Family and Graduate Apartment Cancellation, Termination and Checkout Information

 

Cancellation Procedures

Please log into your housing contract to cancel your agreement with us. Cancellations will result in forfeiture of security deposit. Cancellations with less than 14-days notice will forfeit their security deposit and initial payment. Once the contract starts, cancellations are no longer allowed and it is considered a termination.

Residents will need to change their mailing address with the university in order to receive a timely refund of their security deposit. Failure to do so may result in their deposit being delayed or held by Housing Services. Addresses can be changed in my.wsu.edu.

Termination Procedures

Residents are required to file an online Notice of Termination through their contract 90 days prior to their departure. Residents who fail to provide notice 90-days in advance of their departure will be charged a penalty equal to 90 days rent from the date Housing Reservations receives the online termination notice.

Residents will need to change their mailing address with the university in order to receive a timely refund of their security deposit. Failure to do so may result in heir deposit being delayed or held by Housing Services. Addresses can be changed in my.wsu.edu.

Checkout Procedures

Terminating - An online 90-day minimum notice of termination of the rental agreement is required in order to notify Housing Services of your intention to vacate. Access the "Notice of Termination" form by clicking on the current resident link at livingat.wsu.edu/fam/. If you are unsure of the exact date you will be leaving, please give us the last possible date you think you would be in the apartment. Rent Adjustments - Your rent will be adjusted for the date you actually vacate and your keys are returned. The full rent will be charged for the month you will be leaving. Rent will be adjusted once your keys are in and the checkout has been completed. You need only pay for the nights you believe you will be in residence - monthly rent divided by 30 times number of nights you will be in the apartment.

Checking Out - You do not need to be present when we check your apartment. If you turn your keys into the Housing Reservations Office, we will check out the apartment after you have left. If you would like to be present at the checkout, you must schedule a checkout at least two days in advance of your departure by calling Housing Reservations (335-4577). Appointments are scheduled between 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. You must be ready to turn in your keys and leave the apartment when your scheduled checkout takes place. If you schedule your checkout prior to the time you will be leaving, you will be assessed a $25 return charge as we will need to return and complete the checkout when the apartment has been completely vacated. If you are present at the time of checkout, damage or cleaning charges may be reviewed with the Housing Services staff person conducting the check-out. Damage and cleaning charges will be deducted from your damage deposit. If you are not present for the checkout, the findings of the Housing Services will prevail.

Cleaning - Apartments must be cleaned according to the cleaning guidelines. All trash and personal property must be removed from the apartment, balcony, deck, and patio. Storage units must be thoroughly cleaned and all items removed. You will be assessed any costs incurred by the University for cleaning and removal of personal property after you vacate the rental unit.

Keys - You are considered in residence as long as your keys remain checked out. Failure to return them when you vacate the unit could result in your paying additional rent charges. All keys must be returned to either the Custodial Supervisor during a scheduled checkout, Housing Reservations desk at Streit-Perham, or the Apartment Key Return drop box outside of the Housing entrance at Streit-Perham. Failure to return all door keys at the time you vacate the apartment will result in a $75 non-refundable lock change fee. A missing mail key will result in a non-refundable $30 fee. You will be charged $20 for each missing laundry key. Housing Services should be provided with a forwarding address on your key envelope, so that refunds can be mailed to you.

Cleaning Guidelines

Kitchen:
  1. Clean out kitchen cupboards and under sink. Wash inside with ammonia and water.
  2. Stove Microwave:
    • Remove as many parts as possible for easier and more thorough cleaning.
    • Remember to clean under burners and remove reflector pan and clean underneath them.
    • Stove parts, including broiler pan and oven racks, must be thoroughly cleaned as well as the oven. In all apartment complexes except Terrace, please use the self-cleaning feature. In Terrace, we recommend EASY-OFF oven spray cleaner for cleaning oven. Soak rings, reflector pans, and broiler pans in ammonia water-use SOS pads for stubborn stains.
    • Wipe off enamel with lukewarm water and sudsy ammonia.
    • Wash interior and exterior of microwave with a solution of baking soda and water.
  3. Self Cleaning Stove:
    • Remove broiler pan and rack from oven before starting self clean operation.
    • DO NOT CLEAN REFLECTOR PANS AND BURNER RINGS IN OVEN.
    • Push and hold latch release button while sliding latch to far right position.
    • Turn oven set to clean.
    • On automatic oven timer set pointer ahead, on the stop dial marked clean, for as many hours as needed to clean the amount of soil in the oven.
      2 hours for light soil
      3 hours or more for moderate to heavily soiled oven
      Oven Cleaning Light will glow when all steps have been set up properly. Also, you will hear the sound of a fan sometime during cleaning.
      LOCK LIGHT comes on when oven heats to temperatures above those usually used for and cooking. The light stays on during cleaning time and until heat decreases in temperature and lock light goes out. NOTE: Usually when lock light is out, door can be unlatched as described below. However, if latch cannot be moved easily while latch release button is being depressed, wait 10 to 20 minutes and try again to unlatch door.
    • When lock light is off, push and hold latch release button while sliding latch to far left position. (See NOTE above.) Open the oven door. (Lower window shield by pushing handles inward and toward bottom of window.)
    • Check to be sure your self-cleaning oven is working properly. If there is a problem with it not cleaning properly, call Maintenance at 335-1541. It is your responsibility to make sure it is left clean before leaving.
  4. Refrigerator:
    • Remove all food, defrost, and clean completely.
    • Wipe inside and out with lukewarm water and sudsy ammonia.
    • After closing-leave refrigerator set on lowest setting.
Bathroom
  1. We recommend Green Scotch Brite to clean toilet and sink.
  2. Medicine cabinet and toothbrush holder should be cleaned out and washed down with water and sudsy ammonia solution.
  3. VALLEY CREST: DO NOT USE ABRASIVE CLEANERS OR PADS.
    To clean: Use a cloth and liquid cleaner such as: Fantastic, Dow Bathroom Cleaner or related products. Thoroughly rinse after cleaning.
  4. NEZ PERCE, AND COLUMBIA: To clean: Use any type of detergent and powdered Soft Scrub in conjunction with Green Scotch Brite. Thoroughly rinse after cleaning.
Remaining Apartment
  1. Walls: Wash all walls with Mr. Clean or another ammonia based product. Wipe walls from bottom and move upward toward ceiling.
  2. Windows: Wash with a mild solution of sudsy ammonia in water.
  3. Curtains: DO NOT WASH DRAPES.
  4. Floors: Sweep and mop vinyl floors. DO NOT WAX. Thoroughly vacuum carpeting.
  5. Storage Areas: Steptoe, Kamiak, Terrace, Columbia and Yakama.
  6. Remember to clean all items out of storage areas and sweep out. Items left in storage without permission of Housing Services will be donated to Goodwill.
  7. Remove all trash and cleaning supplies from apartment must be disposed of in a proper manner.
  8. Anything found inside an apartment will be considered "not wanted" and will be disposed of.

RETURN TRIP TO CHECK-OUT A UNIT WILL COST $5.00. HAVE EVERYTHING READY BEFORE CHECKING OUT.

Reminder - Be sure to leave the following items in the apartment:

  • Ice Trays
  • Broiler Pan

If you have additional questions regarding cleaning procedures, please contact Keli Mehlman, Custodial Supervisor, at 335-6460. She, or one of her staff, will be happy to answer your questions.