolute discretion to refuse, to accept or continue to accept a listing from any source. OCL has no duty to disclose to any applicant the reason for its refusal to accept such applicant for inclusion on its list. If OCL removes the listing(s) within 3 months of the date of subscribing by property owner/manager, OCL will refund 50% of the annual fee. No other refunds will be made. Additional terms for property owners/managers whose rental units are in the University City area, including Powelton Village. 

Consistent with the University of Pennsylvania commitment to the University City/West Philadelphia area and the enhancement of the quality of life for the members of the University community - students, faculty and staff - and the community in general, the Office of Off-Campus Living requires the University City/West Philadelphia property owners/managers to further agree to the following, as a condition of subscribing and maintaining listing privileges in the Office of Off-Campus Living: 

A. Agree to distribute OCL educational materials regarding landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities and to provide their own written rules pertaining to trash disposal, recycling, noise and required behavior as residents and members of the community to all tenants; 
B. Agree to attempt resolution of Penn affiliates tenant complaints using the Office of Off-Campus Living and the Office of Student Conduct, when appropriate and before legal action becomes necessary; 
C. If tenants are interested in having the City of Philadelphia 18th Police District perform a Safety Audit of the property, the property owner will approve such requests. The property owner agrees to implement the Crime Prevention Officer recommendations when safety violations are reported. This does not include installation of alarm systems, unless special arrangements are made between property owner and tenant(s). 

We encourage property owners/managers to agree to implement additional features to enhance the quality of housing offered and address the needs of the student tenant population. Such features include but are not limited to additional safety features, property/sidewalk cleanliness programs, green space care and participation in other neighborhood improvement initiatives. Information about landlord's participation in such designated programs will be made available to the prospective tenants who use OCL services. OCL reserves the right to offer additional services and promotional opportunities to property owners/managers with high tenant ratings and participation in OCL designated property/neighborhood enhancement initiatives. 

Disclaimer 
Listing rental units with OCL is provided as a service to local landlords and University of Pennsylvania students, faculty and staff. OCL relies on the users of its services to report information fairly and accurately, but cannot guarantee the completeness or accuracy of such information. Mere inclusion of a landlord's properties on the OCL list does not constitute and shall not be construed or reported as an endorsement or approval of the landlord, its properties or its business practices. All prospective tenants are encouraged to exercise their own good judgment when evaluating a prospective rental unit or landlord.
OCL POLICY (R.2003)

The OCL subscription program has two components: the Annual Subscription Program and the Student Listing Program. The procedures and conditions for each are summarized below.

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM

It is the policy of OCL not to accept a partial subscription from any individual or organization who owns, manages or rents properties in more than one location. Likewise, a partial subscription of an organization's property listed under an individual's name in order to obtain a lesser rate will not be accepted. Individuals who both a) hold title to rental or sale units in their individual capacity and b) work as leasing agents or sales representatives for or on behalf of a real estate agency or company cannot subscribe as individual property owners. However, such individuals may subscribe to OCL services through such company or agency based on the number of units in the Metropolitan Philadelphia area owned and/or managed by such agency or company.

The Annual Subscription Program provides a one-year membership with the Office of Off-Campus Living. We can mail you the forms, you can visit the office and fill out the forms or you can subscribe on line by visiting www.upenn.edu/offcampusliving. As a subscriber you are entitled to:
- appear on residential listings available for consultation on line and in the office;
- receive calls and emails from users of our services;
- have your homepage and email linked to your listings in the interactive residential listing database;
- access your account informaton and your listings on line to make changes and deletions, as necessary;
- attach pictures, floor plans and text documents to your listings, if you choose the enhanced;
- appear on our landlord list (if you have more than 10 units)
- receive information letters and reports from the Office of Off-Campus Living
- make changes to the information originally submitted as often as it is necessary.

Your listing will remain posted thirty days beyond the date available. After 30 days the computer will automatically delete the listing and you will have to contact us if you want to continue posting the information.. If your unit has been rented we ask that you let us know promptly so we can delete the information. We want to offer updated, accurate information to our users and spare you no longer wanted telephone calls. If you want us to make changes to the information originally submitted in writing, you can call, fax or email us with the changes. Email to ocliving@pobox.upenn.edu.

For large apartment complexes where several units of the same type/price are available at any one given time, we offer the blanket listing option. For blanket listings the date available is updated once a month and these listings do not expire as long as the subscription is paid. It is the responsibility of the blanket lister to submit to us any changes to the original information submitted.

STUDENT LISTING PROGRAM

University of Pennsylvania students who are tenants can list their apartments in our office for a $5.00 fee. The student fee is a charge per listing only. The listing remains in our database for thirty days from the date available and may not be renewed. The Student Listing Program is limited to units student tenants want to sublet and house/apartment sharing situations. If students are attempting to rent out a property purchased by parents or other such arrangements, they must list through the Annual Subscription Program.

GENERAL RULES

Read the OCL Policy carefully and make sure you agree to its terms. Fill out the subscription form, date and sign your application. Your signature indicates that you have read the policy and agreed to its terms. We will not process applications with incomplete and/or inaccurate information. We will not post information that discriminates against protected classes, according to the Federal Fair Housing Act and local ordinances. For more information, visit the Housing Association of Delaware Valley @ http://www.hadv.org/.

Submit new listings in writing or on line, if you have mailed your signed application and paid the fee. You will also be able to manage your account and listing information on line and make changes and/or deletions, as necessary. Should you not have on line access, you can still call 215-898-8500, fax 215-573-2173 or email ocliving@pobox.upenn.edu and request any changes and deletions. 

Your rental information will be made available through our searchable customized database at www.upenn.edu/offcampusliving. We will make every effort to post the information within two business days from receiving it but due to the high volume of work at certain times of the year, it may take longer for the information to get on line. We assume no responsibility for the down time of the server and the brief periods when our database is not accessible because of that.