Brandon Crismon, a computer science junior, lived with mildewed walls, leaky faucets and falling ceilings.
“We had bad faucets that leaked and sheet rock would fall into the shower,” Crismon said. “The apartment [landlords] had to come in with sledgehammers and take out parts of the wall because they were mildewed.”
The air conditioning from the apartment above leaked into his roommate’s room, making a big, wet, mildewed stain on the carpet.
Crismon said his apartment slanted, and cabinets always flung open because of the slant.
The apartment had especially poor wiring that did not let them perform more than one electrical task at a time.
“If you ran the dishwasher or the fan while I was on the computer, my screen would flicker and I couldn’t read anything,” Crismon said.
For some students, apartment problems similar to Crismon’s do not stop even after they move out.
Many also struggle with landlords over damages and lost deposits.
“I’ve had to fight for my deposit every time I’ve moved,” said John Thomas, an English junior. “It usually takes two months.”
He said a lot of students do not try to get their deposits back because they are too busy or do not know which actions to take.
It may not be a lost cause, since there are measures students can take to avoid slow repair response at move-in and misunderstandings over deposits when they move out.
Roy Maughan, an attorney for Maughan, Maughan and Lormand, said students can avoid complications with landlords by simply taking pictures of the place when they move in and making a list of any damages other than normal wear and tear.
“Pictures will show any surface abuse of the apartment and can show if the apartment has been through any abuse,” Maughan said.
Matt McLindon, an engineering sophomore, did just that.
“My friend’s dad went through and made a three-page list of stuff and faxed it over [to the landlord],” McLindon said.
Because McLindon did this, he avoided any confusion over damages that were not his fault.
After a student has moved out and cannot get his deposit back because of a dispute, one option is to contact the Small Claims Division of Baton Rouge City Court.
Through small claims, someone can sue over minor disputes and claims up to $3,000.
From there, the Clerk’s Office mails the defendant, or landlord, a “Statement of Claim and Citation,” which the plaintiff, or tenant, has filled out.
The defendant then has 10 days to answer, during which the plaintiff cannot take action.
If there is no reply after this time, the plaintiff can then file a “default judgment” to mail back to the Clerk’s Office. They will advise the plaintiff if a personal appearance is necessary to solve the dispute.
For more information on the requirements and process for small claims, visit www.ci.baton-rouge.la.us.