HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-22-25 Public Comment - D. Collins - Commissioners, BTU Leaders & City Manager Winn Ms. Dulaney N. Collins
P.O. Box 6344 * Bozeman, MT 59771
dncollins09(�c�gmail.com " (406) 624-7709
Hello Commissioners, BTU Leaders&, City Manager Winn,
There are indeed some great landlords, property managers and tenants in the area. There are a number who
aren't so great and have a long history of poor Tenant relations. Rather than just throw money at the problem for
attorneys to fix. How about we come up with some effective and feasible ways to address and grasp an
understanding of all the underlying issues.
Let's first acknowledge the power imbalance of Landlord vs. 'Tenant here. We also know that the Montana
Landlord Association carries weight in the Legislature since many of the Legislators are themselves Landlords.
In Bozeman& the Gallatin Valley, Tenants just can't up and move, because their living situation is unsafe or
unfair. Nor should they have to because their landlord is also unlicensed and unreasonable.
As a former member of Bozeman City Commission's CAHAB (Community Affordable Housing Advisory
Board). I just want to share what I know and recall from back in 2018 and 2019. There was some discussion
amongst attorneys, non-profit representatives, including the Executive Director of the Gallatin Valley Mediation
Association, MSLI students and myself. We realized that there was indeed a serious and very unfair situation in
Bozeman and the surrounding Gallatin Valley towards Tenants/Renters. Then came the pandemic and nothing
further happened. l thought it was important for you all to have some insight about what we discussed as
outlined below:
L 90%of the Mediation cases in Gallatin County are Landlord/Tenant related. These cases aren't just
about Eviction, but issues that could lead to an Eviction.
2. Similar to a Yelp Review, what if we began to maintain an annual list of Landlords, Property
Management companies and Owners who've proven to be unreasonable and Unfair to Tenants. Including
the reasons ``why", they're on the list, such as:
® Deposit Refund denials
® Code Compliance/Safety issues
• Retaliation
• Other
Note: in most Mediation cases it's required that both parties not disclose details of the case outcome.
3. Offering a Tenant Certification program for all Renters in the Gallatin Valley, similar to the program at
MSU. Including helping Tenants understand their lease and how to advocate for themselves.
4. Ask Property Management companies & Property Owners with 10 or more units to develop their own
certification program. Certainly, they should want to see their businesses and their competitors' business
succeed while attracting good Tenants.
5. We learned that there were many issues Renters/Tenants face, not just eviction.
6. Non-payment of rent is the least of some o1'the Landlord/Tenant issues.
For example:
® An unlicensed property manager acting for an out of state owner retaliated against a Tenant that simply
asked for follow up on agreed upon maintenance work (replacing a window) as reflected in the lease.
® Property Manager refusing to return a deposit, though there was no COP. (Condition of Property)to
prove any darnages or uncleanliness.
r
• Property Manager billed Property Owner for 14 hours of Cleaning on a 600 square foot studio.
• Local Property Management Company denied there was mold in the apt.,yet paid for the Tenant to stay
in a hotel for(3) nights.
• A group of renters were afraid to, and didn't utilize their toilet because it was clogged for three days.
Landlord did not return their calls until the fourth day and then he fixed it.
• Local Property Manager working for an out of state Corporation stole application fees from tenants.
As I've mentioned over the years to numerous Tenants including BTU folks, I believe that Montana Legal
Services Association in Missoula is a great resource. Ed Higgins, Senior Attorney there is quite knowledgeable
while explaining legal issues in layman's terms.
Please feel free to reach out with any concerns or questions.
Kind regards, -
I
Dulaney Co�ins
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