State College
GENERAL INFORMATION
Lease Term 2023-2024
Welcome to GN Associates and thank you for choosing to rent with us. Our family-owned company owns and manages Park Place, The Graduate, Town Square, The Lion, Burrowes Corner, East Side, The GN Centre and The G apartment communities.
How to contact our staff:
Physical Office and Mailing address:
GN Associates
119 S. Burrowes Street State College, PA 16801
Office Phone: (814) 238-1878
After-hours emergency number:
(877) 699-1823
General email address:
info@gnrealty.com
Hours of operation:
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM until 5:00 PM
Closed for lunch 12:00 PM until 1:00 PM
PAYMENT OF RENT: Rent must be paid on-line through AppFolio. All rent is due and payable on the first day of the month. You have a five-day grace period to pay without incurring late fees. Beginning on the sixth day of the month, there is a THREE DOLLAR ($3.00) PER DAY late charge retroactive to the first day of the month. For example, rent paid on the sixth day must include an $18.00 penalty. Charges are filed with the District Magistrate on the 20th day of each month against all individuals who are delinquent.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE REQUESTS: Routine maintenance requests may be submitted via your AppFolio portal. You may request a specific date and time to schedule your request as long as it is during office hours. If no time is specified, all requests are assigned to our staff on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please be as specific as possible about the nature of your request so that our staff can be prepared with the proper tools and equipment.
EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE REQUESTS: In the event you have an emergency maintenance request, please call our office at 814-238-1878 between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM (after 4:30 PM and on weekends call 877-699-1823). A maintenance person will be dispatched to take care of the problem. The following are considered emergencies: flood, fire, sewer backup, no heat, overflowing toilet (see “toilet stoppage”), broken pipes, and water leaks. GARBAGE DISPOSALS ARE NOT CONSIDERED AN EMERGENCY UNLESS WATER IS OVERFLOWING OR THERE IS A LEAK.
It is very important that you make note of the emergency maintenance number:
Emergencies during 8:30 am until 4:30 pm: call 814-238-1878
Emergencies after 4:30 pm: call 877-699-1823
BUILDING ENTRY: (excludes The G)
All exterior building doors are kept locked at all times. All residents are issued a key and must use it to access the building. Keys are not to be given to guests. Exterior doors should not be propped open at any time.
EXIT/ENTRANCE: Sliding glass doors or windows in first floor apartments are not to be used as an entrance or exit for people or goods. If residents are seen using their window or door in this manner, there will be a charge assessed for damage to the landscaping, window, screens, railing, and/or blinds.
LOCKOUTS: You must be able to show proof of identification to gain access to the apartment. During office hours, 8:30 AM to 5 PM (except the lunch hour noted 12 PM – 1 PM), you may borrow a key from the rental office. If the key is not returned within 48 hours, you will be assessed a $10.00 fee. If the borrowed key is an entrance key, the charge will be $30.00. After 5 PM, you must call the emergency number at 877-699-1823 and make your request. A maintenance person will be dispatched to unlock the apartment door and you will be assessed a $100.00 lock out fee at that time. This fee will be charged to your account and must be paid with the following month's rent. This fee also applies to lock outs on holidays and weekends. THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS. If an apartment or mail key is lost, the charge for each key is $20.00. If a building entrance key or elevator key (GN Centre) is lost, the replacement charge is $30.00. DO NOT MAKE UNAUTHORIZED COPIES OF YOUR KEYS!
LOCK CHANGES: There is a $150.00 fee to have a lock changed. This fee must be paid in full before the lock is changed. All residents in the apartment must agree to have the lock changed. If GN Associates finds an illegal resident in the apartment, the locks will be changed at the expense of the leaseholders.
MAILBOXES: Mailboxes are provided in the lobby of your building. The post office is given a list of residents in each apartment but you are responsible for taping a note inside the mailbox with the names of all residents in the apartment. Without this list of names in the mailbox, you may not receive all of your mail. Only lessees will be granted access to the mailboxes and mail. GN Associates will not furnish anyone other than a lessee with access to this area.
PACKAGES: USPS, UPS, and FedEx will leave packages in the lobby of the building or at your door. This means anyone in your building could take them. WE STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU HAVE EVERYTHING SENT TO YOU REQUIRING A SIGNATURE FOR DELIVERY! Stolen packages are not GN Associates’ responsibility.
