Realtors and off-campus housing providers had to adjust their leasing schedule to cope with the upcoming quarter-to-semester switch. The change could leave some students homeless for finals week.

Pat Kohr, an employee of the realty company Kohr Royer Griffith, said the lease for campus-area residents has been adjusted for the quarter-to-semester switch.

“Residents who will be leasing units starting this coming September 2011 will be on leases until July 31. That is a change from (the lease ending) Aug. 31,” Kohr said. “This coming leasing term will be a 10-and-a-half month lease.”

Kohr said residents will move in this year on Sept. 15, like normal. In years following, residents will move in Aug. 15.

Ohio State’s academic calendar for Summer 2012, the first term on semesters, lists the last day of regularly scheduled classes on Aug. 3. That is three days after the leases end for off-campus students. Final exams are then scheduled for Aug. 6-8 — one week after leases end.

Kohr Royer Griffith is not the only realtor to make this change. Property Management and University Village confirmed the July 31 end date.

Students planning on taking summer classes during Summer Semester 2012 will be not only be preparing for final exams, but might now have to worry about where they will live for half a month. According to the lease, they have to be moved out by July 31, and the new lease term does not begin until mid-August.

Homeless during finals week.

Kristen Matthes, a second-year in biology, has already signed a lease for next year. Matthes said she plans on taking summer classes during Summer Semester 2012. She was unaware of the discrepancy between her lease and the academic calendar.

“That is really inconvenient. Now I have to find somewhere to live for a couple of days,” Matthes said. “Especially being an out-of-state student, this sucks.”

Matthes said she will most likely find a friend to live with for a week or so that lives near Columbus, but she was also concerned about the timing of moving out, and it being so close to finals week.

“When I should be focusing on classes and exams, now I have to move out and find a place to live? This shouldn’t happen,” Matthes said.

Matthes said her realtor did not inform her of the discrepancy between the academic calendar and the lease. She said she wished they had informed her of the possible issue stating that “they knew.”

The stress of finals week is now topped with the stress of finding a place to live. Add that to the stress of moving out of a house or apartment.

Undergraduate Student Government President Micah Kamrass said he has talked about this potential problem to many landlords, who prefer to work these issues out on a case-by-case basis.

“Not a ton of students take summer courses, so it’s not a huge group of students that this affects. The landlords told me that students should let them know as quickly as possible if this situation affects them,” Kamrass said. “In most cases, the landlords will be accommodating.”