Undergraduate Student Government presented a standardized lease proposal and a catalog of complaints designed to bring cooperation between student tenants and landlords at a forum Thursday evening at the Student Center.

The forum offered an opportunity for students and landlords to review and discuss the catalog and the lease. About 40 people, including Carbondale Mayor Neil Dillard and City Councilwoman Maggie Flanagan, gathered to hear members of USG propose the housing items.

About eight of the 40 local landlords invited by USG attended to forum.

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The lease is similar to standard housing leases in Chicago. Student leaders are modeling their efforts to ease tenant-landlord relationships around a similar program implemented at the University of Illinois.

The catalog consists of complaints from tenants and is available in the USG office on the third floor of the Student Center. Its purpose is to allow prospective tenants to research complaints about landlords.

Although the catalog documents complaints, it will not be used to make decisions for the students, USG Executive Assistant to the President Kristie Ayres said.

We’re trying to do this fairly, she said. We’re not trying to tell the landlords what to do. We’re not going to say who to rent from. We want the students to know who they can trust.

However, Wayne Burk of Burk Properties, 2903 West Kent Drive, said a dispute is between the student and the landlord.

It is not your place to get involved, Burk told members of USG. If a student can’t call the landlord, that’s their fault.

Ayres said the catalog is a must for students who are nervous about approaching their landlords, especially international students who are new to the experience. However, Burk said his tenants, which include international students, are not intimidated by him.

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Raul Ayala, landlord for Quads Apartments, 1207 South Wall St., agreed that students should be informed of potential problem landlords, but if they wanted change they should initiate it themselves. It is these students, he said, who are naive enough to keep renting the same places over and over again despite encountering problems.

Although some landlords objected to the catalog, Ayres said the purpose of the forum was to present a solution to tenant complaints.

Students like it (the catalog) like it is. I’m not here to fight you and say you’re right or you’re wrong, she told the landlords. My opinion is the landlord would want a book of resolution.

Complaints against landlords can be registered with the city of Carbondale. Burk said the catalog is not needed because the city’s code enforcement division is an adequate method to solve problems.

When they (code enforcement officials) say something, we jump, he said. Code enforcement will work for the landlords and the students.

Ayres said code enforcement is not enough because students are not familiar with all the legalities that occur in city government.

Students are away from home, she said. They don’t know about code enforcement. They know the campus. Yes, they should call the city but will they? No.

Like the catalog, the standardized lease was designed with students in mind. USG Housing Commissioner Christian Schoonover said the only concern landlords have with the lease is the 48-hour notice for showing a property requirement . The rule requires landlords to give at least 48 hours notice to their tenants for when they will be showing the property to prospective renters.

The requirement exists to prepare students whose living space will be put on display. Otherwise it is unfair to them, Ayres said.

Students want a notice, she said. (They do not like) having somebody waking you up, saying We’re showing your home.’ Students are asking for a place of their own.

Burk said the problem with a 48-hour notice is that many students appear on a moment’s notice wanting to see the property, and he rarely has the chance to give a two-day notice to the tenant.

Ayala said the development of a standard lease should not be the duties of USG.

To create a universal lease is something you’re wasting, he said. You should be a source of consumer information instead of creating a universal lease.

Ayres said USG developed the lease because students demanded something be done about the housing situation. She stressed that USG’s intention was not to monitor the housing situation but to open students’ eyes to some existing conditions.

If students are caused to question leases, then we served our purpose. We got the students to listen and question, she said. No one had the guts to stand up and say something about it (before).

I’m here to do what they ask me to do. This is what my constituents want.

Schoonover said he was disappointed with the small turnout of students and said about five of the 25 students present were not members of student government. Despite the low turnout, he said the lease had the backing of students to take the next step and be presented to the city council.

It will go through with enough support. I think it will go, Schoonover said. City council members know that.

Interfraternity President Nick Dodd said a change in the city’s housing structure needs to be implemented soon.

I want the council to get rid of these slumlords, said Dodd, a senior in finance from Marion. The city needs to do something and listen to our concerns.

I think there’s a couple of bad landlords bringing down the good landlords. It is up to the students to try to change the way they do business.