APARTMENT CARE: All residents are expected to keep their apartments clean and orderly. Paintings, posters, etc., may be hung on the walls, HOWEVER, please use small nails or thumb tacks instead of stick-on tapes, putty or screws. Tape, putty, and screws cause considerable damage to walls when they are removed. Charges will be made at the termination of the lease for these damages.
Residents are responsible for the condition of the furniture. The wooden furniture may NOT be cleaned with water, furniture polish is advisable. Please use coasters under your glassware. Fiberglass tub enclosures may only be cleaned with non-abrasive cleaners. Please be cautious when using products with bleach, it will cause damage to the carpet.
VACUUM CLEANERS: All residents are encouraged to have a vacuum cleaner on hand to clean your carpet. The carpet in your apartment should be vacuumed at least once a week. GN Associates does not provide vacuums to tenants.
FLOORING: Maintaining the flooring in your entry, kitchen and living room areas is easy. You may use a vacuum cleaner appropriate for bare flooring and then use a mild general-purpose cleaner to remove additional dirt.
SMOKE DETECTORS & FIRE EXTINGUISHER: Your apartment was furnished with one (1) Smoke Detector in the Living Room and (1) Smoke Detector in each bedroom. It is your responsibility to test and change the batteries on these units. The working order of the detector may be tested by pushing the test button. Each apartment is equipped with one fire extinguisher located in your kitchen. Resident agrees to use such extinguisher for the purpose of extinguishing fires only. In the event the fire extinguisher is misused or tampered with during the lease term, the cost of recharging or replacing the extinguisher is paid by the resident. If you think that there is a problem with any of your smoke detectors or your fire extinguisher, call the office to request maintenance (814-238-1878 during office hours, 877-699-1823 after office hours).
Each resident is required by Borough Ordinance #1817 to sign the Fire Safety Certification Agreement that is included in your move-in packet. Failure to do so can result in substantial fines from the Borough. Please make sure you review and sign the agreement that has been placed in your apartment. This MUST BE returned within (7) days of taking occupancy of the apartment.
TRASH REMOVAL: There is a dumpster and recycling at each building. Recycling is not available at the GN Centre. Trash must be placed into the trash chute, dumpster, or recycling bins. DO NOT LEAVE TRASH IN THE HALLS. A fee will be charged for trash that has not been disposed of properly. Cardboard and boxes must be broken down and taken directly to the dumpster. Do not place Christmas trees in the trash chute. Wrap the tree appropriately and take it directly to the dumpster.
VERTICAL BLINDS (excludes The G): Each apartment is furnished with vertical blinds. In order to prevent vertical blind damage, please make sure the blinds are in the open position when moving them to one side of the window. To clean the blinds, you may use a mild soapy detergent.
DISHWASHERS (excludes The G): Only detergents specifically for dishwashers should be used. Do not use regular laundry or dish detergent as this will cause overflowing. Any damage caused by using improper detergent will be charged to all residents.
MICROWAVES (excludes The G): All apartments have been furnished with microwave ovens. Please do not place any type of metal or foil objects in the microwave at any time. Any damage caused by negligence will be charged to the tenant.
GARBAGE DISPOSAL (excludes The G): The garbage disposal is located in your sink and is operated by a switch directly above it. The disposal may be used only when cold water is running. Placing any type of metal, bones, or hot grease into the disposal must be avoided. Tabs from soda cans, banana peels, grease, shot glasses, and cigarette filters will jam and many times permanently break a garbage disposal. We will charge anyone whose disposal breaks as a result of jamming. Before reporting your garbage disposal as being inoperative, please push the reset button located on the disposal, UNDER THE SINK. If this does not alleviate the problem, contact the office during business hours.
DRAIN CLOGS: If a drain is clogged, please contact the office immediately. DO NOT POUR DRAIN-O INTO THE DRAIN; it erodes the pipes and leads to leaks.
TOILET STOPPAGE: Should you experience a toilet overflow, immediately shut off the water by turning off the valve found at the base of the toilet. We have provided each apartment with a plunger which should alleviate most stoppages. To help prevent toilet stoppages, we strongly suggest that you only use single ply toilet paper. We also remind all residents that at no time are they to flush feminine products, disposable diapers, Q-tips, paper towels or rags down the toilet. This will result in a sewer-line backup which will not only damage your apartment but your neighbor's as well. Toilet stoppages and damage will be charged to the tenants.
