Tenants Deserve Safe Housing
In a city where half the households are renters, residents must depend on state and municipal government to uphold rules for multi-family dwellings. But tenants must first find out what the rules are.
There is no tenant organization or movement in Plainfield currently, so the hapless renters must learn the hard way what their rights are. For example, a landlord who takes a security deposit must inform the tenant where it is deposited in an interest-bearing account. If this does not happen, the tenant can request the deposit to be applied toward the rent. But many newcomers with language barriers have no idea of such rights.
Landlords of multi-family dwellings are also supposed to file certificates of registration with the state Department of Community Affairs and post these certificates in a prominent place in the apartment building. Ownership must be declared and emergency numbers must be listed. As many tenants can verify, this rule is not obeyed. A copy of the document is supposed to be on file with the city clerk, but again this does not always happen.
Recently the City Council repealed the Safe Housing ordinance that was intended to prevent overcrowding and unsafe conditions. It was a victory for landlords and managers, but a scary prospect for tenants. Who is on our side, renters in 7,500 or more households may well ask.
After a fire Wednesday morning routed nearly 40 tenants from a Park Avenue building, officials promised a thorough investigation. Many tenants who have made property code maintenance complaints would prefer a pro-active response before disaster strikes.
One thing prospective tenants can do is to get an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) form from the clerk’s office at City Hall and then go to the third floor and ask to see the folder for the building they plan to move into. The folder will detail infractions such as heat complaints and other problems including pest infestation and the city’s response.
Legal Services of New Jersey publishes a booklet on tenants’ rights which may also be read online. Click here for more information. Low-income tenants can get a copy free.
The city still has a Certificate of Compliance ordinance that calls for an inspection of an apartment before a new tenant moves in to make sure there are no property code violations. If any exist, the landlord is given time to fix them and there is a re-inspection. The landlord is supposed to request the initial inspection and pay a fee. A tenant can check the folder in Inspections to see whether this was done and if so, what violations should have been corrected.
An informed tenant will have a much better chance of getting results when a landlord won’t make repairs or otherwise breaks the law. But the city also needs to do better. A recent state study of the Inspections Division uncovered flaws in its operation that the city needs to correct. Maybe the Safe Housing ordinance was too sweeping or just physically unworkable, but tenants still deserve safe housing, even if they have to fight for it, one apartment at a time.
--Bernice Paglia
There is no tenant organization or movement in Plainfield currently, so the hapless renters must learn the hard way what their rights are. For example, a landlord who takes a security deposit must inform the tenant where it is deposited in an interest-bearing account. If this does not happen, the tenant can request the deposit to be applied toward the rent. But many newcomers with language barriers have no idea of such rights.
Landlords of multi-family dwellings are also supposed to file certificates of registration with the state Department of Community Affairs and post these certificates in a prominent place in the apartment building. Ownership must be declared and emergency numbers must be listed. As many tenants can verify, this rule is not obeyed. A copy of the document is supposed to be on file with the city clerk, but again this does not always happen.
Recently the City Council repealed the Safe Housing ordinance that was intended to prevent overcrowding and unsafe conditions. It was a victory for landlords and managers, but a scary prospect for tenants. Who is on our side, renters in 7,500 or more households may well ask.
After a fire Wednesday morning routed nearly 40 tenants from a Park Avenue building, officials promised a thorough investigation. Many tenants who have made property code maintenance complaints would prefer a pro-active response before disaster strikes.
One thing prospective tenants can do is to get an Open Public Records Act (OPRA) form from the clerk’s office at City Hall and then go to the third floor and ask to see the folder for the building they plan to move into. The folder will detail infractions such as heat complaints and other problems including pest infestation and the city’s response.
Legal Services of New Jersey publishes a booklet on tenants’ rights which may also be read online. Click here for more information. Low-income tenants can get a copy free.
The city still has a Certificate of Compliance ordinance that calls for an inspection of an apartment before a new tenant moves in to make sure there are no property code violations. If any exist, the landlord is given time to fix them and there is a re-inspection. The landlord is supposed to request the initial inspection and pay a fee. A tenant can check the folder in Inspections to see whether this was done and if so, what violations should have been corrected.
An informed tenant will have a much better chance of getting results when a landlord won’t make repairs or otherwise breaks the law. But the city also needs to do better. A recent state study of the Inspections Division uncovered flaws in its operation that the city needs to correct. Maybe the Safe Housing ordinance was too sweeping or just physically unworkable, but tenants still deserve safe housing, even if they have to fight for it, one apartment at a time.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 5:25 AM
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