By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
With nearly two-thirds of Bowling Green’s housing units being rentals, efforts are underway to improve relationships between local renters and owners of their homes.
A program offering tips on how to “Lease In Peace: A Renter’s Toolkit” will be held Wednesday, March 19, from 5 to 7 p.m., in Room 203 of Olscamp Hall at BGSU.
The event is open to anyone – renters, landlords and other concerned community members. The program will focus on renters’ rights and responsibilities, ways to communicate productively with a landlord, and resources available for renters.
The 2020 U.S. Census found that 64% of the housing units in Bowling Green were non-owner occupied.
“There are more people who rent in Bowling Green than own in Bowling Green. So this is an important topic,” said Rose Drain, of the Bowling Green Save Our Neighborhoods Group, which is one of the organizations leading the “Lease in Peace” effort.
“This meeting is for everyone,” including landlords or property management representatives, Drain said.
This event is a result of the Call to Action community meeting held last October, which identified housing revitalization as a primary goal in Bowling Green.
“The rental relationship works both ways,” but some renters are uncertain of their rights and responsibilities, Drain said.
The “Lease in Peace” program will feature a BGSU graduate student sharing his experience renting an apartment in Bowling Green. And a representative of People of Engagement Bowling Green (PEBG) will share a checklist of items renters should look for prior to renting housing.
There will be discussions about issues renters have experienced and ideas for how renters, landlords and organizations can work together.
“We hope this will be a first step,” Drain said.
The next step could potentially be the formation of a renters’ alliance, to stand up for the rights of people leasing housing in Bowling Green – including BGSU students and year-round residents who rent their homes.
The first “Lease in Peace” meeting is scheduled on campus, since for many students this is their first experience renting housing. The event is free to attend – and pizza, beverages and homemade cookies will be provided.
The goal is to give students the tools to have a good relationship with their landlords and a good experience living in a rental.
“We’re very happy to have sponsorships of Undergraduate Student Government and Graduate Student Senate,” Drain said. “They are definitely in tune with the needs and concerns of student renters.”
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 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.
BG SONG is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving housing conditions, affordability, and availability for people who rent in the city as well as those who own or are looking to own a home in Bowling Green. It is the host organization for four action teams that are currently working on housing revitalization, new housing, improvements in transportation and mobility, and local efforts toward climate resiliency.
PEBG is an organization intended to support tenants and landlords to ensure safe housing in Bowling Green. The group believes in empowering people with information when they are making important decisions about selecting and renting a place to live.