Please try plunging the toilet prior to calling maintenance. If a maintenance person is dispatched during non-business hours and the toilet only requires plunging, a minimum fee of $50.00 will be charged.
LIGHT BULBS: GN Associates has furnished your apartment with working light bulbs. It is your responsibility to replace all bulbs in table-top lamps only. We expect all bulbs to be working when you vacate the premises, or charges will be made against your security deposit. The maximum wattage for the light bulbs is 60 watts. All ceiling and bathroom light bulbs will be replaced by GN Associates maintenance staff.
INTERNET (excludes The G): Internet is included with your rent. Windstream is the provider for East Side. A representative from Windstream will be on-site August 19 and 20 to issue modems and passwords. DOJO is the Internet and WIFI provider for all other buildings. In early August, DOJO sent an email directly to you with instructions on how to connect your WIFI. If you did not receive the email or are having issues connecting, please contact DOJO directly. GN Associates has been assured by the WIFI/Internet providers that the speed of service is ample for streaming or gaming. Television cable is not provided by GN Associates.
ELECTRICAL INFORMATION: Should you lose electrical service in any area of your apartment, please check the circuit box in your apartment to see if a breaker has been tripped. In the event a breaker has been tripped, simply reset the power switch; this should alleviate the problem. If this does not correct the problem, please report the outage to the rental office or call the emergency maintenance number.
CONSERVATION OF ENERGY: Under the lease, the Landlord has agreed to provide certain utilities. Tenant(s) shall use all efforts to conserve energy and to use such utilities efficiently. The Landlord has the right to inspect the apartment to ensure compliance. If the Tenant fails to comply with conservation of energy, the Landlord shall be entitled to collect charges for utilities for a particular apartment which exceeds, by 10%, the average charge for apartments of a similar size for any period. Please do not open your windows and doors while running the air conditioning or heating systems.
INSURANCE: GN Associates is NOT responsible for personal property. Should you be concerned with the possibility of fire, theft, leaks, or other casualty, you should contact your personal insurance agent about Renter's Insurance.
PETS: NO ANIMALS whatsoever shall be carried onto or kept in or about the premises. Visitors are not permitted to bring pets on the premises. The residents in any apartment found to have pets shall be obligated to pay one or more extermination fees. An additional charge could be imposed for extermination of the entire building, if necessary, to rid the building of any infestation or potential infestation problem. Additional charges may be applied to a later date if GN Associates needs to take further steps to eliminate any damages, odors, fleas, etc. due to the presence of an animal in the apartment.
PARKING: PARKING IS AVAILABLE ONLY TO THOSE WHO HAVE A PERMIT, WHICH MUST BE PROPERLY DISPLAYED IN THE VEHICLE’S REAR WINDOW AT ALL TIMES. Permits are only valid for the vehicle that has been registered in the office and you must be sure to park in the lot your permit is assigned to. Any vehicle parked in the lot without a permit displayed will be subject to being towed. Unfortunately, no visitor parking is available at any time. Please advise your friends and relatives so they are not towed. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT VEHICLES PARKED IN THE LOT WITH THEIR FLASHERS ON WILL BE SUBJECT TO BEING TOWED. Any vehicle blocking trash dumpsters, boiler room entrances or fire lanes will be towed (even those with permits). You must be parked in the designated parking areas only. YOU MAY NOT PARK IN THE HANDICAP PARKING SPACES. If you have a need for a handicap space please stop by the rental office and speak to a rental agent. Towing charges are the responsibility of the vehicle owner.
If the parking lot is full and you see a vehicle without a permit, please call Walk’s Towing at 814-2382886. Parking is for GN Associates tenants only. Vehicles registered in the office must be owned by tenant or tenant's immediate family.
SUBLET PARKING: If you are not using your parking space and wish to sublet it to another resident, you must bring the person to the office (along with your parking sticker) to register their vehicle.
MOTORCYCLES: Motorcycles are considered a motor vehicle and must be in a valid parking space. Each motorcycle will need a parking sticker and only one motorcycle is permitted per parking space.
EAST SIDE ONLY: The first five spaces in the lot are double spaces and are reserved for those with
ES001-ES005 permits. Any vehicle without the double space permit will be towed from these spaces.
