Facilities Operations and Building Services

Residential Rental Properties, Policy on

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Title: Residential Rental Properties, Policy on
Policy Owner: Facilities Operations
Applies to: Existing and Potential: Faculty, Staff, Visiting Scholars and Guests
Campus Applicability: Storrs Currently. If the University acquires residential rental property at any other campus it will apply to such property
Effective Date: May 3, 2019
For More Information, Contact Lynn Hallarin, Director, Business Services Center
Contact Information: 860-486-3632
Official Website: https://rentalproperties.uconn.edu/

REASON FOR POLICY

It is strategically important for UConn to provide and manage short- and long-term housing options for the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff, visiting scholars and other UConn guests. Accordingly, it is University policy to provide housing that is well maintained, attractive and marketable. It is also important that all University owned rental housing be maintained and operated in an economically efficient manner.

POLICY STATEMENT

The Rental Properties Unit of UConn’s Facilities Operations & Building Services maintains a portfolio of rental properties with rental rates designed to support the expenses and improvements necessary to sustain and maintain the portfolio.  Rental properties shall only be made available to Storrs Campus Faculty and Staff, Visiting Scholars and other guests.

The portfolio is comprised of two categories of units: (1) apartments in The Oaks on the Square in Storrs Center; and (2) University-owned houses.   The first category is established to support institutional recruitment and retention objectives, while the second category is to be maintained as a long-term, self-sustaining University asset.

The allocation of rental properties shall be managed in a fair, equitable and open manner.  Rental requests can be initiated in one of two ways: (a) by a Host (defined below); or (b)  by an individual who is a member of the Storrs Campus faculty or staff, a visiting scholar or other UConn guest, as applicable.

Rent will be paid for all rental properties. The amount of rent that is charged will be determined on a market basis through an appropriate analysis.  Rent will be paid either by the individual occupying the property or by the Host.

All rentals must be memorialized in a written agreement signed by an authorized UConn representative and the licensee. The agreement must specify the licensee, the rent, who is paying the rent and the duration of the rental period..

If a Host is paying the rent, that must be reflected in the written agreement and the agreement must be signed by an authorized representative of the Host.

If the occupant does not pay rent, the fair market value of the rent may be taxable income to the occupant subject to withholding and tax reporting.  The occupant will be responsible for all associated tax liability. To facilitate compliance with tax laws, the Rental Properties Unit of Facilities Operations will notify UConn’s Tax & Compliance Office of all rentals where the occupant is not paying rent (e.g. rents is being paid by Host or no rent is paid).

The Executive Vice President for Administration and Chief Financial Officer (or the successor in function) , in consultation with the Real Estate Working Group, establishes, and approves  any changes to, procedures to implement this Policy.

APPLIES TO

Property covered:  All residential rental properties managed by Facilities Operations.  It does not apply to property managed by Residential Life.

Persons covered:  Storrs Campus Faculty and Staff, visiting scholars and other UConn guests. This policy will apply in the event that UConn acquires residential properties at other campuses.  Residential rental properties are not intended for use by students enrolled in UConn undergraduate, graduate or other programs.

DEFINITIONS

“Host” means the UConn Administration, department or academic unit sponsoring the individual who is seeking UConn housing.

“Guest” means Special Payroll employees, long-term consultants, candidates for employment, guest performers (e.g. CRT actors), guest speakers and others similarly situated.

“Storrs Campus Faculty and Staff” means individuals who are regular UConn employees and are employed to work at the Storrs Campus.

“Visiting Scholar” means an expert in an academic discipline or disciplines with a short-term residency at UConn for mutual intellectual enrichment and collaboration.  These individuals are typically scholars or artists on leave from other institutions. However, “Visiting Scholars” also may be unaffiliated and distinguished in their fields, or they may be representatives of governments, higher education institutions or other institutions on official business.  Undergraduate and graduate students are not visiting scholars.

WAIVER AUTHORITY

The President’s office may make exceptions to this Policy or waive the Rental Criteria when it is in the best interest of the University.

ENFORCEMENT

Violations of this policy may result in appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with UConn By-Laws, General Rules of Conduct for all UConn Employees, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

SUPERCEDENCE

This policy supersedes and replaces the present “Policy on Residential Rental Properties” which was effective on August 28, 2017.

INFORMATION/FORMS

Information and forms can be found at http://rentalproperties.uconn.edu/.

