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Thursday, 08 February 2007 |
Catch up on reading,understand your leases
Tales of big, bad landlords are frequently told by first-time apartment owners, particularly on college campuses, across the nation.
The Appalachian ran such a story in its Tuesday issue.
The
afflicted Appalachian State University student tenants of apartments
owned by Winkler Organization complained in the article that their
landlord does not take care of them.
If a renter finds themselves in poor living conditions, like these
tenants living in unhealthy mid-50 degree temperatures, it is important
to know who to contact if the landlord isn’t responding.
So who should a tenant contact if their landlord has deaf ears to poor living conditions?
“That’s not really a simple answer,” Karla P. Rusch, assistant director
of Student Conduct and Student Legal Clinic staff member, said. “Nobody
is out there policing landlords. If a landlord is not complying with
the law, there is no outside entity to step in and intervene.”
While this fact can be discouraging, students still need to be knowledgeable about their rights in apartments.
North Carolina general statues include no specific details about
landlord obligations, Rusch said, but they do say that landlords must
keep their rental units “fit and inhabitable premises.”
Tenants are protected in that they have a right to an apartment that is safe and in good working order.
Heating, plumbing, ventilation and electrical issues are all included
in the statutes to ensure landlords make repairs to keep their rentals
in an inhabitable condition.
Tenants should familiarize themselves with their leases to see if there
has been a breach of contract. It is important to make sure a landlord
is giving you what you pay for.
At the first sign of a dispute, begin taking written documentation of all problems, Rusch said.
Present these personal reports to a landlord. If there is still no response, Rusch said there are a few more outlets.
In addition to personal documentation, tenants can also consult the
Town of Boone housing code and file for an inspection that could result
in a report that would be helpful in illustrating problems with living
conditions.
If the apartment is owned by a larger company, tenants may also file complaints with the Better Business Bureau.
If all paths seem exhausted, filing a lawsuit could be an option, Rusch said.
The most important part, Rusch said, is to make requests in writing and leave a paper trail.
Appalachian students should also be aware of the free Student Legal
Clinic located in the Office of Student Conduct in Plemmons Student
Union.
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