By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Renters whose requests for timely repairs are ignored and whose security deposits aren’t returned learned this week how to defend their rights. Key advice to renters in Bowling Green boiled down to this – document with photos, correspond with civility, and don’t give up.
And if all that fails to get results, the unsafe living conditions could be posted on a local website.
The “Lease In Peace: A Renter’s Toolkit” program is about arming renters with information on their rights and responsibilities. The first meeting of the renters’ rights program was held Wednesday evening at Bowling Green State University.
The 2020 U.S. Census found that 64% of the housing units in Bowling Green were non-owner occupied. Many are rented by students who have never leased before – including international students unfamiliar with the process.
On Wednesday, BGSU grad student Sam Morkal-Williams, who has rented housing for six years in three different states, talked about the challenges facing people who lease their homes. Others in the audience shared their experiences with poor landlord-tenant communication, slow repairs and landlords accessing units without the required 24-hour notice.
One tenant told of arriving at her new rental unit to find drywall in the bathtub, and the faucet rusted and broken.
Others mentioned the lack of rental photos on landlord websites, making it difficult for people from out of the area to see units. The lack of pictures often leads international students to rent housing sight unseen, said Rodney Fleming, of BGSU Student Legal Services.
Morkal-Williams expressed disappointment that the new rental inspections required by the city often came with extra charges to the tenants, but with seemingly little effort to make improvements.
“I expected something a little bit more robust,” he said, noting the landlord inspection of his home lasted about five minutes.
For tenants who have problems with their rentals, Morkal-Williams stressed the importance of documenting communication with their landlords. He offered the following tips:
- Be professional and courteous. When emailing your landlord, treat it like correspondence with your boss or professor. “That doesn’t mean you have to be best friends,” he said. “You are in a business relationship. You have a contract.”
- Be thorough and specific. Make sure to address each issue separately. “Don’t wait to report issues,” and “keep clear documentation if things get worse.”
- Be persistent and consistent. If the landlord fails to address problems, don’t give up. Keep sending – and saving – emails.
- Be aware. Landlords in Ohio can legally not renew leases without cause.
Morkal-Williams showed multiple emails from a Bowling Green tenant who had repeated problems with the furnace breaking down – four times during five weeks in the winter. The issue was finally resolved.
Lori Young, of People of Engagement Bowling Green, introduced PEBG as an online resource for renters at PEBGOHIO.org. “You do have rights, and you also have responsibilities,” she said.
Resources on the website include:
- A thorough inspection checklist that tenants should complete before moving in.
- Sample lease form, and explanation of terms used in leases.
- Information on how to lodge an official complaint with a landlord, and the proper process of communication.
- Complaint form, escrow document, and privacy violation form.
“When emails, phone calls and letters don’t work,” and there is no response after two certified letters, Young said PEBG will put photos of the unsafe conditions in rentals on its website. The owners won’t be listed, but the addresses will.
“Honestly, I hope we never have to use this,” Young said of the photos on the website. “This is not to make landlords out to be villains.”
“There are a lot of good landlords in this community, and a couple questionable characters,” she said.
“This is not a shaming site,” Young said. “It’s about helping people get responses when they need them.”
Once a tenant submits a request to PEBG, the organization will reach out to the landlord and formally remind them of the issue and of their obligation to resolve it. If another 15 days pass without contact or solution, for a total of 45 days, the landlord is considered unresponsive and the property will be posted on the organization’s Review page.
The contents of the post will include the following:
● Any photographs documenting the issues with the property.
● A description of the issues with the property.
● The address of the property submitted.
● An updated status when contact is established with the landlord.
The post will not include names of the tenant, landlord or rental company. It will also not mention personal issues with a landlord.
Once contact has been established with the landlord to resolve the issues, the status on the post will be updated to “In Progress.” The post will be updated to “Resolved” once the issues have been fully resolved by the landlord.
Young stressed that she is not an attorney, but the content of the website has been reviewed by legal counsel. Young cautioned that tenants should not expect immediate responses, “but there are issues that need to be addressed in a timely manner.”
In most cases landlords have a maximum of 30 days to make repairs, Fleming said.
In extreme situations, some tenants may want to put their rent in escrow accounts until repairs are made. That requires the renters to deposit their rental fee – in its entirety and on time – to an account with BG Municipal Court. When problems are repaired, the landlord will get the rent.
In order to escrow rent, the tenant must ensure rent from all previous months is up-to-date, request in writing that the landlord make required repairs, and allow a reasonable period of time for repairs to be made (no more than 30 days.)
“You’re still responsible for your rent on time every month,” Young said.
Another frequently cited problem is security deposits not being returned to tenants. Some local landlords are notorious for not giving back deposits – regardless of the condition of the rental, Young said.
Fleming advised renters to tell their landlords in writing where to send their deposit refunds. According to Ohio’s landlord-tenant laws, if the money is wrongly withheld, the renters get twice the amount withheld, plus attorney fees from the landlord, he said.
Normal wear and tear is expected, and allowed at rentals.
“We routinely write letters to landlords disputing these charges,” Fleming said.
And that’s where the photographs prior to moving in play a role, Young said.
“A picture’s worth a thousand words” in court, Fleming said.
Fleming encouraged student renters to contact his office for help. “This is what we do,” he said of Student Legal Services, which offers free help to students who have paid the $13 annual fee.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, Rose Drain of BG Save Our Neighborhoods Group, said many people don’t know the appropriate places to report concerns. For example, some issues are dealt with by the police division, some by the fire division, some by the city’s planning department and public works, and others by the Wood County Health Department.
The city’s website has a place to report problems, Drain said. “If you type in your contact information, you’ll get a response.”
Matt Snow, the city’s community development manager, who handles fair housing concerns, was present at Wednesday’s meeting.
BG SONG is one of the organizations leading the “Lease in Peace” effort. This project is a result of the Call to Action community meeting held last October, which identified housing revitalization as a primary goal in Bowling Green. Wednesday’s meeting was also sponsored by BGSU Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Senate.
Because many long-time residents also rent in Bowling Green, the “Lease in Peace: A Renters Toolkit” program will be repeated on April 2, beginning at 5 p.m., during the free Wednesday community meal hosted by St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 315 S. College Drive. The event is open to anyone – renters, landlords and other concerned community members.
The plan is to hold another program for potential renters in the fall, when many students begin looking at housing options for the following school year.
