Leasing for 2024-25

Leasing for the 2024-25 Lease Year

Thank you for your interest in leasing with The Courtyards at UMD for the 2024-2025 Academic Year!  Please click the link below to visit the Leasing Guide on the University of Maryland’s Housing and Resident Life webpage for South Campus Commons and The Courtyards for detailed information about the leasing process and timeline.

The Courtyards at UMD also offer Graduate housing! Visit go.umd.edu/gradhousing for more information.

http://reslife.umd.edu/housing/commonscourtyards/

Apply Now

 

The Application Process

Application & Roommate Matching Form – Submitting an online Application does not obligate you to lease with us, but completion of the form is required for you to have the opportunity to lease at the Courtyards. No further paperwork or payments will be required of you until you decide to sign a lease. Please read below information on the payments and paperwork required at the time of your lease signing.

The 2024-2025 Application is now live on StarRez.umd.edu 

The deadline to apply to participate in Virtual Apartment Selection is February 8 at 11:59pm EST. 

Contact our office by calling 301-314-2466 or emailing thecourtyards@cocm.com to answer any questions!

Getting Ready For The Leasing Process

You should take the time to look over the following items so you can be prepared for the leasing process. If you do not have all of the required payments and paperwork on the leasing date you are issued, you will NOT be able to lease and may lose your space to the next waitlist applicant.

Lease Reservation and Application Fees – There is no application fee and the lease reservation fee ($300) will be due after you sign your lease via DocuSign.  Checks or money orders can be made out to The Courtyards. Online payments are also made available through the resident portal.

Additional Information

Additional information about eligibility and priority, information sessions, and a comprehensive list of frequently asked questions can be found on the Resident Life website.

Appointment Requirements
$300 lease reservation fee. Check or money order made payable to The Courtyards.

 

Social Security Number. While your card is not required, you must be able to provide your Social Security Number.

 

A completed Guarantor Form.

Graduate Housing

The Courtyards offer housing for Graduate students at UMD! Courtyards Building 6 is dedicated to Graduate students and has a separate application process. 

 Applications for Graduate housing for 2024-25 will go live on StarRez beginning May 2024. 

 Visit go.umd.edu/gradhousing for more information regarding Graduate housing at the Courtyards.

Lease Transfer vs. Subletting

On occasion, students inquire about the difference between “Subletting” and “Transferring” their apartment.  We hope this section will aid in differentiating between the two terms and clarify why we only allow Lease Transfer at The Courtyards.

Subletting means that a resident is allowing someone to use their apartment for a period of time in return for payment.  When subletting, the resident is still financially responsible for the apartment and any damages that might occur, even though they are allowing someone else to rent from them.  Please review the section on “Illegal Subleasing” for more information on this.

The Lease Transfer is the official process of transferring financial responsibility for a Courtyards lease to another eligible student prior to the lease end date of July 27, 2024.  Any students who study abroad, withdraw from the University, or need to leave due to financial constraints, must use this process.  Once a resident transfers their apartment, their individual lease is formally ended, which means they will no longer have access to the space and community services and they are released from their financial obligation.

This formal process, which is completed through the Management Office, is necessary in order to protect the original leaseholder, the incoming resident, and the community.  Therefore, the process outlined below must be followed for a transfer to occur. Lease Transfer appointments are available only between the 4th and 20th of each month.  A lease transfer freeze is imposed only in February, March, and August of each year.  Failure to complete an appointment by the 20th of the month will result in a resident’s retention of financial responsibility for the following month.  Please click here to submit a Re-Leasing Request or New Resident Application.

The Process
The following information is designed to help you navigate the re-leasing process, through which a current lease may be  ended early by transferring it to another eligible student. Please review this information carefully, as the current resident maintains financial eligibility and access to the apartment until the re-lease process has been completed in its entirety.  We recommend submitting the Lease Transfer Request about 2 – 3 weeks before the desired transfer date.

 

Step 1: The current resident must find a re-lessor (a student who is interested in taking over the lease).  It is the current resident’s exclusive responsibility to find a re-lessor.

Step 2: The re-lessor must complete a Courtyards Leasing Application.

Step 3: The current resident must submit a Lease Transfer Request.  If the re-leasing request is approved, the current resident will be prompted to schedule a re-leasing appointment.

Step 4: The current resident and re-lessor attend the lease transfer appointment to complete the re-leasing paperwork and submit necessary payments.

 

Online Lease Transfer Board
Throughout the year, Courtyards leaseholders may be in search of someone to transfer their space to.  Prospective residents may view these boards to find a potential space to release.  Current residents may also post advertisements in designated areas on campus.

