From bed bugs to slow repairs — the Urban League of Kansas handles hundreds of a calls a week from troubled tenants.
Housing counselor Theresa Thompson is one of two specialists who handle a bulk of the cases.
Often, the office will get calls from people who have pests like cockroaches or bedbugs, which can be a gray area in housing.
“Unless you moved in recently, something happened, where you probably brought those in,” she said. “Or, it could be if you’re in an apartment complex, they could be spreading and then the whole apartment complex is infested. So that’s a really sticky situation.”
No matter what the situation, she said tenants need to keep a few things in mind to be sure they get problems solved quickly.
1. Document everything
No matter how you communicate with your landlord, try to keep it on paper. E-mails and written requests are good. People should make photocopies of everything they are in need of repairs. Pictures are important — before and after the process.
2. Give your landlord time
There are many different legal forms you can submit for help. One gives the landlord a certain amount of days to fulfill the request. If they don’t, it may give you leg room to break your lease without penalty.
3. Don’t settle for deals
Some landlords might deduct from your rent or negotiate deals based on past problems. Thompson said it’s a bad idea to negotiate a deal, especially if you have legal matters taken to court later.
4. Pay your rent.
By no performing your end of the bargain, this could be used as leverage against you later. “Something like that will take you to court and get you evicted, Thompson said. “So that’s another thing. Always pay your rent, whether you have a slumlord or not cause then you have the upper-hand if you take them to civil claims court. ”
5. Read your rental agreement
It may outline the tenant is responsible for upkeep — repairs, pest control, etc — during the lease. Thompson said there may be ways around that because landlords are supposed to provide a safe environment for its tenants.