Is That Apartment Hazardous to Your Health?Written by dan the roommate man
When you sign a lease committing yourself to a unit in an apartment complex or building, you're agreeing to live in close quarters with strangers. You're also making assumption that your building will be properly managed and maintained. That includes such factors as air quality and adequate pest control. As a tenant, you have rights, of course, but some of most serious threats to your health -- such as carbon monoxide -- are ones you can't even see or smell.Particularly scary is prospect of seepage through soil. A landlord's efforts to maintain his or her own property can be nullified by pollution from a nearby commercial facility or poorly maintained residential property. Chemicals such as lead, pesticides can seep into soil and find their way into water and air of tenants living in better-maintained properties nearby. An environmental inspection is a landlord's best defense against allegations or plummeting property values. You've almost certainly heard of "Sick Building Syndrome," which has almost become a cliche in recent years. While this condition often is associated with office facilities, home environments are not exempt from this plague by any means. Common symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome -- including eye irritation and respiratory difficulties -- may be traced to a variety of sources in your apartment building, including your paint on your walls, a chemical used anywhere on property (such as toluene, for example), your air conditioning unit, clogged air filters in need of changing, and/or growth of bacteria spurred by high humidity, poor maintenance or both. If you're experiencing symptoms of Sick Building Syndrome on a persistent basis, you should report them immediately to your landlord. Your lease should include a clause in reference to your landlord's obligation to see that such duties as changing air filters are performed regularly. If it doesn't contain such language, make sure you get it in writing before you sign a lease. Furthermore, tenants should be entitled to regular equipment inspection and timely maintenance. Another air pollutant of which you should be aware is asbestos -- again, usually associated with commercial properties, but multifamily housing is not exempt. Within multifamily properties, asbestos has been found in caulking, in material wrapped around pipes, and in ceiling material. According to environmental scientists, insulation installed in multifamily, single-family and commericial properties between 1935 and 1978 contained as much as 50 percent asbestos. Insulation in vast majority of such properties has been replaced or contained; however, some poorly maintained buildings continue to present a threat to their tenants. When inhaled over a prolonged period, asbestos can cause lung tissue to stiffen, contributing to lung cancer and/or heart disease. Landlords who are notified after an inspection that their properties contain asbestos must take appropriate action, which includes disclosing this information to present and prospective tenants.
| | What Are Your Landlord's Responsibilities?Written by dan the roommate man
Curious about what exactly your landlord is responsible for? Here's a list of things your landlord can and cannot do.According to law, you landlord must... (a) make sure that your house or apartment complies with all building, housing and health codes that significantly affect your health and safety. If you feel your landlord is not following building, housing or health codes, you should contact your local tenant's union. (b) make all repairs necessary to make your house or apartment livable. Keep in mind that this means your landlord is responsible for NECESSARY repairs, not repainting your front door for aesthetic appeal. (c) take care that all electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilation systems are in good working order. (d) supply sufficient amounts of hot water and heat at all times. (e) keep hallways and stairways safe and sanitary. (f) provide garbage cans (if he or she owns four or more units in your building).* (g) give you reasonable notice before he or she enters your apartment Your landlord must not... (a) increase your rent, decrease you services, issue or even threaten to issue an eviction as a result of your complaining to him or to city about a code violation or because you joined a tenants' union of some sort. As long as you are assembling peaceably, you have a constitutional right to join whatever group you want to.
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