What to do if you rent a house with dangerous living conditions

City Inspector David Nelson said he is working to strengthen protections for renters in Magnolia after issuing a reminder to local residents about how to report potentially dangerous properties to city authorities in April..

Nelson spoke at the April city council meeting about contacting him to let the city know when you find abandoned or dilapidated properties

According to Nelson, the city will not remove people from dilapidated structures.

The Banner-News asked Nelson what citizens should do if they are living in a damaged or dilapidated structure and need to improve their living situation.

According to Nelson, in Arkansas properties are able to be rented out "as-is." Due to this landlords are not required to fix known issues when a renter moves in.

"If a hole develops in a floor or wall, a major mold problem develops, the floor starts falling out or any other situation develops over time after you moved in, you can withhold rent until it is fixed. That is one of the few things you can do," said Nelson.

If a tenant does this the landlord has the right to evict the tenant due to not paying if they do that though Nelson said.

According to the Arkansas Attorney General's website, renters' rights in Arkansas are limited to the right to non-discrimination and the right to report dangerous conditions to authorities.

During a recent visit to Magnolia, gubernatorial candidate Chris Jones said Arkansas is the only state that currently does not have a minimum standard for properties to be allowed to be rented out.

Nelson said he wants to change some of this for Magnolia.

Nelson said we are currently working on a property maintenance ordinance that would require properties to stay in a liveable condition. This would then allow me to come and assess the property's condition and force the owner to repair the damage."

Currently, there is no information on what all the ordinance will contain and whether or not it would protect tenants that report issues from retaliation by landlords.

Nelson recommended that anyone living in dangerous conditions contact the city inspector's office.

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