Guidelines for Property Owners or Sublettors

Beware of Scams

It has come to our attention that several landlords have been contacted by prospective “renters” via email who are anxious to rent the apartment. They are so anxious they are willing to provide a full years rent in advance. Payments are forwarded to the landlord in the form of a check or money order and are often in excess of the full years rent amount. The landlord is then asked to remit the overpayment to the renter to cover travel expenses, furnishings, etc.

If this happens to you, Do Not Send or Return Money to a prospective renter until the check or money order has had ample time to clear. Banks will often unknowingly accept fraudulent checks at first, and contact the accountholders and discredit the check only later when the fraud is discovered. You may choose also to decline to accept the check or money order at all.

If you suspect a scam is in progress, you may request that the bank, post office or police investigate the situation.

How to protect yourself:

• Ask for references! (The Yale departments will be happy to verify the enrollment status of possible tenants.)
• Be suspicious of anyone who contacts you with requests like those described above.
• Do not feel pressured to respond or send money back; that is part of the scam.
• Wait for checks and money orders to clear before proceeding.

Guidelines for Submitting a Property Listing

• Yale University upholds the principle of equality in housing opportunity. We insist that landlords or agents who list with Yale Off Campus Housing abide by the Connecticut Statutes prohibiting discrimination based on race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, gender, marital status, age, lawful source of income, mental or physical disability or sexual orientation.
• If a complaint is filed with en enforcement agency we may remove all listings placed by the defendant until the complaint is resolved. If it is proven that illegal discrimination has occurred, listings will not be allowed to be re-entered into the system until we have received written certification that the landlord or agent will abide by the statues in the future. The landlord or agent’s ability to use the system will be suspended.
• We also reserves the right to deny listings and/or prohibit landlords from placing listings if:
  • Substandard accommodations have been listed with Yale (verified by the Building Inspection office)
  • There is evidence that the rights of tenants have been violated or that inaccurate information was provided to Yale Off Campus Housing.
• For both Rental and Sale Listings, up to five pictures less than 1 meg each in jpg format are permitted. If the pictures that are submitted for entry to the Property Listing are deemed inappropriate, the listing will be edited to reflect University guidelines.

Compliments and Complaints

Yale Off Campus Housing invites tenants to report Compliments and Complaints concerning rentals made through Yale University Off Campus Housing. We keep these Compliments and Complaints on file at the office located at 420 Temple Street, Room G6. A book of compliments and complaints will be available for review by all potential renters that are part of the Yale community.

When a complaint is received or when Yale Off Campus Housing is notified that a complaint has been filed with an enforcement agency, Yale Off Campus Housing may suspend or remove any listings by this individual/company until the complaint is resolved. If the complaint has been upheld, all current listings made by this individual/company will be removed and future listings will be refused. Reinstatements to our service will only be considered after written certification that past problems, issues and/or violations have been satisfactorily resolved. All listings that are removed under this procedure will forfeit all fees paid for the listings.

Yale Off Campus Housing also reserves the right to refuse listings for any reason including bounced checks, violation of city and state law and inaccurate information submitted on the profile or listing forms.