Skip complications with tenant-landlord cases

By: Alana Cooler

Monday, November 23, 2009 - 6:47 PM

Alana Cooler

Since I started at the Associated Students of the University of Nevada Legal Services, I have come across many landlord-tenant cases.

Many students, eager for the beginning of a new semester, sign a lease right away with a newfound friend, and a lot of these students end up in our office. These cases can be very frustrating when they become time-consuming, as many do.

Many landlord-tenant cases involve disputing roommates or landlords who are fed up with students living in their homes.

Most of our students have legitimate cases. Students are faced with issues such as a home that has a $1,500 deposit and smells like feces, homes with holes in the walls, roommates who steal things from them, male landlords who will not give an all-girl house any notice before stopping by, loud neighbors, dirty roommates and personal property being scattered across the lawn by an angry roommate.

But the most common of these issues involves roommates who suddenly stop paying or refuse to pay rent. If your roommate is on the lease and moves out or stops paying rent, it should not be your obligation to pick up their missed rent. Please come talk to us. Our on-staff attorney would enjoy giving you advice on how to possibly collect lost income from your roommates.

Through working at legal services, I have learned three important guidelines for moving into a house:

- Pick roommates wisely. Always make sure roommates are reliable and have a stable source of income.

- Ask questions. Question the tenants’ deposit, ask the landlord questions and be careful what you sign.

- Demand a walk-through before moving in. Do not be afraid to inspect the home before moving in.

Always know your rights. If you feel your rights have been violated, seek assistance.

The ASUN legal services office is room 350 in the Joe Crowley Student Union. Drop by with comments, questions or concerns. Contact Alana Cooler at legal2@asun.unr.