Female Re-Leasing Board

Male Re-Leasing Board

Prospective residents may also submit an application prior to having secured a current resident interested in re-leasing.  Once approved as eligible, the prospective resident may opt to be added to the waitlist.  This permits Courtyards to provide name and email address to current residents interested in re-leasing their space.

Eligibility
Currently, any full-time undergraduate student at The University of Maryland who is in good judicial and academic standing with the University is eligible.  A Re-lessors eligibility will be determined once the application has been completed.  For more specific questions about renewal eligibility, please email Jennifer Lindstrom, Manager for Public Housing Partnerships with the Department of Resident Life at pppleasing@umd.edu.
Deadlines
A lease transfer request and new resident application may be submitted at any time, but lease transfer appointments are only available between the 4th and 20th of each month (except August, February, and March).  Failure to complete the appointment by the 20th of the month will result in the current resident maintaining lease responsibility for the following month.
Appointment Requirements
Current Resident:

Your $100 lease transfer fee. This must be paid in certified funds*. Personal checks and cash are NOT accepted.

The remaining portion of your financial responsibility through your new lease end date. This must be paid in certified funds*. Personal checks and cash are NOT accepted.

Monthly rent installments are due on the first of each month. The person in possession of the lease on the 1st of the month is responsible for the rental installment. Installments are not prorated and South Campus Commons will not issue refunds for installments owed prior to the lease transfer. Any exchange of money relating to partial rent payments or personal refunds is solely between the leaseholder and the re-lessor.

*Certified checks are available from a teller at your financial institution in the form of a cashier’s check.  Money orders are available at several local convenience stores, The United States Post Office, and other retail locations.

New Resident:

$300 lease reservation fee. Check or money order made payable to The Courtyards.

Social Security Number. While your card is not required, you must be able to provide your Social Security Number.

A completed Guarantor Form.

Move Out and Move In
On the current resident’s Lease Transfer Request, the re-lessor’s desired move-in date must be selected.  The current resident’s move out will be at least three (3) business days prior to the new resident’s move-in date.  All belongings must be removed from the apartment, even if the current resident is studying abroad and plans to return to the apartment, or to The Courtyards community in the future.  If the transfer occurs prior to the lease renewal period, the outgoing resident will also give up their right to renew their lease for the re-leased space.
Illegal Sub-Leasing
Illegally sub-leasing a Courtyards apartment to an unapproved individual is strictly prohibited.  If an apartment is found to be illegally sublet, the leaseholder and the illegal sub-lessor may be referred to the University of Maryland judicial process according to the Rights and Responsibilities handbook, Section B, 26.  The illegal sub-lessor will be required to move out of the apartment immediately.   A lease must be signed at the management office and official check in completed before a resident may reside at The Courtyards.

Failure to check in through the Landlord is subject to a $200 administrative charge.  Failure to check in or out at a designated location is also subject to a $100 improper check in/out fee.  Furthermore, current residents who do not properly check their keys into a Courtyards staff member at the After Hours Desk or Management Office are subject to $150 core replacement fees for the front and bedroom door. Only legal leaseholders will be permitted to sign out the replacement keys in such circumstances.

To avoid incurring these charges and judicial sanctions, and to preserve the security of our community, it is imperative that all residents use the re-leasing process outlined here.

Renter’s Insurance

The Courtyards requires all residents invest in Renters insurance.  The Courtyards does not carry insurance on tenant’s personal possessions.  Renter’s insurance can provide protection for accidental damage, theft, fire, water, and more.  Please note, tenant will be held liable for any damages he/she may cause to a unit.  Damage caused to a unit by a tenant will be charged directly to the resident found responsible or split among the residents of the apartment if a responsible party cannot be determined, regardless of acquisition of insurance.

Many tenants rely on parents’ homeowners insurance policies for protection while residing at the Courtyards.  Be sure to check your policy first as many will only provide partial coverage for personal property of the tenant, and do not cover liability.  Renters insurance covers personal property as well as damage to the property for which a tenant may be liable.  Renters insurance policies also tend to carry lower premiums.

Renter’s insurance rates vary from state to state.  The cost also depends on the insurance company and the coverage level selected.  According to Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIAB), the coverage cost for renters insurance is about $12 per month for $30,000 worth of property coverage and $100,000 of liability coverage.

You may benefit from speaking with an agent when selecting a policy, as some features of our property could lower rates.  Agents may also recommend other protective measures for your apartment that will lower the rates and further your protection.  Some policies also cover listed property outside the apartment.

Click here for an informational pamphlet on renters insurance.  The Courtyards does not specifically endorse the company in the provided pamphlet.  We provide this for informational purposes only to aid in your insurance-provider research.  Additional companies who offer renters insurance are:

Related article: “College Students Should Hit the Books on Insurance”