Renters expect their landlords will provide a safe and peaceful place for them to live. When there is a landlord/tenant dispute, tenants may feel there is no other way to protect their rights as a group. Renters in Michigan and elsewhere who feel their landlord has violated their rights or intimidated them into leaving can pursue legal means of protecting themselves as a group. They can also file suit individually if needed.
The case making news in another state relates to an apartment building that some residents have lived in for decades. According to the tenants, a new landlord has threatened to call immigration and is trying to force out certain residents. Because of the landlord’s alleged harassment, residents of nine apartments are suing.
The suit claims there have been 85 violations on the part of the landlord. One violation relates to the gas being shut off. The residents claim it has been an issue for over a month, and the landlord simply says it is not his problem. The residents are using electric hot plates for cooking, and this is cited as a danger. Also, the residents contend the landlord has told residents they must prove immigration status, which is reported to be considered discrimination.
Just as with any civil suit, landlord/tenant disputes entail two sides. There are very clear laws about what landlords can and cannot require of residents and what constitutes a violation of the landlord/tenant agreement. When there are suspected violations on the part of the landlord, tenants in Michigan can pursue legal action to reverse those violations and ensure future compliance of an agreement.
Source: newyork.cbslocal.com, “Tenants Accuse Landlord Of Trying To Muscle Them Out Of East Village Building“, May 28, 2015
