Residential Leases for Seattle Campus

When a UW budget will be paying the cost of rental housing

UW-Sponsored Program Visitors to Seattle Campus

UW Travelers away from Seattle Campus

We are pleased to announce that renting short-term housing for faculty, staff, students and visitors just got easier! Following is a brief explanation of how to meet temporary housing needs so that the UW can pay or reimburse when appropriate.

UW-SPONSORED PROGRAM VISITORS TO SEATTLE CAMPUS

If you have visitors to the Seattle area for UW-sponsored programs, your department's initial stop should be University's Conference Housing at (206) 616-1031 or confhous@u.washington.edu. They have a menu of housing and food service options; your department will be billed by Internal Sales Document (ISD). There is availability during the Summer Quarter and limited availability during other quarters. Your visitors may also contact Conference Housing and make arrangements for payment directly.

If Conference Housing does not meet the needs of your visitors, and your department wants to assist the visitors in the private rental market follow the steps in Renting an Apartment or House below.

RENTING AN APARTMENT OR HOUSE

The following process should be followed by departments if their visitors or travelers are not using UW Conference Housing: It may also be used for housing away from campus if hotel/motels are not feasible.

If the total rent (including all payments to the landlord) for the entire period of time that housing is needed will total $10,000 or less, then your department must take the following steps to complete a residential lease:

1. Designate in writing the specific faculty or staff who are given authority by your department to sign leases obligating your department and the UW. No one else may bind your department and the UW. Anyone else signing a lease would be personally responsible for all expenses, which may not be reimbursable.
2. Use only a UW Real Estate Office-approved Short Term Residential Lease Form , which is month-to-month, cancelable on 30-day notice by the UW. You may fill in the blanks of the lease, but any other changes to the pre-approved lease form that the landlord requests must be negotiated between the prospective landlord and the UW Real Estate Office .
3. Get lease signed by both parties.
4. Prepare UW Purchase Requisition via the on-line Purchasing Accounting System (PAS). Attach the signed lease/rental agreement (which will serve as the payment/invoice document) to a Washington State Invoice Voucher.
5. Route to the Accounts Payable (Box 351130) for payment processing.

NOTE: Please do not "string together" multiple leases, even if each is for $10,000 or less. If the total amount you expect to pay a Landlord for consecutive rental of a property will exceed $10,000, contact the UW Real Estate Office to negotiate the lease with the Landlord, as described below.

If the total rent (including all payments to the landlord) for the entire period of time that housing is needed will total more than $10,000:

• Contact the UW Real Estate Office to negotiate the lease with the Landlord and administer rent payments, which will then be recharged to your department's budget.
• Your department cannot enter into and pay a lease without first going through the Real Estate Office.
• An individual cannot sign and pay for a lease and then seek Travel Office payment or reimbursement.

UW TRAVELERS AWAY FROM SEATTLE CAMPUS

If your department is seeking housing for students, staff, or faculty for a UW Program at least 50 miles away from Seattle, and traditional hotel/motel accommodations are not appropriate or feasible, you may want to consider renting an apartment or house in the private market. Follow the same steps in Renting an Apartment or House. UW and State of Washington travel policy requires that lodging obtained while in travel status comply with perdiem limitations for the location. Review Lodging perdiem by location.

NOTE: All lodging obtained for rent or lease should be provided by a commercial facility (business, non-profit, or governmental entity that provides lodging accommodations for a fee). For purposes outlined in these guidelines, this will include commercial property managers, rental companies and individuals who have made their property available to the general public for rent or lease. This would typically not include friends, relatives or UW employees (where ethics issues could result). Questions on reimbursement may be directed to the Travel Office at 206-543-5858 or traveluw@u.washington.edu.