EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Security
You should lock up whenever you are all leaving for longer than a day. A key should be left in an agreed upon location so that tradesmen can get access to the house for purposes of maintenance. If for any reason the key gets lost , call me, and I probably have a spare squirreled away somewhere on the property.
Renter's & Liability insurance
Hogback is covered by a specific student rental policy. Due to the fact that some family insurance policies have discontinued liability for any student living off campus, My Insurance company has insisted that every student have  liability insurance. This is also critical for you as lack of liability insurance in todays world can result in some expensive litigation. There is no doubt that with the typical fraternity type activities, there is a high risk of personal injury, or the reverse. Please contact your insurance agent and verify coverage off campus. If youare out of state and need a Virginia renters and Liability policy, here is a link to a Reliable Local Insurance Broker.
Utilities
You must call BARC electric Co-Operative, and have the power connected in your name.BARC 1-800 846 2272 BARC now offers high speed fiber interneat connection for blazing fast data speeds.  They will require a security deposit, but you will get it back at the end of the year.
Heating  A/C
The house is heated and cooled by twin heat pumps. This means that when it is running you should keep windows and doors closed. When you don't want to use the air conditioning, DO NOT TURN IT OFF, simply turn the thermostat to high, about 80 degrees. Then it will cut on only if the temperature gets that hot. It is necessary on humid days to run the a/c to keep the air in the house dry. In winter NEVER turn the HEAT OFF. Always turn the temperature setting as low as possible if you leave the house. It will keep pipes from freezing, and will not use much electricity. The thermostat is a multi level thermostat, that can change the settings at various times during the day or night. It also has an option to run emergency heat. be careful because selecting this option will run heating elements that will be very expensive. In cases of very low outside temperatures, the unit will automatically turn on the electric heat when it determines it necessary.
The Lawn
Grass is great but must be cared for. Lawns need to be mowed every second weekend until winter arrives. Set the mower height on medium, do not cut the grass too short. Do not leave objects on the lawn for a long period or they will kill the grass  Keep the lawnmower in the small shed under the deck. At the end of fall, when there is no more mowing to be done, Run the mower until it is totally stops due to running out of gas. leaving gas in the mower over the winter will kill the engine, and you will be looking at  a new lawnmower cost. 
The Forest
Surrounding the house is forest, and there is to be no cutting down of any trees without checking with the landlord. Occasionally you may find it necessary to have a beer can pickup, as beer cans do not appear naturally in Virginia forests.
Trash removal
Please make sure you do not leave trash bags round the deck or outside, as animals will shred them, and you will have to pick it all up. the trash has to taken down to the dumpsters on Rt 11. just the other side of the interstate.

Rent
Rent payment is due on the first of the month. payment is by a single check. It may be mailed, or you can make a direct deposit from an account, simply ask for my account number and routing and I will provide it. 
End of year leaving
When you graduate, you have the issue of what to do about furniture. Its possible that the incoming students will buy or accept some it. It is critical that the house be cleared at the end of the school year for the extensive maintenance that usually occurs. If you have furniture in the upper rooms, it's usually safest to transfer ownership to the next student as moving in back down the staircase can do a lot of damage. For furniture in the lower rooms, the shipping container is provided as a temporary storage for that furniture which is to passed down, and any other furniture that the incoming students will be using. This is to empty as much of the house as possible. Any furniture left on decks, other than outdoor furniture will be disposed of. 
Safety
NO bar B Qs are allowed on the upper wooden deck. This is an insurance company requirement and must be followed. Bar B Qs can be set up down beside the firepit on the concrete slab.
NO FIREARMS ARE ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY
Smoke detectors    Insurance requires smoke detectors in every bedroom and hallway. The lounge room has an additional carbon monoxide detector. The smoke detectors will be checked by the landlord quarterly. Any detector found missing will be replaced and you will be charged for the cost of the unit plus a $50 fine for its removal.
General Points
Kitchen
Stove, make sure you leave a foil drip pan in the bottom at all times. It will make cleaning much easier.
Empty trash regularly as it will stink quickly
Keep fridge clean and take care of the plastic bins and supports, they work out very expensive to replace.
Watch the vinyl floor, do not drag furniture across it, without putting something under it. Nails or sharp objects on couch legs will rip the vinyl and cause it to have to be replaced.
Laundry
Clean lint from dryer before every use. 
The laundry is for YOUR personal use, allowing your friends to use it will cost you dearly in electricity.
Bathrooms
Changing the paper can be a chore, but you can figure out how to do it.
The Driveway
Never put salt on the driveway after a snowstorm. It will make the ground turn into quicksand, After any heavy snowfall Rodney plogger will come and plough the road. Wait for it. Yes somebody with 4 WD will be able to get down, maybe even two, but once the snow is packed down to ice, it is not possible to plough it, and the road will be impassable until the snow melts.While Rodney will plough as soon as possible, in many storms it is a day or even two before this can be done. In many cases it is a day or two before the secondary roads are ploughed. The smart thing, since you all have a fraternity house in lexington,; is to get whatever books you need for the next day, and move into the fraternity house on a temporary basis, until the storm clears.