Champion Apartment Communities Frequently Asked Questions

What are Champion's requirements for renting?

Needed for application:
Two forms of ID (License, Passport, Social Security card, Government Issued ID)
Two of your most recent pay stubs
Processing fee $199 ($49 due with the application)
We do allow co-signers.

Considered for approval:
Credit score
Rental history
Background check
Income (must make three times the monthly rent)
Maximum occupancy – two residents per bedroom*
Renter’s insurance

We do not accept:
Section 8 vouchers
Insufficient credit

What utilities are residents responsible for?: Residents at Champion communities are responsible for their water & sewer and electric bills, with a trash fee usually added to monthly rent. All residents receive water & sewer and electric bills to their home and must pay the bills to each utility company. Your property managers will kindly set up your utility services into your name upon your move in.

What lease length can I get?: Champion’s minimum lease length is 6 months. We have flexible lease terms between 6 and 14 months to offer you options that best suit your needs.

Can I get a furnished apartment?: Champion is proud to partner with CORT Furniture, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, to provide our residents with fully-furnished homes. You have a variety of packages and add-ons to choose from to equip your home with the items you need. Additional fees are required for these furnishing packages. From furniture, to electronics, to linens and pots and pans, we can make your apartment home ready to live in before you arrive. Please ask your leasing office to show you more information about our furnishing packages and fees.

Does Champion require renters insurance?: Yes, proof of renter’s insurance is required prior to move-in. We require all of our residents to carry personal liability renter’s insurance with a minimum coverage of $300,000. Renter’s insurance can often be bundled with your current car insurance for a minimal fee per month. Please call your personal insurance agent for information about obtaining renter’s insurance and make sure to have them add The Champion Companies as an additional insured on your policy.

Do you allow pets at Champion communities?: Absolutely! All Champion communities are pet friendly. Restricted breeds include Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, German Shepherds, Dalmatians, Staffordshire Terriers, Chows, Akitas, Huskies and Alaskan Malamutes. Residents are allowed no more than 3 pets per apartment; a maximum of 2 dogs, and a maximum combined weight of 80 lbs. Cats should be declawed and pets should be spayed or neutered. Prior to move in, a non-refundable pet fee of $200 is required. Pet rent is $35 per month, per pet. Also, fish tanks are permitted on the first floor of apartment buildings only and must be under 40 gallons.

Do you have a preferred employer program?: Yes, we do! Residents who work for one of the numerous companies in our Preferred Employer Program receive a $150 discount on their $199 processing fee for the application process, as well as 50% off our $200 pet fee! View our Preferred Employer List to find out if you qualify!

What school districts are your communities in?: Champion prides itself on providing renters in Central Ohio a place to live in desirable locations with top-rated school districts. You will find a Champion community in the following school districts: Big Walnut, Columbus, Dublin, Gahanna, Hilliard, Olentangy, and Worthington.

When is rent due?: Rent is due on the 1st of every month. However, residents are given a grace period, which means a late fee will not be assessed until the 4th of every month.

Do you have a resident referral program?: Yes, we do! We are happy to pay a referral fee to residents who refer a friend or family member to live at our community! When your referral signs a 12 month lease or longer and moves in, we will give you $250. If they sign a 6 to 11 month lease, you can receive $125!

Where do I get my packages if they are delivered when I'm not home?

We will sign for your USPS, UPS, DHL and FedEx packages at the clubhouse if you are not home to receive them***. We will keep them at the office until you have time to pick them up. The United States Postal Service will either leave the key to a larger parcel box in your mailbox, or a slip notifying you whether your package has been delivered to the leasing office or taken back to the Post Office for you to pick up. Our staff will do our best to notify you when we have a package for you, however, this is not a guarantee. Please bring your ID to pick up a package.

***Not every Champion community has the ability to store packages. Please check with the office staff.

What is considered a maintenance emergency?: A maintenance emergency includes but is not limited to no heat, no electricity, no water, broken pipes, non-working appliances; including washer/dryer, fire damage, flooding, non-flushing toilet, and being locked out of your home during non-office hours. If any of these occur during non-office hours, please call our Emergency Maintenance Hotline at 614.722.7318.

Am I allowed to paint the apartment?: Painting is permitted, however it is mandatory that you paint the walls back to their original color. If you do not paint the walls back to the original color charges will be incurred. Additional charges may also be incurred if there is paint on the ceilings and/or baseboards that are not painted back to their original color as well.

Are there opportunities for me to donate to The Champion Cares Foundation?: Absolutely! Champion is proud of the difference we’re making in the community, but even more proud that we’re doing it together with the help of our residents. You can join our mission by rounding up your rent $1 every month. It may not seem like much, but when you take into account all of the apartments that Champion owns, we have the potential to make a huge impact. Plus, Champion matches each resident’s donation dollar for dollar. Sign up to Round Up Your Rent Here

How much notice do I need to give before I move out?: You must give at least 60 days notice in writing before your lease is up if you do not choose to renew. To do this you must fill out an “Intent to Vacate” form, which you can pick up in the leasing office. Please contact your property managers to discuss further. The 60-notice will begin at the date the notice is given, meaning if written notice is given with less than 60 days remaining on the lease, you will be financially responsible for additional days past your original lease termination date.

What if I'm relocated for my job to another state and need to move out sooner than 60 days?

You are responsible for your rent through the terms that are stated in your lease agreement. If breaking a lease agreement is necessary, Champion still requires a 60 day notice (which you are financially responsible for), plus an additional two months of rent (for a total of 4 months), plus a $1,000 lease break fee, plus paying back any rent concessions that were given upon move in. You must live in your community for at least 6 months to be able to exercise our lease break policy. Residents may also try to find someone to do a lease-takeover for their apartment to avoid incurring these charges. Anyone who does a lease-takeover must fill out an application through Champion so that they may be properly screened and approved by our office.

***In the case of military deployment, with proof of deployment paperwork, the resident is required to give a 30 day notice and is financially responsible through those 30 days. However, the other lease break fees do not apply. Deployment paperwork will sever the lease agreement between the community and the deployed only (so if there is a non-spouse roommate, they are still bound by the lease agreement).

How long will it take to receive any refund or balance due after I move out?: Please allow our Asset Recovery Department approximately 30 days from the day that you move out to receive your file, process it, assess any damages or lack thereof, and issue a refund check or a balance due letter. Both refund checks and balance due letters are mailed to the forwarding address provided when keys are turned in, and include an itemized account ledger. For questions regarding the status of your account, please call the Security Deposit Hotline at (614) 653-8115 or email to securitydeposit@thechampioncompanies.com.