Renter Rights | Video

Sarahbeth Ackerman | 11/28/2012

With the growing population in Minot, more people are renting apartments. Once a tenant signs the contract the renter is agreeing to everything on that lease, right? But what exactly are your rights as a renter?

"With the information they gave us, they gave a lot the information up front so that was a plus so we knew what we were getting into. I`ve been in situations where they don`t do that," said renter Jennifer Brenna.

For Brenna, she got lucky with her apartment because she knew all of the policies, but she`s hasn`t always been that lucky.

"When I did my first move up here I looked at some different companies and just the state of disrepair and what they weren`t telling were major downfalls to the apartment. I mean, I wouldn`t have anybody live in those apartments."

But before you sign you name on a lease, property management companies recommend looking over the tenant and landlord handbook so you can know your rights.

"Tenants have the rights to their privacy. They have the rights to have a place that has heat, water, plumbing and they have the rights to have a place that is basically the place they rented in the first place," said 1st Minot Management property manager Debbie Komrosky.

Since North Dakota does not have rent laws, another issue facing tenants is the increasing rent prices.

"We are just completely unprotected and for a while it was fine. Because people were fair and it wasn`t expensive to live here. Well, now, you can hardly afford an apartment," said Brenna.

"If people are raising their rents, not necessarily now, but prior, you know, in the spring. It`s because there rents were way too low in the first place and now they kinda figured out what they could get for the place," said Komrosky.

Although most rent agreements are fixed, Komrosky recommends always talking to your landlord to see what you can negotiate.

For now, it looks like the supply and demand is the general rule for the housing situation.

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