There was already a housing crisis in western North Carolina. After Tropical Storm Helene, it’s likely that huge numbers of tenants will experience difficulty paying their rent and fixing their homes.
David Bartholomew, an attorney with Pisgah Legal Services, says special rules apply right after a storm like this, particularly as lack of electricity has interrupted residents’ access to their bank accounts.
“Tenants are going to have the option of canceling their lease if they need to, but they also have a right to stay there in the property and require the landlord to fix it,” Bartholomew said.
In North Carolina, evictions can only happen through the court system. And if your county court is closed, you can’t get evicted.
Until Oct. 14, Bartholomew said, “Legally, you can’t be kicked out. You can’t be locked out. And if landlords are trying to tell tenants that they have to leave, tenants should respond that they have to go through the court system.”
The best thing to do is get requests for repairs in writing, whether via text, email or letter. From that point, it becomes the landlord’s responsibility to take care of the issue, even if current circumstances may make the process longer.
FEMA also helps tenants, not just homeowners. Tenants can apply for individual assistance on disasterassistance.gov. Individual assistance doesn’t just cover housing repairs, but also gas, food, utility bills, hotel stays and other disaster-associated costs.
If tenants are confused about their rights or suspect that a landlord may be taking illegal actions against them, Pisgah Legal Services can be contacted online@pisgahlegal.org or 828-253-0406.