Students might have less hassle to deal with concerning tenant-landlord disputes if a union is created.

A tenant union would act as a liaison between landlords and students, said 6th Ward Ald. Jamie Pennington.

Pennington said the union would provide lease information, hold seminars and advise people in general, among other things.

A fee for student legal assistance and the tenant union combined would be around $4, he said. The fee would be refundable.

“In response to complaints, there is more that can be done,” Pennington said.

By informing both landlords and residents about what they can and can’t do, a case can be handled even before it reaches a courtroom, he said.

Pennington said the idea for a tenant union belongs to himself and Tim Bagby, DeKalb County Board member. The idea arose more than a year ago, he said.

In January of last year, a tenant union steering committee was formed. Pennington said they have filed as a not-for-profit organization with the state of Illinois.

The first major obstacle to overcome would be to find funding. Pennington said a full-time staff person is needed to handle funding.

Senate approval on a referendum is needed to get the group recognized on campus, he said.

Pennington said there is a need for a tenant union on NIU’s campus.

“In order to effectively deal with the problems we need someone who is there full-time,” Pennington said.

Right now, Pennington said they are putting together a tenant handbook. They would like to have the handbooks out in a week or two for the organizations that need them most, he said.

“Ideally we would like to get them mass-published,” Pennington said.

Pennington said they also plan to have the tenant evaluation form reduced by February.

Hosting a housing bazaar is another project the committee is planning. Pennington said they would like to improve on the bazaar.

“I think it could be more informal and more publicized,” Pennington said.