Deceased's Roommate Charged Month's Rent

Harvard Real Estate (HRE) will allow a tenant whose roommate was killed in an accident last month to pay only half the total rent on her apartment for two months after initially telling her that the full payment would be due.

Sylvie Moulin, who will enter the Kennedy School of Government in the fall, has been living since April at 20 Prescott St. in a rent-controlled apartment managed by HRE. Her roommate was Laurie Morrill, who was scheduled to enroll in the School of Education in the fall before she died in a bicycle accident July 17 on Martha's Vineyard.

Moulin said in an interview she asked her HRE agent, Sarah Oleson, what the policy of the office of management of housing was under such circumstances when she went to pay her rent early last week.

Moulin said she paid $1,250, a full month's rent for the apartment. "They said they had no policy, and that I had to pay anyway," she said. "I was taken aback at first."

But Oleson called back later in the week to say that she would only have to pay half of the rent for August and September, according to Moulin. "Maybe they had never had this situation before and didn't know how to deal with this," Moulin said.

Dianne Dyslin, director of communications for HRE, confirmed Moulin's opinion. "I think it was sort of an unusual situation," she said. "We've never had to deal with anything like that with an affiliate living in rent-controlled housing."

Since rent-controlled housing is open to the general public, Dyslin said, it is generally considered "adult housing," with less leeway for tenants than might be given to students.

"But given the nature of the situation and given that they [both] were Harvard affiliates," Dyslin said, "they took it under consideration."

Tom Stevenson, a Kennedy School student and friend of Moulin, had called HRE to question the original decision of the management of the housing office. But Dyslin said the review was not prompted by his call.

Dyslin said that she did not think the situation would arise often enough to warrant a set policy. But, Dyslin added, "I think it will set a precedent, that they will review future cases in light of it.

"But given the nature of the situation and given that they [both] were Harvard affiliates," Dyslin said, "they took it under consideration."

Tom Stevenson, a Kennedy School student and friend of Moulin, had called HRE to question the original decision of the management of the housing office. But Dyslin said the review was not prompted by his call.

Dyslin said that she did not think the situation would arise often enough to warrant a set policy. But, Dyslin added, "I think it will set a precedent, that they will review future cases in light of it.