University of Virginia Library

Landlord-Tenant Woes May Be Coming To An End

Analysis

By MARGARET ALFORD

When Groundhog's Day, disappearing
sidewalk slush, the start of second semester,
and sunny spring days bring the end of the
academic year into distant sight, the frenzied
race for housing for the following year is on for
Charlottesville's student population.

University-owned housing accommodates
less than one-third of the student body, and so
the other sector must find quarters
off-Grounds. Some will live in fraternity
houses; some may choose to live with family in
the area. But the majority will seek apartments
as humble abodes for the following winter.

And yes, many of the abodes ar quite
humble in the most literal sense–which may be
expected by the tenant, according to his tastes
and bank account, but which, on the other
hand, may not be expected, and may in fact
lead to months and months of frustration, pleas
to the landlord for repairs, and possible
litigation

The "unexpecteds" can include broken
fixtures, holes in the ceiling or wall, leaks, or
malfunctioning heating or plumbing, and much

more.

But worse than the actual deficiencies is the
fact that the tenant usually has little
"bargaining power" or recourse to improve his
living conditions. Leases are usually written to
favor the landlord, and often include clauses by
which the tenant waives his legal rights and
remedies.

Unfortunately, faulty leases often lead to
bad landlord-tenant relations, and then
sometimes to litigation, which further clogs
already-overburdened court dockets.

The situation is ripe for unwitting tenants to
sign faulty leases in Charlottesville, where the
students are usually novice lessees, and do not
know the pitfalls of such agreements.

But an end to these miseries may be on the
way. The Virginia Housing Study Commission
is now gathering and studying evidence across
the state to support legislation which would
change the concept of landlord-tenant relations.

The commission, under Del. Alan A.
Diamonstein (D-Newport News), chairman, has
been holding hearings in various areas of the
state to receive recommendations by individuals
on solutions to landlord-tenant problems.

Student Council President Larry Sabato
addressed the Commission in Charlottesville
June 15, presenting the problem from the
perspective of the University student.

"Perhaps nowhere in Virginia has the
housing shortage been more acute or
landlord-tenant relations more strained than in
Charlottesville during the last few years," Mr.
Sabato said. He noted that the Future of the
University Committee had tied the housing
problem which has developed from the
University's rapid expansion to four factors:
poor financial atmosphere for new-home and
new-apartment starts, the dramatic re in
University enrollments, the rapidly declining