Your bad housing situation is not a reflection on Ashland as a whole. I lived there for 4 years, renting the cheapest apartments I could find and I never had any of the issues you did. I also had lots of low-income friends who also rented the cheapest apartments and houses they could find, and none of them had any of those issues, either. I would suggest a couple of things to you. First, before you rent a house or apartment, check these things out. Ask questions. Ask about hot water and electricity. Ask why the last tenant left. Ask the landlord how accessible they are, how long to expect to wait for repairs if something breaks. If you have any concerns or questions, or if there is something that is important to you, ask about it. If the landlord doesn't want to answer question, or avoids giving you real answers, maybe you shouldn't rent from them. Next, Shop around. Don't rent a place without knowing what else is out there. And when you rent an old house or an old apartment because it is "so cute," be aware that often slanted floors and substandard plumbing or wiring will come along with this. Ask about it. Ask if plumbing or electrical has been updated. Ask when the building was constructed. If you don't want to deal with these things, then don't rent in an old building. If you want brand spanking new everything, I highly doubt you will find it in an historic building anywhere. So, all in all, it is your responsibility not to rent defunct apartments. And if you do, and you think it is not up to code, it is your responsibility to report the property and the landlord to the proper authorities. This is how it works everywhere in the United States. Deal with the situations you put yourself in, don't go around slandering an entire town because you made a bad choice in what to rent.
Matilda | Ashland, OR | Report Abuse