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Published by David McGarvey, 2020-11-05 14:02:13

Guidebook 2021 - Rates TBD

Guidebook as of Fall 2021

LEASING GUIDE

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

What's inside?

Leasing Overview Pg. 1

The Courtyards at UMD Pg. 2

South Campus Commons Pg. 6

How to Select the Best Pg. 10
Housing for You

The Leasing Process Pg. 13

Re-Leasing Pg. 16

GUIDE TO LEASING

When you live at The Courtyards at
UMD (CTY) or South Campus
Commons (SCC), you get many
benefits you won't find elsewhere in
College Park. Here are some of the
highlights of what you'll get in both
communities:

ALL utilities (cable, internet,
electricity, water) included
$25 application fee
Individual leases
No credit check
No security deposit
Fully furnished apartments
High definition cable TV
connection and access to Xfinity
On Campus services
Wired and wireless high-speed
internet connections
Kitchens with full-sized appliances
including

Refrigerator
Oven/stove
Dishwasher
Microwave
Garbage disposal
Full-sized washer and dryer in
each unit
Campus phone lines

1

THE COURTYARDS
AT UMD (CTY)

The Courtyards at UMD offers students a great
living experience by providing affordable
rates, a large living area, free parking, and lots
of fun events! You have everything you need in
this garden style community, including a
fitness center, swimming pool with sun deck,
beach volleyball court, computer lab with free
printing, and so much more. We are located
right across from the Xfinity Center and we
are a short UMD bus or bike ride to all your
classes.

AT CTY WE OFFER
THE FOLLOWING:

Free on-site parking
Fitness center
Game room
Heated outdoor pool
Grills
Beach volleyball court
Computer lab with free printing services
14 RAs and professional live-on staff
UMD bus service to class
Covered bike racks
Single and shared bedrooms
UMD Residence Hall Association (RHA)
Study room
Individually controlled heating and air
conditioning
Monitored alarm system
Balconies in select apartments

2

THE COURTYARDS
AT UMD (CTY)
FLOOR PLANS

4 Bedroom/4 Bath

1493 Square Feet
64 total

Available in Buildings 1, 2, 5, & 6

4 Bedroom/2 Bath

1189 Square Feet
64 total

Available in Buildings 4 & 7

2 Bedroom/2 Bath 3

Standard

785 Square Feet
32 total

Available in Building 3

THE COURTYARDS
AT UMD (CTY)
FLOOR PLANS
2 Bedroom/2 Bath Quad

991 Square Feet
8 total

Available in Buildings 2, 5, & 6

2 Bedroom/2 Bath
Deluxe

991 Square Feet
56 total

Available in Buildings 1, 2, 5, & 6

4

8000 Boteler Lane, College Park, MD 20740
(301) 314-2466

umdcourtyards.com

5

SOUTH CAMPUS
COMMONS (SCC)

Experience the best in off-campus student
living without leaving campus! Located on the
southeast edge of the University of Maryland's
campus, South Campus Commons (SCC) has
seven buildings housing 2195 residents, and is
designed to fit the architectural style of UMD's
campus. As a resident of the SCC community,
you are within walking distance of the center
of a vibrant university campus as well as
restaurants and shops in the College Park
area. The South Campus Dining Hall is located
in the heart of our community, and our
residents have the option to purchase a
Dining Plan. The Commons Shop convenience
store, which is also located right next door to
SCC, is open late to provide anything from
fresh fruits to late night snacks. South Campus
Commons also houses Hinman CEOs, one of
the Department of Resident Life's Living &
Learning Program.

When living at SCC, everything is at your front
door:

Classes
The Commons Shop
Downtown College Park
Restaurants
Shopping
South Campus Dining Hall

AT SCC WE OFFER
THE FOLLOWING:

24-hour Service Desks
Building access by University ID
SCC Residence Hall Association
Resident Assistants and Resident Directors
employed by the Department of Resident
Life
Study rooms throughout the community
Bike racks
Full-size beds

6 Single bedrooms
Vinyl plank floors (select units)

SOUTH CAMPUS
COMMONS (SCC)

FLOOR PLANS

4 Bedroom/2 Bath
1045 Square Feet

488 total
Available in all SCC buildings

3 Bedroom/2 Bath
896 Square Feet

29 total
Available in Buildings 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7

7

SOUTH CAMPUS
COMMONS (SCC)

