March 2018: Volume 2, Issue 4

Thanks for taking time to read Miami's Office of Off-Campus Outreach and Communication newsletter to Property Managers, Landlords, and others who have a stake in the student rental business in Oxford. 

If you would prefer not to receive this newsletter, feel free to unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. You are welcome to forward this email to others who might be interested.

While move-out week is still nearly 8 weeks away, it will be here before we know it! As you begin to plan your move-out packets for your tenants, please consider including information about ShareFest in your materials or emails. 

ShareFest is an annual collection drive, which accepts good-condition and reuseable furniture, housewares, clothing and non-perishable food from Miami University students and Oxford residents.

Donors complete an online form to indicate the items they wish to donate, then volunteers go to the house or apartment to pick up the items during the selected day and one-hour time block. Donated items are picked up by volunteers and staff of social service agencies from Butler County.

ShareFest helps keep the city clean and helps prevent usable items from going to the landfill, and as an added bonus, we hope that it reduces additional refuse collection fees for Property Managers and Owners.

The social service agencies that receive donations will distribute items to people in need, or sell the items in their thrift stores. All proceeds from the sale of ShareFest donations must benefit the social service agency.

There are a few ways you can helps us spread the word about ShareFest to your students and residents.

Print a ShareFest full page flyer (below) and include it in your move-out packets.

If you would like for ShareFest to print the flyers, reply to this message with the quantity needed and please copy Andrew Wilson (AWilson@cityofoxford.org). We should be able to print them within two or three business days.

Email text (copy/paste image & text below - also available through this Google Doc).

Thank you for supporting ShareFest 2018! Please let me know if you have any questions.

Dear Tenants,

When moving out, make it count!

Want to avoid the stress and hassle of move-out day? Donate extra items to ShareFest, an annual donation drive that brings the community together and benefits individuals throughout Oxford. Items will be collected from students and will then be distributed to charitable organizations in Oxford and the surrounding area. Donations will be accepted from Wednesday, May 16th through Tuesday, May 22, 2018.

Go to sharefestoxford.com and schedule a time and place for volunteers to pick up your belongings.

For more information and a complete list of desired donation items, visit sharefestoxford.com.

You can also find this flyer in a Google Drive.

Tenant Education Program - Now Launched!
As many of you may know, the Office of Off Campus Outreach & Communication at Miami University has been developing a Tenant Education Program (TEP) during the course of this academic year. This exciting educational initiative is an online workshop about lease signing and off-campus living to provide Miami students with the tools to be good neighbors, responsible community members, and better tenants. The program has been soft-launched and we are rolling out marketing initiatives in the coming months. 

Linked below is a preview of the Draft TEP (the course is offered through Canvas, an online platform for Miami students, but has been loaded into Google Slides for preview purposes), as a Miami Unique ID is needed.

TEP Preview

Additionally, we continue to develop a list of incentives offered by landlords for students who participate. If you are interested in offering an incentive, email stayersc@miamioh.edu for more information. Anyone who offers such incentives will be listed as a participating landlord on our website, social media, and on the TEP course site. Thank you in advance for your support of this important educational initiative! 

Thank you,
Jen O'Brien & Sarah Stayer 

Past issues of this newsletter can be found at Off-Campus Outreach's Property Manager Webpage.