There was a story in The Lantern recently about students teaming up to sue NorthSteppe realty for charging them nearly $1,700 for unpaid gas bills, although the real amount they expected to pay was closer to $50. I applaud the students, Rachel Dawson and Leigh Luckner for stepping up and fighting this outrageous charge. Certainly the impossible amount made legal action the obvious choice, but nevertheless the suit is a step in the right direction for all students who rent from shady off-campus realtors or owners.
The issue here is that NorthSteppe's attempt to take financial advantage of student tenants is just an extreme case, one that has attracted unwanted student and media attention to a problem that has permeated the lives of countless students over the years. I have heard countless stories from students about real estate troubles. Everything from general hostility to students and bogus charges, to unreturned security deposits and random housing breakdowns that remain unfixed. My landlord, for example, requires the rent checks to be submitted by 5 p.m. on the 15th of every month. If however, the checks arrive at approximately 5:02 p.m., they are deemed late, and a $25 per person fee is charged to each of my roommates. An absurdity, because banks close at 5 anyway, and there is no way it affects my landlord financially.
My case is certainly a minor one in the world of nickel and diming landlords, but the fact remains that landlords all over the off-campus area know that students, as a group, are easy to take advantage of. Rarely do we have the knowledge, time or leverage to fight landlords looking to screw their customers at every turn. For those who are lucky enough to have their parents' help on housing costs, the landlords know where to overcharge to make sure parents are stuck with the bill. And those who pay our own rent, who has time to argue with an unreachable landlord about the heating bill? It is often an exercise in futility, one that will end up wasting both time and money. But what is there to do? Because of high turnover, landlords and realties know that students will keep coming back, regardless of how terrible the service is or how much they overcharge. Unless the boundaries are overstepped by miles and miles, like in the case of NorthSteppe, students will always be hard-pressed to do anything real about it. Why should Inn-Town care if you're mad about a $100 service fee? You'll probably end up paying it, and some other sucker will take your place next year. Students have very little options in these matters, are usually hustled to jumping through whatever hoops their landlord has come up with.
My final qualm with the real estate scoundrels that rule the off-campus housing district is one of respect. As a sophomore, I remember the professionalism with which I treated Inn-Town at the beginning of our courtship, and the total lack of respect that was shown to me and my roommates throughout that year; a lack of respect that has continued through different owners and housing situations. Why is it so necessary to be a jerk to a student tenant? I know I am not the only person who feels this way.
So what is there for a poor, real estate-jilted student to do? Well, unfortunately not much. My guess is that all of us who live in off-campus housing will have gotten screwed somehow during our time here. The best way to approach the situation is know what you're getting yourself into, and stand up for yourself when you can. You know what I do? I steal my landlord's plants: tomatoes, peppers and basil. It's delicious!
Lev Elgudin is a senior in journalism and Spanish. He can be reached at elgudin.1@osu.edu.
Editor's Note: Students with housing questions can contact Student Housing Legal Services at 247-5853 for advice and representation.
Be the first to comment on this article!