GN Associates is not liable for damage to vehicles parked in our lots. Visitor parking is available in the municipal lots on Fraser Street, Beaver Avenue, and Pugh Street.
IN-LINE SKATES/SKATEBOARDS: At no time shall any tenant or guest skate/rollerblade inside the building. Anyone seen participating in this type of activity in the building will be charged a minimum $50.00 fine.
BICYCLES: Bicycle racks have been provided for your convenience. Bicycles are not to be attached to trees, railings, utility poles, common areas, or any public property. At no time shall bicycles be ridden inside the building. Anyone seen riding a bicycle in the building will be charged a minimum $50.00 fine; AND any applicable damages done to carpet or hallway walls. Bicycles attached to prohibited areas will be impounded with a $25.00 fee assessed for its return. Please advise all your visitors of this policy. Bicycles may not be stored on balconies at Lion. Bike rooms are provided at East Side, Town Square, Graduate and Lion. To use these facilities, you must register your bicycle with the office and sign for a key.
VISITOR POLICY: Guests may not stay for a period of more than two days in any given week without completing sublet paperwork. If a problem arises with roommates because of the imposition of a guest, the resident with whom the guest is visiting could be charged additional rent and/or face eviction.
SUBLETS: All Sublets MUST GO THROUGH THE OFFICE. It is a violation of your lease to allow anyone to live in your apartment without doing the appropriate paperwork in the office. Depending on the way your lease is written, you may only be able to sublet to the same sex (please check with the office before looking for a subletter). We must have certain information on everyone living in our buildings on file for security reasons. We will need a copy of your subletter’s ID, and there is a $50.00 sublet process fee. If we find an illegal subletter in your apartment, GN Management has the right to change your apartment lock to protect the property against trespassers, and the original tenants will be subject to a fine of up to $150.00.
The Original Tenant is Still Ultimately Responsible for the Rent. Subletting is not a lease transfer. Your subletter is welcome to make rent payments directly to us. However, if your rent isn't paid by the fifth of the month as usual, you will be held responsible for the payment and any late fees; whether you have a subletter or not. It is not our policy to legally pursue sublet tenants for financial restitution. For this reason, we encourage you to work out payment arrangements on your own and have an agreement notarized (the Hub notarizes documents for students for free).
This will provide you with grounds to file a complaint with the Magistrate against a subletter who defaults on your agreement. Our advice: try to get rent money up front.
The Original Tenant(s) is Still Responsible for any Damages. All original tenants of an apartment are held accountable for any damages incurred during their lease term. We do not require security deposits from sublet tenants, and therefore we cannot hold them responsible for damages. Having someone sublet for a few months is nice, but isn't worth it if they end up trashing your apartment at your expense.
The Original Tenant(s) is Responsible for Keys. All original tenants are given one set of keys. The original tenant is responsible for making sure the sublet tenant gets his/her set of keys to use for the duration of the sublet, as well as making sure the sublet returns the keys to them. GN Associates does not hold keys in the office for the sublet to pick up or return. Summer sublets must return the keys to the office by the last day of the lease term in order to ensure the original tenant does not obtain a key charge.
Remember—subletting is done AT YOUR OWN RISK. Every year, most of our tenants sublet with no problems, but sometimes there are bad situations. If you decide to go through with a sublet, please make sure you protect yourself. If you are planning a sublet, or have more questions about subletting, please call or stop by the office.
ELEVATOR EMERGENCY INFORMATION: The elevator in your building is a highly sophisticated piece of mechanical equipment. As you know, anything mechanical is subject to malfunctioning. The elevator in your building is rated for a maximum capacity of 2500 pounds. This should not be exceeded. No more than ten (10) persons should ride in the cab at any one time. Should the elevator in your building stop for any reason while you are riding in the cab, remain calm and push the alarm button. This button will activate a bell on the cab and can be heard in the lobby of the building as well as throughout the building.
Under no circumstances should you attempt to leave the cab or tamper with the elevator doors. Ring the alarm bell and wait until maintenance personnel arrive. Should anyone hear the alarm bell in the hallway, please call our emergency phone number 877-699-1823.
The stop switch on the elevator should never be pulled between floors. It will result in an abrupt stop of the elevator and may damage the elevator equipment which will necessitate elevator service personnel being called in for repairs. Should you be aware of any person or persons tampering with the stop switch, notify our office immediately. Anyone found vandalizing or tampering with the elevators will be subject to arrest and prosecution. The Management offers a standing REWARD of $200.00 for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any person(s) seen tampering with the elevator equipment.