FLOOR PLANS

2 Bedroom/2 Bath
695 Square Feet
74 total

Available in SCC Buildings 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, & 7

Studio
421 Square Feet

6 total
Available in Buildings 1, 3, & 4

1 Bedroom/1 Bath
609 Square Feet

2 total
Available in Building 1

8

4250 Lehigh Road, College Park, MD 20740
(301) 314-2499

southcampuscommons.com

9

HOW TO SELECT
THE BEST

HOUSING FOR YOU

The following steps are very important to help
you find the community to best fit your needs:

Weigh the entire costs of each community
Review the lease, available on each site's
website
Review all information with any other
decision-makers, such as your family and
potential roommates
Ask plenty of questions
Talk to current residents in the community
you're interested in

Guarantor vs. Co-signer Information
Off-campus communities typically require a
credit check or co-signer for lease signing.
SCC and CTY are student-friendly
communities and only require you to have a
Guarantor for your lease; they will be
responsible for your lease if you are unable to
meet your financial obligations. When
completing their Leasing Application,
students will be able to download their
guarantor form for the community they plan
to live in. Students must have this form
completed and submit it at the time of their
leasing appointment. Keep in mind you
cannot list yourself, another University of
Maryland student, or a person under the age
of 25 as a guarantor. Please remember to talk
with your intended guarantor prior to
completing the leasing application.

Individual vs. Collective Leases
At SCC and CTY, we provide individual leases
instead of collective leases which protects our
residents. You are only required to pay your
installments.

Collective leases are common in College Park
and require all roommates to ensure that the
rent for the apartment is paid in full. In this
situation, if your roommates move out or have

10 financial difficulties, you will be required to

pay their "share" of the rent.

Financial Information
Your lease term with South Campus Commons
or The Courtyards is for an 11.25 month period
beginning late August and going through the
end of July.
Are you thinking about studying abroad at
some point during the lease year? No problem!
We have a re-leasing process through which
residents can find a new, eligible student to
sign their lease over to for the remainder of
the lease term. More information about the re-
leasing process is available in this guide, but
you can also reach out to our Leasing Staff or
visit our websites with any questions that you
have.
All rates are per person, 12 installments for a
standard term of mid August to the end of
July. The lease reflects a total amount divided
into 12 equal installments due August 1 - July
1. These installments do not represent a
monthly amount and are not prorated. 
At both South Campus Commons and The
Courtyards, we make payments easy by
accepting them directly. Residents are
provided with an online Resident Portal where
you can view your bill, set up automatic
payments, make credit card payments (
service charges apply), or submit electronic
bank drafts. We also have payment drop boxes
at each site so that you can make payments at
any time, day or night. You can choose to pay
the entire semester at once, or make
payments on the 1st of each month, August-
July, whichever you find easiest.
Many students choose to use their financial
aid refund to pay their installments. To make
payments even easier, we recommend that
you speak with your Financial Aid Counselor to
determine which funds may be available and
when they will be disbursed.
South Campus Commons and The Courtyards
do not require a security deposit, and our low
application fee of $25 is only required if you
decide to sign a lease.

Renter's Insurance
In order to protect our residents from
unforeseen situations, South Campus
Commons and The Courtyards require all
residents to invest in renter's insurance with a
minimum liability coverage of $100,000.
Renter's insurance can provide protection for
accidental damage, theft, fire, water damage,
and more. Renter's insurance can also cover
your personal property, which is not insured
by South Campus Commons or The
Courtyards, as well as damage to the property
for which you may be found liable. Many
residents are able to utilize their parents'
homeowner's insurance for their desired
coverage.We recommend speaking with an
insurance agent to determine which policy
options will best fit your needs.

