>> Now in news 4 Jax I team investigation into your rights as a tenant a
local father contacted us
complaining about the apartment
he rents in Avalon Hill
community off the Arlington
Expressway.
>> They told us is complaints
about mold and plumbing
problems have been ignored for
months. I team investigator
Jennifer want talk with them
and with an
intern e about renter’s rights
and what you can do to hold
your landlord accountable.
>> here I under my window,
the okc.
>> Larry Johnson says he’s fed
up over here you can
see we’re.
>> It rains. The water comes
that in this leak in a
startling call cause water
spies also my a C leaks.
He’s had problem.
♪
>> After
♪
>> problem House.
See the apartment. And tell you. Why this happened and why they let
you move in with this like this
no man’s. How long has this
been
doing this since August several
dead and nothing’s been done to
fix it.
>> No ma’am I put in May’s
request on various different
things and I just get around.
>> Well, this is the first
department he’s ever rented he
wanted a healthy safe
environment for his
5 month-old daughter.
>> She’s already had a and
thanks to a respiratory.
A face and that I believe is
coming from this apartment.
>> Johnson started asking his
neighbors at Avalon Hill is
they were having similar
problems he was stunned by what
they
told him one tenant who does
not want to be named out of
concern it might lead to an
eviction showed us this sliding
door which leaks when it rains
because of water damage
and look at these exposed wires
in the AC closet.
All that black stuff he thinks
it’s mold the
I team has uncovered since
January of last year
Avalon Hill residents have
called the city’s code
enforcement division, 36 times
complaining about problems
including unsanitary conditions
on the walls, leaking pipes, a
leaking roof cracked ceilings
with holes
sewage leaks, 17 of those calls
resulted in code violations.
We wanted some answers.
The door to the property
manage office is locked in a
letter tape to the front list a
phone number and e-mail address
but says the management offices
closed permanently we can no
longer except in office rental
payments or walk ins for any
reason we call the number.
>> Even though it’s local the
person who answered told me.
>> We’re calling.
He’s in the Philippines, answering calls for several properties managed by Saint
John’s properties. We reached
out to the company for comment,
but none has been given.
So what are your rights as
a tenant.
>> It’s a Landler won’t make a
repaired to a serious housing
condition, then the Tenet has 2
options under Florida law to
turning married. Every says you
can either withhold your rent
until repairs are made or
move out. But it must be a
serious condition and you must
do a few things first to be
protected. The tenant must give
the landlord
proper notice and an
opportunity to make 3 pair she
says you need to submit your
maintenance complaint in
writing and can demand repair
within 7 days.
The problem has to violate your
lease state law or local coat.
The notice you write must
inform your landlord that if
the repair is not made in 7
days. You will then exercise
your rights to withhold future
rent or terminate the lease.
You have to be current on the
rent and at the landlord still
does not respond.
>> And the 10 it can contact a
code enforcement and requests
to an inspection if they find
code violations will demand
that the landlord make every
pair Larry Johnson did that 6
violations were issued by the
city of Jacksonville’s code
enforcement division involving
his apartment.
He says the property manager is
now allowing him out of his
lease.
You should know if the city
does not find a code
enforcement violations you are
still protected under local
codes state law and can hold
your landlord still
accountable.
>> If you follow the steps that
we just laid out really the
most important is to put your
complaint in writing it’s all
about Tom and Mary that paper
trail. It’s important to make
sure that you have provided
that.
>> Jen says we began promoting
your story let me ask you about
all the e-mails and the phone
calls you’ve been getting the
newsroom has been getting from
other people who also rent and the complaints that they have about their situation, many of
them involving bugs.
What are renters rights when it
comes to pass that is such a
common complaint that we
received so legal aid tells
me this and it’s 2 different
things it depends on where you
live to see if you live in an
apartment the landlord is
required to provide pest
control service.
>> So you can hold him or her
accountable, the exception to
that is if you are doing
something as a tenant to cause
that bug problem. Now if you’re
running a home, unless it
stated differently in the least
you or the tenant
he is responsible then for the
pest control service
Jen is there a defined list of
landlord responsibilities.
It there is Mary and it’s long
in fact I have it right here
I’m going to read a couple of
them to you because again this
is a lot of the questions that
we get from people is are just
not sure what you know their
rights are for example, you
know the roof must not leak the
walls must be whether tight and
in good repair
Windows an outside doors must
be substantially whether tight
water tight and rodent prove
there is a long list we have
posted in this story on
newsfourjax dot com and by the
way since both of you mentioned
the calls that we received I do
want to encourage our viewers
we’re trying to get to all your
e-mails and all of your calls
to answer your questions, but
you know each case can
be different. So my suggestion
to you is the best option to
get your question answered is
to call Jacksonville area legal
aid or you can attend one of
its free clinics,
where you can meet with a
lawyer again it’s free to make
an appointment you can call
this number is 9 o 4, 3, 5, 6,