AVAILABLE. "THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE UNDER THE
IMPRESSION THAT WE
WERE CONTINUING OUR
YEAR LEASE WHEN IN
REALITY WE WERE ON A
MONTH TO MONTH."
A BOISE STATE STUDENT,
STUDYING FOR FINALS, IS
TOLD BY HIS LANDLORD
HE HAS TO VACATE HIS
RENTAL HOME IN 30
DAYS...
AND IS NOW SCRAMBLING
TO FIND A PLACE TO LIVE
JUST WEEKS BEFORE
GRADUATION.
WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH
RENTER'S RIGHTS.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT
BOISE STATE STUDENT
AND ALSO HIS
ROOMMATES WASN'T
ILLEGAL, BUT THEIR STORY
CAN SERVE AS A LESSON
TO OTHERS SO THEY'RE
NOT SURPRISED.
K-T-V-B'S JOEY PRECHTL
HAS BEEN LOOKING INTO
THIS ISSUE FOR US TODAY.
JOEY WHAT DO RENTERS
NEED TO KNOW?
MARK
MARK AND
MARK AND DEE, THE BEST ADVICE ANY RENTER CAN HEAR RIGHT NOW, IS TO
READ THE LEASE
BEFOREHAND. THAT WAY
YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
AND WHAT TO EXPECT.
MEET
MEET JOE
MEET JOE GOODE AND MAX FALORE. AS OF TUESDAY, THEY WERE
ROOMMATES. BUT NOT
ANYMORE AFTER THEY
BOTH RECEIVED A 30 DAY
NOTICE TO LEAVE THIS
HOUSE.
"WE NEVER SIGNED ONTO
A NEW LE ASE AFTER THE
FIRST YEAR WHICH
MOVED US TO MONTH TO
MONTH BASIS WITH OUR
LANDLORD AND WE WERE
UNAWARE OF THIS."
WHILE ATTENDING
SCHOOL AND GETTING R
EADY TO GRADUATE.
" WE WERE BOMBARDED
WITH FINAL PAPERS AND
SCHOOL IN GENERAL
THEY NOW HAD TO FIND
A NEW PLACE TO LIVE.
THEY SAY THEY WEREN'T
BAD TENANTS EITHER.
GREAT SITUATION.
ALWAYS PAYING OUR
RENT ON TIME.
"NOT THE IDEAL
SITUATION AT ALL AND
MADE THINGS TWICE AS
DIFFICULT FOR US."
BUT NOT ILLEGAL,
BOISE 37:07 "RIGHT"
THAT'S JOHN GANNON,
LAWMAKER, AND LAWYER.
THE 30 DAY NOTICE
WASN'T BREAKING THE
LAW, BECAUSE JOE AND
MAX WERE ON A MONTH
TO MONTH LEASE. BUT
THEY WERE UNAWARE.
"WE JUST ASSUMED WE
WERE GOING TO GO
ANOTHER YEAR WITH OUR
LEASE SO IT CAUGHT US AT
SURPRISE."
BUT IT WAS IN THEIR
LEASE.
LEASE. SO
LEASE. SO WHILE NOT ILLEGAL, VERY BAD TIMING. ANY CHANGE TO THIS 30
DAY NOTICE WOULD HAVE
TO COME FROM EITHER
LAWMAKERS AT THE STATE
LEVEL OR CITY COUNCIL.
"THE 30 DAY NOTICE ISN'T
WORKING IN EMERGNECY
SITUATIONS."
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT COULD
BE EXPANDED.
"WHERE THERE IS AN
EMERGENCY, EXTENDING
THE TERMINATION NOTICE
PERIOD TO 60 DAYS BY
STATUTE IS SOMETHING
WE NEED TO LOOK AT."
ANOTHER THING RENTERS
MAY BE UNAWARE OF. THE
LANDLORD CAN INCREASE
YOUR RENT AS MUCH AS
THEY WANT.
"IDAHO DOES NOT HAVE
ANY
ANY CAPS
ANY CAPS ON RENT OR RENTAL INCREASES." AND CITIES CAN'T DO
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
"THERE IS A SPECIFIC
STATUE THE LEGISLATURE
PASSED SOME YEARS AGO
THAT RESTRICTS CITIES
AND COUNTIES FROM
IMPLEMENTING RENT
CONTROL."
SO NEXT TIME YOU'RE
LOOKING AT RENTING A
PLACE, LEARN FROM JOE
AND MAX.
"I WOULD HOPE YOU
WOULD TAKE A QUICK, OR
GOOD LOOK AT YOUR
LEASE."
"THERE SHOULD BE MORE
RIGHTS GIVEN OUT AND
FREEDOMS GIVEN OUT TO
PEOPLE TRYING TO RENT
HOMES."
AND KNOW WHAT TO
EXPECT.
IN REALITY, IT ALL COMES
DOWN TO READING A
LEASE BEFORE SIGNING IT.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU SIGN
IT, YOU'RE AGREEING TO
THE TERMS IN ORDER TO
LIVE THERE.
IN THE STORY, YOU HEARD
REP. GANNON TALK
ABOUT LOOKING AT
DOING A 60 DAY NOTICE
FOR TERMINATING A
LEASE.
HE SAYS THE MAIN
PROBLEM IN BOISE, IS THE
LOW VACANCY RATE.
ADDING THAT 30 DAYS
ISN'T A LONG ENOUGH
TIME TO ALLOW SOMEONE
TO FIND A NEW PLACE TO
LIVE.
SOME OTHER ASPECTS
THAT WOULD NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED BY
LAWMAKERS, ARE
REGULATING THE
APPLICATION FEES AND
HOW MUCH A WOULD BE
RENTER IS CHARGED FOR
THAT.
AND REPEALING THAT
STATUTE MENTIONED
THAT DOESN'T ALLOW
CITIES
CITIES TO
CITIES TO PLACE THEIR OWN RENT CONTROL WHEN NEEDED. MARK
AND DEE, BACK TO YOU.