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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2004)
RENTERS BEWARE llVflKfe^itl Of' Of |ft#€| tei^ifl By Sheldon Travel • Freelance Reporter Walking up the steps of her Eugene apartment, senior Alyson Harding expected confrontation. She inched closer to the door and heard the footsteps of the beast she was about to confront: 60 pounds of matted black lab with growling, dirty yellow teeth snarling in the window. "I end up crying and shaking every time I see it," Harding said. "It's the spawn of Satan." Harding said her fear of various dogs that have shared her living space has forced her to move. "I've had to move eight times in four years," she said. To avoid situations such as this, renters should be wary of the housing situations they may be considering. OSPIRG is working on a renter's rights project at the University and Lane Commu nity College. Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group Campus Organizer Kit Douglass said the group re ceived 150 calls on its renter's rights hotline in April. "We had one renter who had a toilet that would back up constantly and overflow into the kitchen and kitchen cabi nets," Douglass said. She said OSPIRG has seen houses with enough structural damage that the front door would not close, and added that it is important for renters to be assertive when choosing a rental. "The landlord — according to law — is supposed to pro vide a habitable place to live," Douglass said. History major Jeromy French said he wishes he would have known more about his rights prior to mov ing into an old apartment. "The roof was rotting, and there was a hole in the corner of my roof," French said. To remedy the problem, he bought plastic to make a fun nel for the torrent of water that would come when it rained. "One evening I came home, and it had funneled into a cor ner and onto my roommate's bed downstairs," French said. Fortunately, his roommate was able to find a dry spot to sleep until the mattress dried. "The owners said they would get to it; however, it was never very high on their priori ty list." French said. He lived with the problem for a year before finally moving out. OSPIRG suggests students carefully examine their poten tial rental and write down any necessary repairs and when they will be fixed. For housing questions, call 346-HELP for free assistance. Harding said she will meet her neighbors before signing any new agreements. For now, she said she hopes others will learn from her bad experi ences. "I live in a place where my neighbor's dog is evil and tries to kill me," Harding said. "It can't get much worse than this." Sheldon Traver is a freelance reporter for the Emerald. Your map to convenient living! 019564 Great Summer Rates At Campus Area locations! Now Accepting Fail Reservations! Reserve Yours Now! 1149 Ferry St. - Firtree Apts. 1 B/R $495, 2 B/R $595 1290 E. 18th Ave. - Flayward Flouse Apts. 3B/R $1,050 1965 Patterson St. - Greenwood Apts. 1 B/R $575, 2 B/R $695 63 W. 16th Ave. - Red Maples Apts. 1 B/R $465 Call about campus area Duplexes S- Houses Available Now! For more details on duplexes, houses, £> apartments, visit our website: wwwjenningsgroup.com Visit our 24 hr. rental iine by calling S4t-683-4219 or email Noel N. Reece at noelr@ienninqspm.com JENNINGS & CO. Property Management, Inc. Stop by our office for a complete listing of all of our properties 260 East 11th Avenue Eugene, Oregon (Between High St. and Pearl St.) 019421 SOUTH HILLS VILLAGE 143 S. 15th St. Springfield 746-9036 1 & 2 bedrooms car ports beautifully landscaped . Ask about specials Sorry, no pets Centr'e -Cov% 1 &2 bedroom apt. homes . All fully applianced • Patio • Seasonal pool & sun deck look inside! Call now! 741-4726 Sorry, no pets 019472 ON ON > z c/) H C/) ■T3 W M z o TI M m r O 019520 Centennial SELF STORAGE 5x5 climate control • open 7 days weekly • alarms in every unit • cameras • private gate codes • packing supplies 988-9313 1111 Rainbow Dr. • Springfield (1 Mile East of Autzen Stadium) Behind Centennial Shopping Center
