Bismarck Native Working To Help North Dakota Renters With The Help Of a Legislator

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — More than a month after moving out of her Bismarck apartment, Liza Andrew received an email that claimed she owed $5,000 in damages.

“From the pictures I took and even from the pictures they took, where the edges of the carpet were torn up because I had two cats. So, I believe at that point a carpet replacement was reasonable. But from the receipts they sent me that was less than a thousand of the charges,” said Liza Andrew, a Bismarck native.

In North Dakota, landlords can charge a fee after a tenant moves out. The money must be deducted from the security deposit and an itemized statement must be sent within 30 days. But she only received the list on September 14th.

“I can’t afford to sue. It would cost more to sue than it would to pay the charges. So, it ended up being sent to collections because I couldn’t pay that. I couldn’t even pay the monthly amount they wanted, which was two hundred and something dollars,” said Andrew.

The charges included carpet replacement, vinyl, and underflooring for $4,200, replacement of keys and locks for $350 and $50 for painting. While she has still yet to pay back the amount, Andrew is working with Representative Jared Hendrix of West Fargo to protect future renters.

“I feel like renters in North Dakota in the past years haven’t had a lot of protection. A lot of us get taken advantage of by huge rental companies that come in and buy up properties,” said Andrew.

Andrew created the Facebook group, “Legislative Action for Renters North Dakota,” to find people in similar situations. The group has over six hundred members.

“My hope is that they’ll remember that they also represent the 37 percent of us that rent in North Dakota. And to hopefully get some laws passed that will protect us,” said Andrew.

She hopes to finalize the details with Rep. Hendrix in the coming weeks.