11

Mixed Gender Apartments (SCC and CTY)
The Department of Resident Life offers a living
option in SCC and CTY where students of
different genders can choose to live within the
same apartment. SCC and CTY
offer apartment-style housing with private
bedrooms to accommodate for students of
different genders living in the same unit.
A limited number of apartments are
designated as program spaces. Priority for
selecting spaces will first go to current SCC
and CTY residents who are eligible to
renew their lease, followed by students
currently living in on-campus residence halls
who will enter their third collegiate year in
the upcoming fall semester.
For students who are interested in our Mixed
Gender housing units, we offer 2 and 4
bedroom unit styles so long as interested
students apply together and can fill the type
of space they hope to live in. Students
interested in living in Mixed Gender housing
must apply as a group. They should complete
the online SCC/CTY Mixed Gender Apartment
Living application by the deadline, and
complete the SCC/CTY Leasing Application by
the deadline to be eligible to participate in
the Mixed Gender unit leasing process.
Hinman CEOs (SCC)
As the nation's first living-learning
entrepreneurship program, Hinman CEOs is a
groundbreaking initiative placing
entrepreneurially-minded students from all
technical and non-technical academic
disciplines in a unique community. Students
live together, learn about entrepreneurship,
and can launch new ventures.
The mission of Hinman CEOs is to foster an
entrepreneurial spirit, create a sense of
community and cooperation, and develop
ethical leaders. All undergraduates from the
University of Maryland, College Park are
invited to apply for this competitive program.
See more at: http://www.hinmanceos.umd.edu.

12

THE LEASING PROCESS
AT SCC & CTY

The Application
The first step in making your new home at
South Campus Commons or The Courtyards is
to fill out the online application. The
application is available to students in the
Commons/Courtyards Portal of StarRez.
There is no cost to complete an application,
and submitting an online application does not
obligate you to lease with us. However,
completion of the form is required for you to
have the opportunity to lease at South
Campus Commons or The Courtyards.
You will be notified of your eligibility in March,
following submission of your leasing
application. You will not have to pay an
application fee unless you sign a lease with us;
application fees are due at the time of lease
signing.

Who’s Eligible?
The next step in making The Courtyards or
South Campus Commons your new home is to
determine if you are eligible through UMD’s
Department of Resident Life guidelines:
Eligibility Requirements

Students must submit a SCC/CTY leasing
application by the deadline.
Students will be notified of eligibility after
submitting an application. Leasing
eligibility is determined by the University of
Maryland’s Department of Resident Life and
The Residence Hall Association (RHA).
Students must be in good academic,
financial, & judicial standing with the
University to be eligible to sign a lease.
Lease-holders must be undergraduate
students registered full-time at the
University of Maryland, College Park.

13

Preparing for your Leasing Appointment
Whether you are getting pulled in or are
attending a virtual Open Leasing selection
appointment, there are a few things you can
do to prepare for your leasing appointment:

Read the SCC & CTY sample leases
(available on each website) prior to your
appointment.
Be prepared to submit a payment for $25
to pay your application fee.
Be prepared to submit a payment for $300
to pay your Lease Reservation Payment.

Applied to your first rental installment
An online payment option will be made
available.
Have your social security number available
to include on the lease. *If you are an
International student, use your passport
number in its place.

Any required digital submission will be
protected and encrypted.
Have your Guarantor complete and submit
the Guarantor Form. Note that all guarantor
information is required, including the
social security number.

Each group will have a group-leader who will
make the apartment selections. Please plan
to complete the process with your group
leader or make sure they know your desired
preferences.

15

RE-LEASING

So you signed a lease with SCC/CTY and you
found out that you will no longer be able to
live at SCC/CTY? OR you do not currently live
at SCC/CTY but you'd really like to become a
resident with us? Then the re-leasing process
is for you! This section will detail the re-
leasing process for both the current resident
and a potential re-lessor so you know exactly
what to do next!

The following information is designed to
help UMD students navigate the re-leasing

process.
What is re-leasing?
Re-leasing is the official process for residents
to transfer their financial responsibility for
their Courtyards/South Campus Commons
lease to another eligible UMD student prior to
their lease end date. Many UMD students who
study abroad, withdraw from the University,
need to leave due to financial constraints, or
are not able to fulfill their lease for any other
reasons can use the re-leasing process.
Once residents re-lease their apartment, they
terminate all rights and responsibilities to
their space. This is a formal process which is
completed through the Leasing Office.
Therefore, for a re-lease to occur, the resident
currently living in the space must initiate the
process by finding another eligible UMD
student to take over their lease.
A resident remains financially responsible for
their lease until this process is completed.

16

How Do I Find a Resident Interested in
Re-Leasing Their Apartment

Students interested in either property
should make sure to complete an online
application via StarRez.

