For many students who live off campus doing well in class is not their only worry.
When a resident of 30 E. Lane Ave., Amanda Harpstead, a senior in animal science, noticed three homeless men sleeping in the buildings’ north stairwell and in the basement laundry room, she became concerned.
“I called our realtor immediately and asked them to put locks on the main doors. I also called the Columbus Police so they could take the men some place else,” Harpstead said. She called four times over the month of September. There were still no locks put on the doors.
Pella’s maintenance crew eventually put locks on the front and back doors. They also painted a wall, which had been spray-painted with gang symbols.
An employee of Pella said it took a long time to repair the problem because they had to make plans with a locksmith because three other Pella-owned buildings were having the same problem with homeless people residing in the common areas of the buildings.
The main entrance to the building is open during the day to allow package carriers in and it is supposed to be locked at night.
However, it is not locked consistently, leaving an open invitation to unwanted guests. During the weekend, two homeless people were seen in the back stairwell of 30 E. Lane Ave. after midnight by a resident of the building.
For students who are having problems with their landlords such as not fixing locks and leaks, there are places on campus that are on the students’ side. The OSU Legal Clinic and Off Campus Student Services, both in the Ohio Union, help students with such issues.
The legal clinic helps students deal with issues like repair problems, rodents and security deposits. They also provide referrals to students at no cost.
Catherine Wise, an attorney for the legal clinic advises students, who have similar problems as Harpstead, to document each time they contact their landlord. She said it is a good idea to contact them by letter and keep a copy for reference.
According to the Columbus City Housing Code, a set of rules that provide minimum requirements for the safety, health and welfare of the public – the landlord has up to 30 days to take reasonable steps to repair the problem.
The CCHC states a landlord must equip all units with locking windows and doors, which provide reasonable security, in addition to providing and maintaining all plumbing, electricity and heat.
Wise said if the landlord fails to meet these expectations, tenants should contact the Columbus City Code Enforcement. They can inspect the problem for free and issue a report to the landlord.
Tenants are then left with two options: either to start an escrow of rent, paying the rent to the Franklin County Municipal Clerk of Courts until the landlord makes the necessary repairs or to sue for breach of contract.
It is strongly advised to seek legal advice before suing. Off Campus Student Services, along with the Moritz College of Law at OSU, can help provide landlord-tenant mediations to solve problems without involving lawsuits.
Students can reference the Columbus City Housing Code at: www.ci.columbus.oh/departments.html. There are links at the site where it’s possible to fill out a form to request an inspection or report violations. Students can also check out the Landlord Library, which is produced annually by Undergraduate Student Government.
