The right steps can protect renters
By Jen Eihson
Emerald Contributor
To avoid the most common problems with
your landlord. Amy Clements or OSI'IRG says,
"Put it in writing!"
When you first move in, make a very de
tailed list of everything that is and isn't in the
apartment and what condition it is in down
to the number of holes in the walls A detailed
list Is available at the Rental Information Of
fice in the basement of the EMU. Copy this list
and date it within 10 duys of the day you
signed your lease This will save trouble when
you arc trying to get your deposit back
If there is n problem, write the landlord
about it. date the letter and keep a copy, if the
problem Is an essential need such ns heal, wa
ter, light or security, the problem must be
fixed within seven days.
If the problem is not fixed in seven days,
write again and remind the landlord of the
problem Give him or her a reasonable dead
line to Hx the problem. Also state the action
you will take if it is not done by that deadline
If ihe problem still exists on tho deadline,
you can take action Write a letter staling wlial
■it lion you will take You have three options ol
action to take
• Fix or quit. State that you will break vour
Iimm' without penalty because the problem has
not been solved.
• Withhold rent. Clements suggests you make
a separate hunk account and pay rent into it as
you would your regular rent If the landlord
lakes you to court for withholding rent you
have bank documents saying the money is be
irig set aside for when the landlord does the re
pairs Once the problem has been fixed you
must pay the landlord all the back rent
• Repair and deduct. Repair the problem your
self and deduct the cost, up to $200. from your
rent. Remember to save the receipts and make
a copy when submitting the reduced rent
The OSPIRC Renter's Hotline Is 340 HELP.
Anyone, student or not, is free to call if there is
a problem with a landlord or a tenant OS I* IRC
also sells the Renter's Handbook, a breakdown
of the Landlord Tenant Act. It costs S t for stu
dents am) S4 for anyone else
The Lane County Consumer Affairs Coordi
nator is no longer available, but complaints
can be made to the Better Business Bureau at
1H4K) 4ft»-4ltiti
STUDENTS
Continued from Page 1
valid in court, it doesn't prom
ise that you’ll win. You need
written documentation.”
Barbara called the Renter’s
Hotline for help She was ad
vised to write to her landlord
and make her requests Barbara
did this, putting into writing all
of the promises the landlord
had made to her
Barbara's apartment is a part
of an association of town
houses When she went to the
association with her problems,
she was told that the landlord
had never discussed the prom
ises or made a commitment to
do work on the apartment
"My landlady wrote me two
letters and culled me twice say
ing I vs as the irresponsible
one," Barbara said. "She said I
signed a lease saving every
thing was OK If I didn't like it
she'd give me DO days notice.”
Most problems in the Eu
gene-Springfield urea relate to
habitability and unfair reduc
tions of deposits, said Renter's
Hotline Consumer Affairs Coor
dinator Ruby Brenne.
The Landlord-Tenant Act
status thut the landlord is to
keep the dwelling habitable.
which is defined as electricity
safely hooked up and in work
ing order, hoi und cold running
water, adequate plumbing, safe
dwelling free of hazards.
wentherprooUng, adequate g.ir
bage receptacles, and working
locks on doors and windows If
the landlord refuses any of
these services, the tenants is
authorized lo take action to
have them provided
Teressa pul S2r> down on an
apartment in June that tin- land
lord said he'd save lor her (or
September By September the
apartment complex had been
sold and new owners had no
record of her payment They
ft.id an open apartment, end
gave it to her, hut made her pay
a new deposit Teressa lost the
apartment she'd ultimately
paid for us well as a deposit
In Teressa's case, Bren no ad
vised It would be cheaper to
forget the SI'S than to press
charges and pay court fees
Students are the group that
has the most trouble with land
lords, llrenne said Students
don't know the law und some
don't think they can do any
thing about it
Tenants aren't the only vic -
tims Sometimes landlords .ire
taken advantage of by tenants
THE FAR SIDE By GARY LARSON
The Headless Horsefamily
This largest problems for
landlords are parlies, noise and
general lac k of housekeeping,
said Larry Kweek of Income
Property Management Svvoek
tries to avoid problems through
.1 screening process that covers
.1 potential tenant's past credit
and rental history.
Barry Blanton of Jennings
I’ropertv Management said IK)
percent of the problems mine
from 20 percent of his renters
Blanton tries to be fair with
renters, giving them a copy of
the Landlord •Tenant Act
Kun Burke ol i*ac West Man
agement said Ins worst tenants
are ' hang arounds
“They are college age people
who aren't going to school hut
want to he around the college
crowd,' lie said “They throw
parties, are loud and have prob
lems pay ing the rent
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You race out to the street,
in breathless panic.
You see the red flag, the white ticket...
AAAAAGGGHHH!!!!!!
If this has ever happened to you, you know how difficult it
can Ik* to juggle a busy University schedule and still he able to
run out and feed that two or five hour University parking
meter. Well, now you will never have to worry about that
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PARKULATOR
This palm sized electronic device will end the trauma of the
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