You will also have an opportunity to add
yourself to the SCC and/or CTY waitlists
once you've completed your application.
Visit www.ctyscc.com and select the
community you are interested in.
Click on the Prospective Resident section
of the website and select "Re-leasing from
a current resident."
Read the overview and information on the
Re-Leasing Message Board.
Check out The Courtyards' message board.
Residents post their spaces on The
Courtyard's message board:
Female:
go.umd.edu/CTYFemaleReleasingBoard
Male:
go.umd.edu/CTYMaleReleasingBoard

OR
Check out the South Campus Commons'
message board. Residents post their spaces
on the South Campus Commons message
board:

Female:
go.umd.edu/SCCFemaleReleasingBoard
Male:
go.umd.edu/SCCMaleReleasingBoard
Ask friends and current SCC/CTY residents
if they know of any current residents
looking to re-lease their South Campus
Commons or The Courtyards apartments.
Post your own announcement on the South
Campus Commons and/or The Courtyards
message boards to inform residents that
you are interested in re-leasing an
apartment. Make sure to specify which
community and apartment you're
interested in!

When are re-leasing appointments offered?
Current residents can submit their Re-Leasing
Request anytime! Re-leasing requests are
processed Monday-Friday between the 4th
and the 20th of each month (except August,
February, March, and observed holidays).
All re-leasing is now conducted entirely
online. This will require multiple submissions
by both parties to coordinate the transfer of
the lease.
Failure on the part of the current resident and
re-lessor to complete a re-leasing
appointment by the 20th of the month will
result in the current resident retaining
financial responsibility for the next
installment.

17

How long does the re-leasing process take?
We recommend that students submit their
Re-leasing Request 2-3 weeks before their
desired lease transfer date. Keep in mind that
it can be difficult to find a re-lessor based on
the time of the year, so the earlier you start
your process, the better!
Once a re-lessor receives their lease, they have
2 business days to complete the process
before they forfeit the space. In this case, the
current resident would retain financial
responsibility.

When can I move in?
You should discuss move-out and move-in
dates prior to submitting your forms. The
current resident must indicate this
information on the Re-Leasing Request. The
re-lessor's move-in date can be no earlier than
2 business days after the current resident's
move-out date.
I would like to move in halfway through the
month, but the current resident already
paid their installment.
Installment payments are due on the first of
each month. The person in possession of the
lease on the 1st of the month is responsible for
that installment payment.
Payments are not prorates and South Campus
Commons and The Courtyards will not issue
refunds for installments owed prior to the
lease transfer. Any exchange of money relating
to partial payments or personal refunds is
solely between the lease holder and the re-
lessor.
Who is eligible to re-lease apartments?
Currently, any full-time undergraduate
student at Maryland who is in good financial,
judicial, and academic standing with the
University is eligible. You must also complete
and submit an online Leasing Application. .
Elibility will be determined once both the
current resident and the re-lessor have
submitted their re-leasing requests. After the
re-lessor has been approved, the current lease
holder will be able to log in to StarRez and
choose an appointment time.

18

THINGS TO
REMEMBER FOR

RE-LEASING

Current Resident Responsibilities:
Begin the process through StarRez
between the 4th-20th of the month. 
Please note that re-leasing is not
available in the months of February,
March, and August.
The last month to re-lease for the
current lease year is June.
The last month to re-lease before the
upcoming lease year is July.
Have a $0 (zero) balance on their account.
Pay any outstanding payments through
their Resident Portal at least 2 days before
the scheduled appointment.
Pay $100 lease transfer fee in one of two
ways:
On the Resident Portal at least 2 days
before the appointment.
With certified funds (money order or
bank certified cashier's check).
Complete all digital leasing paperwork
accurately and timely.
Check out and follow move-out instructions
to avoid additional charges.

Re-Lessor Responsibilities:
Have a current leasing application on file.
Complete the Re-Leasing Form in StarRez.
Pay $25 application fee & $300 reservation
payment
After receiving the blank lease, submit
completed Lease and Guarantor form along
with re-leasing form via online form
provided.
In this process, the SSN field may be left
blank and provided separately.
Understand you are accepting the
apartment "as is." Cleaning is optional for
an additional $65 money order payable to
Educated Cleaners.

Please note, the re-leasing process
was changed to an online-only
process in Fall of 2020.

As online methods are further
developed, some aspects of this
process could be further altered to

reflect these improvements.

19

2020-2021 INSTALLMENT RATES

(PER PERSON, AUGUST-JULY)

Move In: Tuesday, August 24, 2021 | Move Out: Friday, July 29, 2022

Move In: Sunday, August 22, 2021 | Move Out: Friday, July 29, 2022

*2021-2022 RATES TBD
EXPECTED JANUARY 2021

How We Compare

How We Compare


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