In August 2021, Thea Karin Fladby (23) and three friends moved into a collective at Møllenberg in Trondheim. – I am very happy that I am out of it, says Fladby to news today. Fladby and her friends claim that the rental company Brevik utleie did not fix several errors and deficiencies during the rental period. Mould, water and tar When autumn came it started to rain. The girls discovered mold in the shower and on the walls. – We were told to ventilate well because mold could occur, but it was very clear that it was already there, says Fladby. She tells about broken moldings and window frames, holes in the ceiling and peeling wallpaper. The broken window frames led to leaks in the kitchen and bathroom. – It leaked onto us when we sat on the toilet, and we had to have buckets around the whole apartment. When the girls reported this, they were told by the landlord to come and look at it. According to Fladby, it was never done. – The last straw was when tar ran down from a hole in the roof. The girls themselves took the pictures of the injuries in the collective at Møllenberg. Photo: Thea Karin Fladby. The girls themselves took the pictures of the injuries in the collective at Møllenberg. Photo: Thea Karin Fladby The girls themselves took the pictures of the injuries in the collective at Møllenberg. Photo: Privat Several of the girls’ personal belongings were destroyed according to Fladby. The reason is said to have been an old pipe that had burst. This was never sorted out either, she says. Don’t recognize themselves When the girls sent a combined list of the problems in the apartment, they were told that the points were not missing according to the contract. – According to the contract, you have two weeks to report anything that is wrong and after that it is too late. But we hadn’t discovered it yet, says Fladby. The contract states that a list of defects must be submitted in writing within 14 days of moving in. If not, the relationship is considered approved. Photo: Screenshot. The girls rented here until June 2022. Then they canceled the contract after the landlord had held a viewing despite the fact that several of the girls had corona. Leader of Brevik boligutleie, Ragnar Brevik, does not recognize the criticism. – This was rectified while the girls lived there. It was arranged with new external fittings in addition to two small windows being replaced before Easter 2022. We followed up, so I don’t understand where this is coming from. He admits that the improvement took time, but that the girls received compensation for this. news has also spoken to other tenants at Brevik rental. Several have mentioned situations where they claim the landlord has acted unprofessionally. In violation of the Rent Act Senior legal adviser at the Consumer Council, Thomas Iversen, has looked at the lease in its entirety. He says that there are several points that are not in line with the law. – It is against the Tenancy Act to require the tenant to make a complaint within the first 14 days after moving in. The tenant must complain to the landlord within a reasonable time after she should have discovered the errors, says Iversen. Senior legal advisor Thomas Iversen says the tenants in this case have the right to have the errors fixed. Photo: Halvor Pritzlaff Njerve / Forbru / Halvor Pritzlaff Njerve / Consumer Council He believes that there are a number of bad contracts in circulation. – A rental company should know better and follow the law. Wanted to spread attention In February, banners with statements such as “I am owned by a housing shark” appeared on several of the house walls in Møllenberg in Trondheim. Behind the action was the board of the Studentersamfundet. – It is overwhelming how many people have experiences with landlords who do not follow up, says chairwoman Una Onsrud. She says that the action was an attempt to spread attention to students who have had bad experiences with private landlords in Trondheim. Photo: Karoline Opsal – We recognize well what the students from Trondheim are talking about, as this is a problem throughout the country. Today, there is a skewed balance of power between tenant and landlord, and I understand that students resort to alternative methods to be heard when they do not feel that their warnings about objectionable conditions are rectified. This is what Maika Godal Dam, leader of the Norwegian Student Organization (NSO), tells news. In their rental market survey, one in five students says that they have lived with damp, rot, pests or other conditions that can be directly harmful to health. It also emerges from NSO’s survey that 22 per cent have experienced reporting objectionable conditions without the landlord having rectified the conditions. Maika Godal Dam, leader of the Norwegian Student Organization (NSO). Photo: Skjalg Bøhmer Vold – The Norwegian student organization believes it is high time to clean up the private rental market. Now that the Tenancy Act is to be reviewed, we believe that tenants’ rights must be strengthened, says Dam. NSO’s demand is that control mechanisms are put in place to ensure that dangerous apartments are removed from the market, and that unscrupulous landlords are not allowed to rent out. Have no problems renting out Brevik rental has 132 rental apartments that house between 400-500 people. The general manager says that they get good feedback, and that they have no problems renting out the apartments. news has been sent documentation that supports Brevik’s claim of several good feedbacks. He says that the deadline of 14 days is to ensure that the damage has not been caused by the tenant. Nevertheless, he points out that defects can arise during the tenancy, and that they fix this. – Now it is also the case that we provide a service far beyond what the Rent Act requires. According to the Tenancy Act, there are many obligations imposed on the tenant. We often ignore this and provide an additional service. There is a reason why we have satisfied tenants. Think it could have been resolved differently – What do you think of the Student Association’s action at Møllenberg in February? – I think it is a bad form of action. It doesn’t belong anywhere, says Brevik. He thinks it is wrong to be called a “housing shark” because he works in the rental industry. He believes the Society should rather contact the big landlords for a conversation where they could talk together. – It does not invite good cooperation when you are attacked in that way, says Brevik.
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Students in Trondheim with action against so-called “housing sharks” – news Trøndelag
