INTRO
Hi. My name it Kat Jost. I founded this organization as an effort to help all of those who have been victimized by slumlords, negligent landlords and/or property management companies in Philadelphia.
WHAT'S A SLUMLORD?
A slumlord (or slum landlord) is a derogatory term for a landlord, generally an absentee landlord with more than one property, who attempts to maximize profit by minimizing spending on property maintenance, often in deteriorating neighborhoods, and to tenants that they can intimidate. [source: Wikipedia]
PHILLY'S BROKEN SYSTEMS
In Philadelphia, unlike most cities, landlord-tenant law is treated as contract law, which means the landlord can easily and lawfully escape the responsibilities of anything that is not explicitly stated in the lease agreement. This applies regardless of how heinous the situation is, such as water damage in a ceiling or lack of heat. there are two government departments - licensing & inspection (L&I) and fair housing commission - which are supposed to help protect the tenant in cases like these.
WARNING
Fair Housing and L&I took months to get back to me, and by that time it was too late: my landlord had filed an eviction case against me. I fought them tooth and nail. (Ready the rest of my story here.) Four harrowing months later, after long ago giving up on Fair Housing and L&I, my lawyer and I reached our goal of breaking the lease. We won in the end, but the process was terrifying and tumultuous and exhausting. I don't wish that experience on anyone; it was brutal. My mental health suffered greatly, and so did my free time to do anything enjoyable. My mission with Landlord Not Lord is to make sure this never happens to unsuspecting tenants ever again. Please consider sharing your story so we can all raise awareness of this issue or landlord injustice. If you need help with your case, just ask.
