Many of you will be moving into a new community and renting on your own for the first time. While this is an exciting time, it comes with some concerns as well.

Hopefully you will become an active participant in the city, as there are many wonderful things in London to experience.

There are also issues related to your rental situation and your community that you should be aware of while you live in the city. Regarding your rental situation, we would strongly recommend that you do a thorough check of the premises when you move in so that you will be aware of any problems or defects in your premise. If there are any, they should be brought to the attention of the landlord (in writing) immediately so that if there are any disputes when you move out, you have those concerns documented.

If you have roommates or other tenants sharing a common space, we would highly recommend using a roommate accord (available on Fanshawe's Website www.fanshawec.ca/housing) to discuss how a group of you will live together throughout the year. Remember, it is better to discuss things now before you start to get stressed about exams. Issues can vary from visitors to utility bills to use of personal items, etc.

It is also highly recommended that you consider the security of the premise that you have rented. Smart thieves know where students live and when students are away on holidays. Don't be a victim of theft.

As you may or may not know, there have been various issues and concerns with behaviour and noise in the community of various cities with large numbers of students. Fanshawe College hopes, and expects, that students will be leaders in the community and is very concerned when this is not the case. London Police and various city Bylaw Officials have laid charges and/or fines for the behaviour exhibited by certain individuals.

We strongly advocate that you be aware of what issues might offend your neighbours and make choices resulting in the least amount of negative complications for yourself and other people. This information is provided to you in the hopes that you will avoid paying fines and keep your money in your pocket, not the city's. The primary concerns that come up when students are living in a residential community include:

Noise Bylaw: The City of London has a 24/7 Noise Bylaw and, generally, the police strictly enforce this bylaw in high density student areas … TICKETS HAVE BEEN INCREASED TO APPROX. $200 PER PERSON... and as of July 1, a second offence under the NOISE BYLAW IS A MINIMUM FINE OF $500 PER PERSON.

Parking: The City has two bylaws noting you cannot park on the street between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. and you cannot park on a front lawn or over the boulevard/sidewalk.

Garbage: London has an atypical schedule as garbage is picked up on an eight day cycle and must be at the curb after 6:00 p.m. the night before pickup and before 7 a.m. the day of pickup. Locate your schedule at www.london.ca under CITY SERVICES.

Furniture: Indoor furniture is not allowed be used as outdoor furniture. Some students have faced a major expense when the City has removed the furniture.

Alcohol: As soon as you step off your property with open alcohol, you can be charged for drinking in public.

Liability: Please be aware that while having friends over is okay, you and any guarantor on your lease may be liable for any injuries or damages when someone consumes alcohol on your property.

If you have any questions about your rental situation or the info provided here, feel free to the Housing Mediation Officer, at 519-452-4138 (Wednesdays) or 519-661-3787.