Renting issues to be discussed

Bloomington tenants can voice their concerns to City Council about reoccurring problems with their landlords tonight at 7:30 p.m. at 401 N. Morton St. The meeting is coordinated by the Student Legal Services in an effort to improve rental properties in Bloomington. \n"We are seeking to make significant changes to the housing code," John Irvine, director of SLS said. "Through this protest meeting, we want to make it clear that property should be properly maintained by landlords, and tenants should not be charged for their lack of maintenance. It is their job to perform routine maintenance such as painting walls or cleaning carpets."\nIrvine said SLS has fought to bring this issue to elected officials for more than seven years. Of the 4,000 cases the SLS has each year, at least 40 percent are landlord-tenant problems.\n"Everyone is against bringing justice to this matter," Irvine said. "The mayor, city attorney and the university are all opposed to dealing with this issue. They need to realize that this happens all over the community."\nIrvine said many residents are often overcharged by their landlords for items that tend to break after a period of normal use. Some of the proposed changes to the housing code would include specified duties and responsibilities so tenants are responsible for routine cleaning, such as picking up garbage and mopping and vacuuming floors. Landlords would be held responsible for cleaning and maintenance between tenancies, such as shampooing carpets and washing windows. \n"It's my job to make sure the environment is liveable, and its their job to make sure it stays that way," said Charles Sinn, owner of seven rooming houses near campus.\nIf his tenants bring damage to his attention he was unaware of, he says he doesn't hold it against them when he decides whether to refund their damage deposit.\n"If the tenants were to bring something to my attention that I missed, I put it back on the contract," he said.\nThe proposal would also hold landlords responsible for maintaining exterior areas of the property in a clean, safe and sanitary condition.\n"It's a controversial issue," Irvine said. "People need to come and stand up for themselves as renters."\nNeal Wizig, sophomore and University Commons resident, said his landlords tried to charge him for broken window neither he nor his roommates damaged.\n"People outside playing volleyball broke the front window," Wizig said. "It wasn't fixed for two months because the owners said it was our responsibility to make sure the windows didn't break."\nWizig said although the window was eventually fixed and replaced for free, he was frustrated that it took so long.\n"The entire situation was a pain," he said. "(Owners) tried to tell us that it was impossible for a volleyball to break a window."\nAngie Stewart, property manager of the University Commons, said tenants are obligated to keep their property in the same condition it was when they moved in, and it should be kept up to standard living conditions by the owners.\n"We do our best to respond to service work orders and cordially inspect apartments," Stewart said. "If we notice something broken, we fix it and charge the tenants with replacement when an item is deliberately broken."\nThe proposed change would also clarify an existing state law which requires a move in/move out inspection form, listing items inspected by both the landlord and tenant so they have a mutual understanding of the property conditions at the beginning and end of a lease.\n"We give tenants an itemized list of what we charge for with pictures and receipts," Stewart said. "We really stress joint move out inspections, but only about half of the tenants choose to take advantage of it."\nThe final vote will take place at 7:30 p.m. April 16 at City Hall. Tenants should plan on speaking publicly tonight.\n"We finally forced this issue," Irvine said. "Now it's time for everyone to come out and protest"