residence life at albright college

OFF-CAMPUS COMMUNITY

Ten Tips for Renters:

  1. Never rent a place before seeing it!
  2. Read and understand your lease/contract before you sign it and be sure that all of your agreements with your landlord and roommate are in writing.
  3. Check your local townships web-page to research local town ordinances (i.e. noise, number of people per residence).
  4. Make sure that you call your municipality to set up your trash/recycling pick-up.
  5. Record the condition of your rental when you move in.
  6. Make sure to keep a rental file with all important documents such as your lease agreement, inventory and condition report, roommate agreement and any other correspondence you may have with your property provider.
  7. Make sure that you have working smoke detectors in your home and your residence meets all fire safety and other city occupancy codes.
  8. Make sure you know who to contact in case of a maintenance emergency and other emergency contact information.
  9. Make sure that you pay your rent on time!
  10. Keep in mind that you are no longer living in a residence hall and the tenants around you may include senior citizens, working professionals and families.

Apartments/Condos in the Area:

  • Autumn Park-2001 Hampden Blvd., Reading PA. 19604, (610) 371-8766
  • Deer Path Woods Townhouses- 2090 Elder St., Reading PA. 19604, (610) 929-9664
  • Oak Forest Apartments - Hampden Boulevard & Berks St., Reading, PA 19601, (610) 375-1086
  • For more local listings log onto the Reading Eagle Newspaper at http://www.readingeagle/com.

Important Numbers:

  • On-Campus Resources
    • Dean of Students - (610) 921-7611
    • Gable Health Center - (610) 921-7532
    • Housing and Residential Learning - (610) 921-7641
    • Registrar - (610) 921-7256
    • Safety and Security Office - (610) 921-7670
    • Student Accounts - (610) 921-7753
  • Off-Campus Resources
    • Reading Hospital (610) 988-8000
    • Saint Joseph Hospital (610) 378-2000
    • Berks Women in Crisis (610) 372-9540 (24 hour hotline)
    • Poison Control 1-800-222-1222
    • Berks Talkline (610) 929-3999
  • Emergency Services - In the case of an emergency please dial 911
    • Reading
      • Reading Police Department
        • Non-emergency - (610) 655-6116
      • Reading Ambulance
        • Non-Emergency - (610) 655-6671
      • Reading Fire Department
        • Non-emergency - (610) 655-6080
    • Muhlenberg
      • Muhlenberg Police Department
        • Non-emergency - 610-929-5454
      • Muhlenberg Area Ambulance Association
        • Non- emergency - 610-929-5774
      • Central Fire Co.
        • Non-emergency - 610-929-5505

Local Utilities

  • Reading Utilities
    • Cable - Comcast (610) 378-4600
    • Electricity - MetEd 1-888-544-4877
    • Gas - UGI 1-800-609-4844
    • Storm and Sanitary Sewers - (610) 655-6285
    • Telephone - 1-800-609-4844
    • Trash/Recycling-(610) 655-6278
    • Water - (610) 655-6084
  • Muhlenberg Utilities
    • Cable - Comcast (610) 378-4600
    • Electricity - MetEd 1-888-544-4877
    • Gas - UGI 1-800-609-4844
    • Telephone
      • Frontier 1-866-931-5256
      • Verizon 1-800-660-2215
  • Trash/Recycling - (610) 929-4727
  • Water & Sewer - (610) 929-4709

Transportation

  • BARTA Bus
    1700 N. 11th Street, Reading
    (610) 921-0601
    Fees: Varies - Call for fees, routes and schedules
    Bartabus.com
  • Grab-A-Cab
    (610) 478-1111
  • Inner City Bus Terminal
    3rd and Court Streets, Reading
    (610) 374-3182
    Fee: Varies
    Hours: Call for Departures and Arrivals
  • Reading Metro Taxi
    (610) 374-5111

Renter's Insurance

  • Student Personal Property Plan - Provides personal property insurance programs to college students.
  • Renter's insurance can be obtained through a variety of other insurance companies.
  • Make sure that you check with your parent/guardian to see if you are covered under their homeowners insurance.

For more information about the Reading/Muhlenberg area, such as, local ordinances trash/recycling pick-up, and much more, please use the links below.

  • City of Reading

http://www.readingpa.gov/documents/nrg.pdf

  • Muhlenberg Township

http://www.co.berks.pa.us/muhlenberg/site/DEFAULT.asp

For important information such as PA tenant rights, laws and protection log onto U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at http://www.hud.gov/.

For more information about off-campus living please stop by the Housing and Residential Learning Office, or contact Becky Peal at extension 7886.