There are many people in Colorado who have been waiting decades for basic tenant rights. Now finally, with a double Democratic majority and a Democratic Governor, one of the most backwards legal quandries in our state can be remedied. Colorado, it seems, is the only state in the Union besides Arkansas, that has no legal protection on the books that guarantees that if you are a rentor of a property, you are entitled to have a living space that is, in fact, livable.
Believe it or not, Colorado has no Warranty of Habitability - or guarantee of basic living conditions for a rentor of an apartment or other housing.
That means if your landlord decides to cut off the heat in your building in March and refuse to turn it back on - even during the Blizzard of 2003 (yes it happened), you have no legal recourse to break your lease without being liable for the remainder of the rent. Or if you discover that your plumbing doesn't work, or your roof is caving in, you are also in a position of no legal recourse.
Shocked? Read on...
to recourse - the elderly, disabled, impoverished rentors, and nowadays, those who have already been victims of the mortgage crisis and have lost their homes.
If you think this is an unnaceptable circumstance, I wish you would show up at the capitol at the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee this Monday at 1:30pm and support those testifying before that committee - which is made up of Senators Romer, Windels, Tapia, Schultheis, and Cadman.
For more on this subject, here are the folks who have been in the trenches working on this subject, Laurie Jaeckel and Paul Tygan of the D.U law school program, and Randall Loeb who has been the attorney donating his time and expertise for literally years on this subject.
Finally, our friends at New Era Colorado have put together this signature form to send to your State Senator in approving this legislation:
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/...
And you can also call 303 866 2316 in Denver or 1 888 473 8136 outside of the Denver area to reach the State Senate and ask for your Senator's extension and tell them you want them to support House bill 1356, especially Senators Romer, Tapia, and Windels, who sit on the committee hearing the bill.
If you want to come to the capitol on Monday and want info, email
Laurie Jaeckel at ljaeckel@fulbrightweb.org