Miami, FL asked in Education Law and Personal Injury for Florida

Q: Can I sue a college for not keeping up with residential maintenance.

I live on campus and I’ve had to move dorms 1ce so far thinking about doing it again. The first dorm I was in I had ac blasting in my face at night around 60° and heat during the day which would go up to 75° that I could not control. It would disrupt my sleep schedule and led me to get sick. They finally gave in and switched dorms since the AC unit wasn’t up to date. Now I’m in a new dorm and I’ve complained about the ac multiple times not working and my room is around 80° at night and 85-90° in the daytime. The school is in Florida which can get hot and causes me to be fatigued. Every time I complain they will reply back wasting maintenance will check it out but I will be neglected until weeks later when I have complained multiple times in person to them that it affects my schoolwork when I have inadequate sleep. (This school has a bad reputation with bad grades so it matters.) They have way more going on like mold infestation throughout showers and ants/cockroaches in dorms

2 Lawyer Answers
Charles M.  Baron
Charles M. Baron
Answered
  • Hollywood, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: To determine your rights and remedies, your contract/lease with the college must be reviewed. Start by reviewing it yourself and see if there is any verbiage regarding maintenance/repair issues, as well as any verbiage on any steps you must take in the event of any dispute or complaint. Then consult an attorney if your issue is not promptly resolved. Also, you may want to complain to the administrator in charge of housing or to the college president's office.

Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
Answered
  • Little Neck, NY

A: One could sue for virtually any type of harm, technically. But from a practical standpoint, a primary issue that any law firm would ask a prospective client about is the extent of damages/injury they suffered. You could reach out to attorneys to discuss - that would be the definitive way to answer your question. Good luck

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