One apartment, under law?

“The Ohio Tenant-Landlord Act of 1974 outlines the rights and responsibilities of both tenants and landlords. It does not apply to mobile home trailer parks (see Chapter 3733, Ohio Revised Code), owner-occupied condominiums, prisons, jails, workhouses or halfway houses, hotels, motels or tourist homes, hospitals or nursing homes, farm residences on two or more acres of land, or school dormitories.”

The law protects all tenants, except for these people, those people, and people who live here. That passage is taken from Landlord-Tenant Rights & Responsibilities Under Ohio Law, an online pamphlet offered by Hocking, Athens, and Perry County Community Action, and I chose to include it because it shows just how confusing our rights can be. How much do any college students really know about their rights when it comes to housing? What can landlords do and how do you deal with them? How do you deal with roommate disputes? Usually tenant rights fall under the category of things you learn from a friend's cousin Steve. He knows a lot about tenant rights because this happened to him and he had to do this, etc. There are far better options! For students living in Athens they can always contact the Center for Student Legal Services for help with housing rights.

Here are the “Quick Tips” listed on CSLS’s housing information website:

• Shopping for a Landlord: Contact Athens Code Enforcement at 592-3306 or go to their office at 28 Curran Street. Review their records about the house you want to rent. Ask them how many tenants can live there. Talk to current/former tenants. Stop by CSLS and talk to their lawyers before you sign a lease. CSLS can review leases.
• Privacy: Your landlord must give you at least 24 hours notice before entering your apartments, unless it is an emergency or you give the O.K. Click here to get the Violation of Privacy Letter.
• Getting Things Fixed: At the first sign of trouble, WRITE the landlord about what needs repaired. Keep a copy of your letter. Contact Code (592-3306) and request an inspection for housing code violations. Here is a link to the City of Athens Housing code. If problems persist, you may be able to escrow your rent with the court or terminate the lease. This is a sample letter that you should send your landlord.
• Security Deposits: Photograph/ Video/ document your apartment on the first day you move in and on the last day you’re there. Clean you place before you leave. Leave your keys and a written forwarding address. Your landlord has 30 days to return your monies after you have given the apartment back to them. You are not liable, as a tenant, for normal wear and tear! Here is a sample letter to use to request your security deposit back.

Apart from the quick tips listed above you can find detailed information on everything from how to pick a place by landlord to how to settle legal disputes with your roommates all on the CSLS Housing Info website. It’s great. The only catch is you have to pay the $8 “legal fee” on your tuition (look at your e-bill) if you waived the legal fee then you are ineligible for CSLS services. It is nice to know exactly what that fee goes to.

The law can be tricky. It’s hard to know exactly what your rights are sometimes. Let real lawyers, not just your friend’s cousin Steve, help you out.