8
Tuesday, February 6, 2001
Student Legal Services Answers Housing Questions
Student Legal Services is a
University-run group of
three lawyers that exists
solely to aid students.
By Paige Ammons
and Blake Rosser
Staff Writers
Imagine an apartment fire ruins all of
your possessions or items are stolen
from your car parked in your apartment
complex’s dark parking lot. Who will
help you recover your property?
Student Legal Services might have
the answer.
UNC’s legal services handles cases in
which students feel that landlords or
third parties are responsible for wrong
doing. SLS is a University-run group -
consisting of three lawyers -with the
specific purpose of providing legal assis
ta ce for students.
SLS Director Dorothy Bemholz said
the office was started by students to
serve the University community. “We
were founded by students who wanted
Lawyers Offer Tips for Lease, Landlord Issues
By Katy Nelson
Staff Writer
To join the 71 percent of UNC stu
dents living off-campus, first consult a
lawyer.
On-Campus
Get the most out of your Carolina experience in the Spring of 2001— I I
take advantage of the benefits of living on campus! ™
1. Convenience £
On-campus residence puts you in the heart of university
activity—classrooms, laboratories, libraries, recreational, Jfi|
and dining facilities are just a short walk away. A £
We are committed to your safety and security. All mm
exterior residence hall doors are locked 24 hours |H
a day. We have an on-call staff 24 hours a day to fl| I
assist our residents, and campus security maintains *■
regular patrols of all residential areas. ,*
3. No Hassles Bh3B|k&|S£||^wES||
One check pays all—no utility bills, deposits, or connection
fees. Local telephone service, cable TV, and direct connec
tion to the campus computer network are included.
4. Involvement
When you live on campus, you will get to know faculty, HMlH||ilNlMffl
staff, and fellow classmates. You will also find greater
opportunities for participating in the many formal and
informal academic, cultural, and social activities that take HjjKljM
place in the residence halls.
We invite you to join us in on campus housing
for the Spring semester 2001! " ' ‘‘
their own lawyers,” she said, “We serve
over 2,000 students per year.”
The legal services are made available
free of charge to full-time students by
funding from student fees.
SLS handles divorces, consumer
problems, elimination of criminal
records and fender-benders, but
Bemholz said students who are having
housing problems
including property
damage or con
tract violations
often visit their
office.
“(Housing inci
dents) are the
largest percentage
of problems we
handle,” she said.
Bemholz said
“When you sign a contract,
know what you are signing.
The quick handshake is not a
good way to do business. ”
Dorothy Bernholz
SLS Director
students having problems with their
landlord should review the terms of
their apartment lease.
“It is often a matter of contract,” she
said. Bemholz said the two parties must
follow the written agreements in the
lease, and if a landlord does not cooper
ate, then SLS comes to the students’ aid.
Students seeking off-campus housing
need to know their rights and responsi
bilities as tenants before signing a lease,
according to Student Legal Services.
To name a few concerns, students
should ensure security deposits are
Housing Guide
Property that is damaged can some
times be recovered if it can be proven
that the landlord has been negligent or
is responsible for the damage.
For example, Bemholz cited a case in
which a resident had complained to his
landlord about a lack of lighting in the
apartment’s parking lot. When die resi
dent’s bicycle was stolen from the lot,
the landlord was
held responsible.
SLS helped the
student win reim
bursement.
Bernholz said
SLS will not hesi
tate to take cases to
court, but they ini
tially file letters of
request - stating
the problem and
asking for reimbursement - which are
usually accepted by the landlords.
She also said students should take
preventative measures to avoid these sit
uations.
“When you sign a contract, know
what you are signing,” she said. “The
quick handshake is not a good way to do
returned following expiration of the lease,
bear responsibility for property when
subletting, and keep records of repair
requests to prove landlord negligence,
said Dorothy Bemholz, director of SLS.
Students should visit a lawyer in SLS,
Legal Advice 101
Student Legal Services is free to UNC students and offers a wide range of advice and services. The
SLS employs three full-time attorneys and is housed on the second floor of the Student Union.
■ Who should visit Student Legal Services?
Students who have trouble understanding their lease
Students who need to fight for repairs, back rent and security
deposits
■ What type of cases do SLS lawyers handle?
Cases of divorce, consumer problems, elimination
of criminal records and fender-benders
Property damage or housing contract violations
■ How can someone contact SLS?
Call the SLS and make an appointment to speak to an attorney
Prepare a written statement of the complaint as well
SOURCE: STUDENT LEGAL SERVICES
business.”
Students in need of legal advice
should call SLS and make an appoint
ment, Bemholz said, at which time they
will be able to talk to one of three attor
neys. Students should also prepare a
written statement of the problem at
hand.
which is free to fee-paying UNC stu
dents, if they have difficulty understand
ing their lease or need to fight for repEiirs,
back-rent and security deposits, she said.
“It’s better to let a lawyer look at the
lease before signing. Don’t assume any
thing,” Bemholz said.
Most SLS casework is tenant/land
lord cases. Legal action from SLS or
even just the possibility of it can help
students retrieve security deposits, since
10 percent of landlords do not return
them despite damage-free premises, she
said. “A lot of the time, it will just take a
phone call from us to negotiate with
landlords,” Bemholz said.
Bemholz recommends negotiating
leases with land
lords before sign
ing. Students
should be careful,
she said, to have
enough parking
places and make
sure that the num
ber of tenants is
legal.
Chapel Hill
town law, for
“Document all transactions
with the landlord, and have
a good, working relationship
with the landlord. ”
Dorothy Bernholz
SLS Director
example, allows only four unrelated ten
ants living together unless the premises
have been leased to more than four peo
ple since 1989.
Bemholz also advised calling the
towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro for
crime information on apartment com
plexes before moving into one.
Students should be sure the lease cov
ers when the landlord can be on the
premises pursuant to the lease, Bemholz
said. The lease should specify that the
landlord can only enter premises for
repairs “after reasonable notice,” she said.
There are many different kinds of
leases in North Carolina, including orEil
leases, which Bemholz does not recom
mend. Most landlords in Chapel Hill
(The Sailg (Tar Mfri
Bemholz explained the foundations
of SLS’ legal procedures. “We offer pre
ventative legal advice - what you should
sign and what you shouldn’t sign,” she
said.
At the same time, she said they do
not shy away from legal action. “We
absolutely go to court all the time.”
have written leases, however.
In dealing with roommates moving in
and out, Bemholz advises renters to
make sure that the new roommate joins
the lease and that the departing room
mate is released and given back her
security deposit.
Steve Mills, a landlord in Chapel
Hill, recommends that new tenants do a
room-by-room inspection of the premis
es and make a list of incoming damages.
Mills suggests taking pictures to ensure
the security deposit is returned upon
lease termination.
N.C. law requires that tenants give
written notice requesting a repair,
Bemholz said. It is a myth that student
tenants can with
hold rent if repairs
never happen. A
visit to SLS is in
order to seek dam
ages from the
landlord, which
can be difficult
without written
repair requests,
she said.
“Document all
transactions with the landlord, and have a
good, working relationship with the land
lord,” Berhnolz said.
Mills also advises buying renter’s
insurance, which is about $ 115 per year,
to deal with subletters in the summer.
Mills said subletters are often not very
considerate of tenant’s property.
Landlords are not responsible for
stolen property, he said, and tenants
should cautiously enter subletting agree
ments, perhaps with a security deposit
between lessee and sublessee. It is
important for tenants to understand both
their rights and responsibilities, he said.
“You are dealing with adult issues,
and you need to educate yourself, even
if your parents are paying the rent”