CITY AND AREA
University Daily Kansan, August 22, 1984
Page 9
Landlords not obligated to ensure security of apartments
Tenants locked into maintaining safety in their dwellings
By HOLLIE MARKLAND Staff Reporter
Landlords are legally responsible for repairing toilets that won't flush, smoke alarms that won't buzz and radiators that won't beat.
But only tenants can make sure that their apartments are secure...
Raymond Brecheisen/KANSAN
Kempin said that students should think about security before signing a lease.
"There is no law as to the degree a landlord has to make an apartment secure," said Sarah Kempin, intern at KU Legal Services for Students.
"BEFORE MOVING IN, get the landlord to add a clause to the lease saying he will install a dead bolt lock if there isn't one in the apartment." she said.
"If you're already living there." Kempin said, "talk to your landlord about installing a lock so no damages will be charged to you."
ANDY GALYARDT, owner of Kaw Valley Management, Inc., 901 Kentucky St., said that tenants were responsible for maintaining apartment security.
He said that he allowed his tenants to install auxiliary dead bolt locks as long as his rental agency had a key to the lock in case of emergency.
Galyardt, who has rented property in Lawrence for 20 years, explained that security was a matter of judgment.
"You might have some people who think one light is sufficient," he said, "and you might have some who want the place illuminated like Royals Stadium."
BOB AVERY, A CRIME prevention officer for the Lawrence Police Department, said that crime areas in Lawrence were mobile.
type of building structure that is more susceptible to crime than others."
"There are no real bad places to live in Lawrence," he said. "Crimes occur in older apartments and in newer ones. There is no
Avery said that apartments on upper levels were no safer than ground floor apartments according to statistics.
Students are more susceptible than other groups to crime because they often leave town during University breaks. "Students run off and leave stereos and televisions," he said. "All burglaries know the school schedule. They just watch place for a few nights."
Tenants can keep their apartments more secure by following some suggestions from
the police department, Avery said
- Keep doors and windows locked. Avery said that many times doors were found with no sign of forced entry, but had been left unlocked. He warned against leaving windows open at night, even during summer months.
- Get valuable items out of sight during periods of absence. Avery suggested putting valuables in a closet or renting a storage locker.
*Use electric timers set to correspond
with normal daily activities while on vacation.
Avery said that students should make it difficult for someone to break into their apartment.
"Make places secure so a burglar will have to make nose to get in." he said, "and so there seems to be people around, and the place is well-lit."
Tenants who want to install an additional dead bolt lock should avoid the most expensive locks and buy one in the $20 to $30 price range, said Dave Ruezschloh, owner of
Rueschhoff Security Service Inc., 2441 W. Sixth St.
Rueschoff said that a dead bolt lock was not enough to make an apartment secure. Often the door and doorjamb are weak and
"
Before moving in, get the landlord to add a clause to the lease saying he will install a deadbolt lock if there isn't one in the apartment.
Sarah Kempin, KU Legal Services
》
can split when the lock is used
rutting brass trim over the lock on the edge of the door and replacing the lock plate on the door frame with a heavy-duty plate will prevent doors from spilling, he said.
"The majority of apartments and houses in Lawrence have door knob locks," Rueschhoff said. "In today's world, these are inadequate. By installing a dead bolt, you raise yourself from the easiest to the not-so-easiest target on the block."
UNDER THE KANSAS Residential Landlord and Tenant Act of 1975, landlords must comply with building and housing codes that materially affect health and safety.
"The law does not mention security per se," said Clyde Chapman, director of the Lawrence Consumer Affairs Association.
"The minimum structures code deals with plumbing, electrical systems, standardness of walls, trash removal, and so on," he said. "No place in the law does it even mention the word 'lock.'"
Chapman said that most landlords understood that apartments were supposed to be secure, but details such as the type and number of locks and the degree of lighting necessary were left up to the arrangement between the landlord and the tenant.
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