My Army Life Binder entry week 5: Housing (not a questions post) As always please copy and paste the information below into a document on your computer before putting it your or your Soldiers binder. Happy Reading! 3-60th FRG Fort Jackson Housing, Where Heroes Live The number one priority for the Housing staff on any installation is taking care of Soldiers and their Families. During your active duty tenure as you serve and defend our great country, housing team members are available to assist you and your Family with your housing needs. After you have completed Basic and Initial Advance Training, relocation to your permanent duty installation does not have to be tough. Whether you are single or have dependent family members, finding a home is a priority. Before you make arrangements to lease or purchase a home, your first step is to contact the Housing Services Office (HSO) when you arrive at your permanent duty location. The staff is ready to provide the most current housing information. Things You Should Know About Renting: A prospective renter (tenant) should ensure the following: • The contract is clearly written and understandable. • There are no blanks that need to be filled in or initialed. • You have a complete copy of your lease when you provide the security deposit. • The agreement clearly states the amount of rent to be paid and the date payment is due. • You fully understand the rights and obligations of the tenant and the landlord. • You know how to contact the landlord or their agent if there is a problem. There should be a military clause in the lease that will allow a Soldier to break the lease before it ends without penalty should the Soldier receive official orders to PCS. Rental Insurance It is recommended that Service Members maintain rental insurance to protect personal possessions in case of neglect or wrongful damages to the property or personal items or in case of a catastrophic disaster. The landlord is under no obligation to provide insurance coverage to or for the tenant; therefore it is important that renters obtain insurance coverage to cover personal property. Security Deposits Security deposits are usually an up-front expense a tenant pays a landlord to secure interest in the leased property. Security deposits may also provide a means for a landlord to seek reimbursement for damage to the property or repair costs. Generally, a landlord has an obligation to maintain the premises and should not use the security deposit to pay for normal wear and tear. The landlord may be required to provide the security deposit, less the amounts used for repairs and damages, along with an itemized list of expenses to a tenant no later than 30 days after termination of a written lease agreement. The tenant may be required to provide the landlord with written notification of a forwarding address. If this provision is violated, a tenant may have a legal cause of action and may seek treble damages (three times the amount of damages) plus reasonable attorney’s fees by statute. Security deposit laws vary by state. The HSO can provide the specific state laws at your permanent duty location. Living in on-post Family housing Once you’ve received orders to a permanent duty assignment, you are eligible to complete an advance application for on-post housing at the duty location or you may wait until you arrive. You will be required to submit the following supporting documents: a copy of your orders, a copy of your most recent Form DD1172 (DEERS Enrollment) and your DA Form 31 (or other services’ equivalent). These documents will be used to determine which waitlist you will be placed on, your eligible date, the number of bedrooms you qualify for and your initial placement on the waitlist. Documents can be mailed, faxed, emailed or hand carried. Some of the many benefits to living on post are: -no application fee -no security deposit (most installations) -short commute (save on gas) -little to no traffic -PX and commissary shopping on the installation -gated community for extra security -yard maintenance Single Soldier Housing Junior enlisted single soldiers (E1 - E5 who do not have accompanying family member dependents) are required to live in the single soldier barracks. Barracks rooms are minimally furnished to accommodate one single Soldier with a full bathroom and small kitchenette. Some installations have community centers equipped with a full size kitchen, TV room, game room and laundry room with washers and dryers. Again, report to the HSO upon your arrival to your new duty location. Information will be provided about housing at that specific installation. ARMY HOUSING Your home is the center of your family and arguably the most important influence on how you embrace your new life. So whether you choose to live on the installation in military housing or off Post, the Army tries to provide you with military housing to make you as comfortable as possible. When it comes to Post housing, the Army solicited and then incorporated the ideas of soldiers and their families concerning the construction and renovation of its Army housing communities. Some of the suggestions adopted included more closet space, ceiling fans, yard space and larger living areas. Each of its housing units comes with a refrigerator and stove, and many come with a dishwasher, separate laundry room and garage. Some housing areas also include playgrounds for younger children and outdoor basketball courts, and they are built with sidewalks and plenty of street lights for the safety of all the residents. In fact, goarmy has a section that shows some examples of Army housing floor plans for soldiers and their families which you can access here. In addition, there is also a site devoted solely to information on Army housing worldwide called Army Housing One Stop that can go into greater details on specific installations, floor-plan layouts and more. Your family though, doesn’t always have members with just two legs though, so the Army also has a pet-housing policy. In short, you can probably keep Fido or Mittens, but only if you live off Post. Army regulations state that while pets outside of goldfish or small rodents aren’t allowed in the barracks, soldiers who live in off-base housing can have whatever pets their leases permit. However, keep in mind that there is no guarantee that a new recruit will be allowed to live off base upon first enlisting.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:25:00 +0000
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