Housing Info
- Tips for Tenants
- Tenant Letters
- Tenant Responsibilities
- Security Deposits
- Rent Escrow
- Shopping for a Landlord
- Landlord Responsibilities
- Code Enforcement
- Subleasing
- A Tenant`s Handbook: Your Rights and Duties as a Tenant
- Disputes Among Co-Tenants
- Pictures of Students who Have Won Landlord/Tenant or Other Civil Cases
- Roommate-Agreement - This is a template of a roommate agreement designed to guide you in creating your own agreement that best suits the needs of you and your roommates. Please feel free to edit.
Quick Tips
Shopping for a Landlord :
Contact Athens Code Enforcement at 592-3306 or go to their office at 28 Curran Street. Review their records about the house you want to rent. Ask them how many tenants can live there. Talk to current/former tenants. Stop by CSLS and talk to their lawyers before you sign a lease. CSLS can review leases.
Privacy :
Your landlord must give you at least 24 hours notice before entering your apartments, unless it`s an emergency or you give the O.K. Click here to get the Violation of Privacy Letter.
Getting Things Fixed:
At the first sign of trouble, WRITE the landlord about what needs repaired. Keep a copy of your letter. Contact Code (592-3306) and request an inspection for housing code violations. Here is a link to the City of Athens Housing code. If problems persist, you may be able to escrow your rent with the court or terminate the lease. This is a sample letter that you should send your landlord.
Security Deposits:
Photograph/ Video/ document your apartment on the first day you move in and on the last day you`re there. Clean you place before you leave. Leave your keys and a written forwarding address. Your landlord has 30 days to return your monies after you have given the apartment back to them. You are not liable, as a tenant, for normal wear and tear! Here is a sample letter to use to request your security deposit back.
