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Idea to send: |
| Topic | Renter's Rights |
| Content | The Oklahoma State Bill of Renter's rights needs to be revised and made more apparent and available to the public. Too many landlords and property companies are taking advantage of rents with no consequences. For example, its nearly impossible to recieve your security deposit back. Upon moving out, the apartment complex has a list of "necessary cleaning and repairs" that are intentionally designed to eat up your entire deposit, whether or not your apartment needs them. For example, they will claim that they had to steam clean and shampoo your carpet, clean every surface, and repaint the walls...which cost them exactly $X... whatever your security deposit was. However, if you attempt to hire your own cleaning crew to fulfill their requirements, or do the work yourself, they will decline...and STILL perform the same duties and charge the same price...whether or not they are necessary. When asked to produce reciepts verifying the costs of cleaning, they will decline.
The apartment should be FORCED to provide renters with itemized reciepts detailing the work that was done, the contractors who performed the work, what money was spent where, and contact information for the contractor so that the renter can independantly verify the prices. Also, prices should be consistent between similar units of the same complex.
Also, under the current renter's rights, if something essential is broken (for example, the AC), the landlord has 14 days to fix it after you report it. First, 14 days in the middle of summer without AC or a fridge is hell. Then, after 14 days, you have the option to terminate your lease. Wow...great option. Many renters cannot afford to terminate their lease, pay for a moving van, pay a NEW deposit on a new apartment, even if they do find one available in the middle of the leasing period. There is another option: the renter can call a repairment to fix the problem after the 14 days, and then pass the bill on to the landlord, but the renter can only do this up to $100. Most essential items cannot be fixed for under $100!
There needs to be another option: After a certain allotted time, say seven days, the landlord must pro-rate each day without the working essential off of your next month's rent. This will create an incentive for the landlord to get the essential fixed, and ease the burden on the renter. |
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