Unwelcome rodent visitors, doorbells that no longer ring, unhinged doors and clogged drains are probably not what students have in mind when they sign off-campus leases. But some students living off campus are forced to deal with these minor nuisances and the frustration of trying to convince their landlords to fix them.
Now, an ordinance introduced by Ward 5 City Councilman Michael Solomon may help to reduce the problem of landlords who are unresponsive to maintenance concerns by making them more accountable for the properties they rent out.
But the law could also impose harsher penalties on students who violate the city's noise and trash ordinances.
Solomon, who is in his first term in the city council, represents the city's Elmhurst and Mount Pleasant neighborhoods, which he said include units rented by students from Providence College, Johnson & Wales University and Brown.
The ordinance, which addresses residential rental units, was introduced at a city council meeting on Oct. 4 and will come before the ordinance committee later this month.
"We are seeking to protect the public health, safety and welfare, while also improving the quality of life in our neighborhoods," Solomon said in an press release announcing the ordinance.
The proposed ordinance would establish a licensing and inspection system for residential rental properties and create a fee structure to penalize landlords and tenants who violate the law.
The draft ordinance would require owners of residential properties to obtain rental licenses for regulated units and would require inspections of non-owner-occupied properties every four years. It would also permit the city to make repairs to units to correct violations, with the owner footing a portion of the bill.
Solomon told The Herald that the legislation would create specific requirements that fit Providence's housing needs.
"The (existing) state law is too general," he said. "It doesn't deal enough with quality of life-type issues."
Solomon said the impetus for the ordinance was observing properties in "horrible condition" especially in low-income areas where high demand for housing creates little incentive for landlords to maintain their properties.
Solomon said the ordinance is an attempt to both compel landlords to fulfill their responsibilities and to enact stronger penalties against tenants who repeatedly violate city housing laws.
The ordinance would make repeated violations of a noise ordinance grounds for eviction, Solomon said.
"The biggest complaints from residents in my neighborhoods are about noise and litter," he said.
A recently revised nuisance ordinance in Narragansett, home to many University of Rhode Island students, allows police to post orange stickers on houses that have held loud code-violating parties. The offending renters face fines and a 60-day period during which further violations can result in tougher penalties. The ordinance was met with heavy opposition from URI students, according to an Oct. 16 article in the Providence Journal.
Solomon said he wasn't "looking to put stickers on houses" with the proposed Providence ordinance. "We want students to be good neighbors but we also want them to be protected against bad landlords," he said.
Two students living off campus told The Herald they have faced some minor problems with their landlords, but on the whole their problems have been manageable.
Dane Wetschler '08, who lives on John Street, said he and his housemates have encountered some problems with the upkeep of their house.
"We have had a lot of things that are broken that I guess (the landlord) doesn't find necessary to repair because demand is always there for housing and because the apartment is in a good location," Wetschler said, citing a non-functional doorbell, persistent electrical problems and a door that is not hinged to the wall as problems. Wetschler said he noticed the unhinged door during an inspection of the house this summer, but that it didn't stop him from signing the lease.
"I guess that it was my own fault because there is a sense that you're not going to be able to find a place," he said. "Whenever you sign the lease you think that during that summer he will fix stuff up, but I guess there is nothing really holding him accountable. Even so, I have found most of the problems manageable," he said. "If it was really a big deal - like say we didn't have heat - we would probably be more concerned."
Under state law, landlords are responsible for providing smoke detectors, making most major repairs, providing continuous hot and cold running water and maintaining the premises to comply with applicable housing and health codes, among other regulations.
Landlords are also responsible for exterminating rodents, unless it is determined that an occupant's actions have resulted in the rodent infestation.
Jonathan Coleman '08.5, who also lives on John Street, said he hasn't experienced many problems with his landlord, despite the warnings of a friend who lived in the same house and advised him to never live there.
"We have had some problems with delayed responses to really minor problems, but on the whole I wouldn't say it's been too bad," he said. Coleman said his house had some mice and his landlord did not supply him with mouse traps for almost a month. Coleman said his landlord was also somewhat slow in dealing with a wasps' nest, but did respond quickly to a clogged shower drain.
"If we really had a problem we would make a much more concerted effort to contact him - usually it's a little thing," Coleman said.