Pricing and other information about rental properties (not including The Oaks) can be found at http://rentalproperties.uconn.edu/ under the “Houses” link.

Pricing and other information about The Oaks can be found at http://rentalproperties.uconn.edu/apartments/.

POLICY HISTORY

Policy created:  Approved by the President’s Cabinet (8/28/2017)

Policy revised: 5/3/2019

Facilities Operations & Building Services Guideline for Maintenance and Repair Services (Excludes UConn Health)

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Title: Facilities Operations & Building Services Guideline for Maintenance and Repair Services
Policy Owner: Facilities Operations & Building Services
Applies to: Faculty, Staff, Students
Campus Applicability: All Campuses, except UConn Health
Effective Date: August 18, 2015
For More Information, Contact Facilities Operations & Building Services
Contact Information: (860) 486-3138
Official Website: http://fo.uconn.edu/

Facilities Operations and Building Services strives to provide services in a collaborative, respectful manner working to make our community a better place to study, live and work. This statement’s purpose is to communicate the scope of building maintenance and repair services provided to University of Connecticut community by the Department of Facilities Operations and Building Services.

Facilities Operations and Building Services is committed to providing maintenance and repair services to University-owned facilities for all structural and building systems. This includes all building systems identified on the original blueprints of buildings and those upgrades/modifications made to the original plans and excludes furniture, fixtures and equipment. Occupying units will not be expected to pay for this maintenance and repair.

These services include:

  1. Emergency maintenance: situations that require immediate intervention by trades workers to correct or mitigate a building maintenance problem or which can create unsafe conditions that may expose students, faculty, staff and/or visitors to health or safety related concerns and/or cause significant damage to the building, building systems, or
  2. Preventive maintenance: scheduled maintenance to prevent assets from wearing out/failing and maintain life cycle.
  3. Corrective maintenance: minor repairs to bring asset back into working order.
  4. Statutory maintenance: maintenance and repair to life safety systems; elevators, ADA requirements.
  5. Cyclical maintenance/replacement and updates of building finishes.
  6. Cyclical maintenance/replacement of classroom finishes and furniture.
  7. Basic custodial, snow removal & ice treatment, and landscape services.
  8. Infrastructure services such as water, sewer, steam, chilled water and power.

Facilities Operations and Building Services also provides maintenance and repair services necessitated by the particular operations or equipment of individual units. These services must be funded by the units requesting them. Similarly, Facilities Operations and Building Services is able to provide limited services on a reimbursable basis for small project renovations requested by departments that are cosmetic in nature, change the use purpose of a space, enhance the comfort factor for building occupants/users (ex: convenience kitchens), or mitigate excessive wear and tear on furniture and equipment, etc. The following criteria govern maintenance and repair services for which Facilities Operations and Building Services will charge units:

  1. Work that enhances the aesthetics, alters, or customizes a space for programmatic purposes, or involves a major change to interior finishes.
  2. Maintenance and repair of special classroom equipment; special lighting or sound installations; office furniture and furnishing; laboratory equipment; and other departmental property.
  3. Fabrication of cabinets, shelves, signs, name plates and other miscellaneous items.
  4. Furniture repair (excluding basic classroom furniture) and reupholstering.
  5. Special custodial or trash collection such as daily office cleanings, clean-ups, storage and office cleanouts above normal/routine service levels.
  6. Installation and service of equipment fundamentally required by or used for a unit’s research or other operational activity (such as special fire extinguishing equipment for laboratories, environmental chambers, refrigerators, freezers, autoclaves, spas, pools and uninterruptable power sources).
  7. Services required for the set-up/support of special events.
  8. Moving services.
  9. All facilities planning and design, or other professional services performed by consultants, architects, or engineers, in support of customer-funded projects.
  10. The manufacturer is responsible for fixtures and equipment under warranty. Instances which are covered by valid service agreements are the responsibility of the service agreement holder.
  11. All furniture, fixture and equipment upgrades and replacement costs are the responsibility of the owning unit.

 

In some cases, it may not be clear whether Facilities Operations and Building Services or the unit should bear the cost of maintenance or repair services. If they are not already addressed in a Service Level Agreement, such instances will be handled through discussion with constituent units, and may ultimately be decided by the Associate Vice president for Facilities Management in consultation with the Vice President to which the unit reports.

 

Adopted: 12/5/2013

Revised: 06/03/2014; 07/01/2014; 7/15/2014; 8/18/2015