Aimed at disenfranchised tenants in search of recourse, the Associated Students of Madison Tenant's Rights Campaign is launching the third annual Worst House in Madison Contest.
Organizers said the contest was created to bring attention to landlord transgressions and inform students, most of whom are first-time renters, of their rights and resources throughout the renting process.
\It's so, so important for student tenants to know their rights,"" Tanya Stanfield, campus coordinator for the Tenant's Resource Center, said. ""I've heard stories of landlords just walking in [to tenants'] apartments in direct violation with the 24-hour advance notice policy. Another house had a problem with pests ... there was a raccoon running around in the house.""
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said Madison's campus vicinity has long had problems with housing code violations and landlord issues.
""My district has the dubious distinction of housing each of the winners over the years,"" Verveer said. ""I know by memory each of the houses and each of the landlords that have won this contest. These are real health and safety code violations. It's just disgusting to see the squalor some students put up with.""
However, last year the contest was challenged by a dispute when the winners decided to decline the award after their landlord threatened them with a lawsuit.
""Retaliation is totally against the law,"" Verveer said.
In spite of this, the contest has made a difference. Verveer said it is the policy of the city to examine the residences of all the contest participants for building code violations.
""We want to get to a point where we don't have to run this context each year,"" Phil Ejercito, co-coordinator of the ASM Tenant's Rights Campaign.
Students who want to enter the contest should send an e-mail with their name, address, the name of their landlord and their story to worsthouse@yahoo.com.
The winner of the contest will be announced on April 23.