LAUNDRY ROOMS: Laundry rooms are provided in each building. The machines require quarters to operate. If you experience a problem with the laundry facilities, please notify the rental office. Report which building, machine number, and whether it was a washer or dryer. TENANTS MUST CLEAN THE DRYER VENTS AFTER EACH LOAD!! DO NOT OVERFILL THE MACHINES! One load should fill no more than ¾ of the washing machine. Filling it to the top may result in the machine not working properly and will likely take more than one cycle in the dryer. Dryers should be filled no more than half full!
SMOKING POLICY: There is NO SMOKING PERMITTED in the hallways, lobbies, common areas or elevators. Anyone seen smoking at an open apartment or balcony window will be charged for the clean up of cigarette butts found in that area. Do not extinguish cigarettes on your carpet, you will be charged for each burn. If you must smoke in your apartment, please use an ashtray. Do not extinguish cigarettes on the side of the building. Please be considerate of your fellow residents when smoking in your apartment.
BALCONIES (Lion & GN Centre Only): Balconies are not to be used for storage. If you are found storing items on the balcony, there will be a fine imposed for each day until the items are removed.
BARBECUE GRILLS: Grills are not permitted in any apartment or on any balcony. Any apartment found with a grill will be fined and the grill will be removed.
DO'S AND DON'TS IN A HIGH-RISE FIRE: Knowing what to DO and what NOT TO DO if you discover a fire in your high-rise apartment building could save your life and the lives of others. Here are critical items you should know:
Familiarize yourself with emergency exits.
Pull alarm on your floor at either end of hall in the event of a fire.
Immediately call the fire department. Never assume that anyone else has called. (FIRE DEPARTMENT 911)
Before trying to leave your apartment, place your hand on the door. If the door feels warm within five seconds, do not open it. Stay and wait for help.
If the door is cool, open it and check for the presence of smoke in the corridor. If smoke is present, crawl beneath the level of the smoke.
If the corridor appears clear, alert other tenants on your floor and proceed to the closest exit stairway calmly.
If you are forced to remain within your apartment, keep your door closed and attempt to seal the cracks around the door with wet towels or blankets
If possible, when smoke enters your apartment, open a window as near to the ceilings as you can. Keep as low to the floor as possible where the cooler and fresher air is.
Never attempt to remove your car from its parking space unless ordered to do so by fire officials.
Never shout "FIRE". Don't help create panic, calmly alert other residents.
Never attempt to re-enter the building until fire officials permit you to do so.
Never attempt to use elevators, take the closest emergency exit.
DO NOT use water on a grease fire. Use the chemical extinguisher in your apartment.
FIRE ALARM SYSTEM: The fire alarm system in all buildings is an in-house system. This means when a pull station is activated you must call 911 to notify the fire company. The pull stations do not automatically notify the fire company. The pull stations are designed to evacuate the building. In the event of a fire, a pull station needs to be activated AND the fire company must be called immediately by dialing 911. The pull stations are located on each floor by the stairwell exit.
In the event of a fire alarm: (1) Call 814-238-1878 during office hours or (2) the emergency \maintenance number, 877-699-1823, after office hours. The Management offers a standing REWARD of $200.00 for any information leading to the arrest and prosecution of any person or persons seen tampering with the fire alarm system.
SOCIAL GATHERINGS: All social gatherings and parties must be registered with the rental office. You and your roommates are responsible for your guests from the time they enter the building until they exit the property. Please refer to the party agreement for additional information.
SECURITY GUARD: GN Associates occasionally hire security guards to patrol the building for the safety of all residents. If you have any problems or questions, please seek out the guard for his/her assistance. At no time are residents permitted to loiter in the office or allow the security guard to visit them in their apartment while the guard is on duty. GN Associates does not pay the guard to socialize with residents. If GN Associates learns that residents are allowing the guard to socially visit their apartment or that residents are loitering while the guard is on duty, both parties will be subject to consequences. If you have a concern regarding the security guard, please submit a written statement and submit it to the office via your AppFolio portal.
Please note that any charges or provisions in the General Information Packet may be subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. If you need additional information, feel free to contact the rental office or visit our website at www.gnrealty.com.