Hi fellow ibrattleboro-ians,
Does anyone know if there ia any kind of tenant rights organization or advocacy program available to low income residents in Brattleboro? I’m having an issue in my current apartment regarding a tenant smoking in a porch area that is the only access to my apartment. I was told that the building I live in was a smoke free building including common areas and despite the fact that the porch is technically outside this tenant’s cigarette smoke comes in my windows and every time I enter and exit my home I have to walk through a cloud of smoke. I have serious medical issues that are being made worse by this constant exposure to second hand smoke.
I’m looking for some legal advice as to how address this issue. Thanks.
tenant resources
The following websites have information for tenants:
http://www.rentalcodes.org/index.php overview and perhaps more
http://www.cvoeo.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=dep_intro&dept_id=15 This site is Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, but has much tenant info for the whole state on it. I have used this site with clients repeatedly over 25 years in my social work career. It is one of the primary tenant resources. They have a downloadable tenant handbook.
http://www.lawlinevt.org/ helpline that assists people in developing strategy and plan for self-advocacy — connected with http://vtlegalaid.org/our-projects/poverty-law-project/
One thing I do know is that most of these services are very strapped for support and are not always able to give as much personal help as one might want or need, but they are a start. Good luck.
Thanks, Andie. This is a
Thanks, Andie. This is a great start. I have a meeting with the property manger but they have not been very helpful with issues in the past regarding this same tenant. But, having some information is a good start.
Vt Tenants and Tenant rights in general
I worked a lot with VT Tenants last year as a tenant. They were understanding about my situation, passionate about tenants rights, and seemed to really care about what they do.
Unfortunately, they don’t always have the ability to actually help. Originally, I was being told by VT Tenants and the health inspector to stand up to my landlord and I would be backed up. In the end, I got bullied into leaving, which I was happy to do in order to rid myself of the toxic situation that included not only a lot of nasty threats from the landlord, but rain actually falling in my apartment, steadily, due to roof leaks. We had black mold, uncertified workers leaving lead dust in our apartments for us to clean up, not knowing what it was, when we moved in, he hired a registered sex offender to come into my home instead of a roofer, our 2nd floor deck railings were rotted off, he did not maintain our exits in the winter, and he just randomly assigns heat bills because his heating system is not separated and he does not include heat in the rent. When we challenged the charge of hundreds of dollars just for hot water in a month that we were vacationing 1000 miles away, he simply added another $700 to our heat bill and threatened us. This man should not be operating as a landlord at all, but there is not much they can do except write him up for health code violations, which he just strings them along about, not sure if anything has been fixed a year later.
VT Tenants did give me some hope for tenants in VT. They are trying to set up a certification program that, if he got reported for any of this, would strip him of his right to manage his property. He would either have to hire a property manager or take his business elsewhere (which is my preference. He does not live in VT, incidentally.)
Good luck with your situation.
This is a little different
This is a little different from your situation. There are no issues with the condition of my apartment and the landlord is fine about doing repairs. The issue I’m dealing with is that this building is supposed to be smoke free and another tenant smokes incessantly on the downstairs porch (which, I understand is outside buy still part of the building)Her smoke comes into my apartment windows; I’m unable to use my own porch because there is so much second hand smoke and the only entrance to my apartment is on the porch which means that every time I leave and return I’m walking through a cloud of smoke.Often times I’m leaving to go to respiratory therapy for pulmonary problems which makes this infuriatingly ironic. My doctors have said the second hand smoke is detrimental to my medical problems but the landlord insists that because this tenant isn’t technically smoking ‘in the building’ there’s nothing he can do. There are other issues with this particular tenant; verbal abuse; constant profanities; parking in a way that no one else can park in front of the house. It’s created a hostile living situation for me and one that is affecting my health.There doesn’t seem to be a lot of help for housing issues that aren’t specifically landlord related.
I hope you find a solution.
I wouldn’t be able to live there because of the smoke, it’s an issue I’ve also had as a tenant that has made finding housing, especially in town, a major challenge. If you do find any resources that are able to help you, I would be interested in learning about them. I am interested in organizations that support tenants, and I believe everyone should be safe and comfortable in their homes.
“The only good cigarette smoker is a dead cigarette smoker”
Someone in NYC, embittered by the frequent exposure to cigarette smoke, once told me, “The only good cigarette smoker is a dead cigarette smoker.”
Strangely enough, I was not terribly put-off by hearing it…
Well, that seems the likely
Well, that seems the likely result for most smokers,anyway. I have no desire to die from the results of another person’s incessant smoking.
Smoke
? possible lead?
http://brattleboroareapreventioncoalition.org/
Thanks, Bob. I plan on
Thanks, Bob. I plan on getting in touch with them.
We Need Indoor Smoking Laws, Not Preventionist Prohibitionist
I’m in a similar situation where I live but I would not turn to a preventionist/prohibition group. I’m not anti-cigarettes. Tobacco is an adult consmmer and demand issue. The usual zero tolerance is useless.
But I’m 100% against them knowingly and intentionally polluting the breathing of others and reckless endangerment of all ages and situations.
This American is tired of people who have to run to a priest or prohibitionist when they can’t get along.
What we really need is a VT indoor smoking law that this legislature should have passed a long time ago. Legislatures enact laws against all kinds of personal behavior. They surely should have indoor smoking laws on the books now.
What does the state legislature need to make laws that protect the health and lives of kids and adults from the reckless and dangerous cigarette smoker?
Vidda, I agree. I don't care
Vidda,
I agree. I don’t care if someone smokes. I choose not to and I don’t want to be subjected to the negative impact of living in a situation where I come home from receiving chemotherapy and have to walk through a dense cloud of smoke to even get into my own apartment. I have respiratory therapy twice a week and leave and return from that appointment having to again walk through her cigarette smoke. It’s not right.This is supposed to be a ‘smoke free building’. So, since it doesn’t look like any laws will be passed anytime soon I am turning to any organization that can help me with this toxic and stressful situation.
Kris, help with Indoor Smoking Laws + ask VT Dept for help inste
I replied to you, but really singling you out as an individual is not the point, so much as it is the dearth of civic responsibility that should have been by law now.
A lease is not a law. Cigarette smokers do not fear leases, what with their legal drug and everything.
I think you can do more by asking the VT State Dept of Health for help and help each other to target the legislature to give us Indoor Smoking Laws similar to what NYC has.