Editor’s Note: This is the final in a three-part series investigating Athens rental housing.
Some students who are renting a house or apartment for the first time might be unaware of conflicts that might lie ahead and how they can protect themselves from getting burned.
“Many times, this is the first business relationship a student has had, so they might be more passive,” said Barbara Harrison, assistant director for Ohio University’s Off Campus Living office. “We really encourage students to be upfront and assertive with their landlord.”
Some students are surprised when most of their security deposit is withheld by a landlord, and some have problems with landlords’ not fulfilling promises to fix or update certain aspects of a rental unit before the tenants move in.
“Nobody anticipates having problems, and you hope that you don’t have any problems,” said Melissa Greenlee, an attorney for the Center for Student Legal Services in Athens.
About 50 percent of Greenlee’s work is housing-related, she said.
The most common complaints she hears from students are: students’ not getting their security deposits back; students’ moving in and the unit not being sufficiently clean; problems not being repaired in a timely manner; and landlords making significant changes to a property while the tenants are still living there.
“It’s very important that, when you move in, you take photographs and good documentation of what the place is like,” Greenlee said. “I really encourage people to contact us as soon as they’re having problems. The longer you wait, the harder it is for me to effectively help you.”
Any OU student who does not waive his or her $8 quarterly legal fee can use the attorneys at the Center for Student Legal Services.
If a student is having problems with a landlord, he or she should provide as much documentation as possible when deciding to take legal action.
“A phone call is not sufficient, you have to get the complaint in writing,” Greenlee said. “It triggers timelines; it sets you up so that, if a landlord doesn’t do what they’re supposed to do, you can exercise your right to escrow your rent. … That often sends a message pretty quickly.”
If a landlord does not make necessary repairs within 30 days for problems such as insufficient heat, plumbing, dangerous stairways or steps and furnished appliances not working properly, a tenant can deposit his or her rent in escrow, according to the Center for Student Legal Services website. This means that the rent will be given to the Athens Clerk of Courts instead of the landlord until the problem is resolved.
“You have to put your problems in writing. You need to keep a copy of what you gave them,” Greenlee said.
Students also should be sure to read their lease before signing it.
“Communicate well and understand what’s in your lease,” Harrison said. “Don’t just assume the good nature of people because it is a business relationship and sometimes students get caught in that.”
When touring a rental unit, students should pay attention to the condition of the property and speak with the current tenants about their experiences living there, Greenlee said.
“If you look at a place, I would not expect it to be significantly different when you move in,” she said. “If you are renting a place based on a promise or assurance that the landlord is going to do something in particular. … I would make sure you put it in the lease.”
pe219007@ohiou.edu
