I am addressing the article about a tenant’s union in Lewiston (July 9). I have no objections to a union, but what I do object to is the comments that suggest landlords have all the power.

I’ve been a landlord for seven years, and what I’ve discovered is that landlords have no such power. The court system protects the tenants. A tenant can go for months without paying rent and trashing the apartment at the same time while the landlord has to pay lawyers, court, servers and paperwork fees to try and get the tenants out. Landlords are not allowed to shut off the heat because it’s against the law, and yet the tenant can go for months without paying rent.

There are good and bad tenants just as there are good and bad landlords.

As for raising the rent, the landlord has to keep up with increasing costs. Landlords don’t just sit back, collect the money and live the good life.

Dot Treadwell said tenants have little or no recourse if a landlords asks them to leave or raise the rent. It’s the landlord that has little recourse if a tenant refuses to leave or pay rent. I was disgusted to see how the court system protects the tenants and dismisses the landlords rights.

There are two sides to every story. It’s to the point that landlords have to do a criminal and credit check on potential tenants.

Lisa Chouinard, Lewiston

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