You can legally begin living in your apartment the day the lease begins. But before you move in:

1. Have the utilities placed in service.

2. Arrange to meet the landlord at the apartment so the two of you can inspect the apartment.

If you can pay for the utilities, give the utility companies as much notice as possible before service is to begin. If the utilities are included in the rent, tell your landlord when you want service to begin. Having the utilities on when you arrive will be a great convenience and will help you with any necessary cleanup chores and enable you to check the operation of electrical, plumbing and gas appliances.

Advance notice is especially recommended for phone service. Due to GTE’s numerous requests for service and installation at the start of each school year, it normally takes a week or longer to obtain phone service.

Arrange to meet the landlord at the apartment so the two of you can inspect it before you move in. If the landlord won’t accompany you on the inspection, get two adult witnesses, who will be available when you move out and who aren’t relatives or parties to the lease, to inspect with you. It is a good idea to have witnesses whether or not the landlord is there. Have the witnesses sign the inspection form, and provide the landlord with a copy.

When inspecting the premises, use the checklist in the center of this book, your own list, or one supplied by the landlord. Record all the problems and damages you find on your checklist, and pay special attention to the following:

The premises must be clean and free from vermin, excessive moisture and other health hazards. Once you take possession of the apartment you will become responsible for extermination of vermin. If the apartment was left dirty by previous tenants, the landlord should have deducted enough money from their deposit to have the place cleaned. You don’t have to accept a dirty apartment! If you accept a dirty apartment, you will still have to clean it when you leave. If the landlord won’t cooperate, contact BCT.

If the landlord signs an agreement or makes oral promises to make certain repairs before you were supposed to move in, be sure these repairs have been completed. If the landlord refuses to make the repairs, contact
BCT.

Check the furnishings provided, insuring that you are getting the type of furniture specified in the lease. If the furniture isn’t what you were promised, insist that the proper furniture be put in the apartment, or the rent be reduced accordingly.

Look for unsafe conditions, such as faulty electrical equipment or poorly maintained heating or water heating systems.

Don’t omit any details in your inspection. Any damage you fail to note may be charged to you when you leave at the end of your lease. The landlord will inspect the apartment when you move out.

The checklist should be signed and dated by you, your witnesses and the landlord. Give the landlord a copy of the completed checklist whether or not he/she signs it. You must keep a copy of the checklist.
Weigh the chance of this retaliation by the landlord against the hazards, grief and expense of living in substandard housing.

Highlights of the BOCA code are contained in Appendix A. For assistance or more information, contact BCT or the Public Works Department.

If you have already moved in and the landlord won’t make the promised repairs, refer to the section on repairs.

If moisture or vermin are present in the apartment; if the electrical plumbing, hot water or heating facilities don’t function adequately; if there are safety or health hazards or the building is in very poor condition, the place may be in violation of the 1996 BOCA National Property Maintenance Code. The BOCA code establishes standards which dwellings must meet. The landlord must make the property habitable before you move in, and he/she must maintain the habitability of the property while you live there. If you suspect that the apartment has code violations, you may want to contact the Columbia Public Works Department’s Protective Inspection Division.

If the property does not meet minimum standards, the city can deny the landlord permission to rent the property until the violations are corrected. However, the city usually gives the landlord time to correct the violations before declaring the premises unfit for habitation. If the city does not permit the landlord to rent the property, you can legally get out of your lease. If you do this, some landlords might be reluctant to return your deposit, and you might have difficulty finding another place to live. Don’t let this deter you from exercising your right to live in a decent place!