This week, seven Northeastern students were displaced after lint buildup in a dryer vent on Calumet Street caused a fire that devastated three buildings. In September, another twelve were displaced after a fire began in the basement of 90 Westland Ave. The university has done a stunning job in accommodating these students, providing them with housing and dining plans almost immediately while working to find them permanent residences either on- or off-campus. Housing and Residential Life staff deserves tremendous credit for finding space for so many students on such little notice.

These fires, however, should have never happened in the first place. Both were sparked by preventable causes. As we get into the winter season, old buildings and heating systems will again be put to the test. It is regrettably likely that we may see another fire akin to these before the winter is through.

Northeastern’s location amid a glut of other urban colleges means that most off-campus housing will be directly intended for students. As residents with short-term leases – often for a year or less – students are sometimes more willing to put up with health and safety violations than other demographics. In off-campus apartments, I’ve seen students put up with holes in floors and walls, broken or missing smoke detectors, infestations and broken doors. There’s no need for this.

Every resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is entitled to a safe, healthy residence. The State Sanitary Code is available at bit.ly/syYVvx. All residences in the Commonwealth must abide by this code. Its provisions cover everything from screens in windows to water in pipes; heating systems to smoke detectors; floors, doors, walls and halls. It covers everything including the kitchen sink (105 CMR 410.100(A)(1), the section on “Kitchen Facilities” to be precise).

If you find that your apartment is not up to this code, you could be jeopardizing your health and safety. Talk to your landlord and ask them to make the required repairs. If they refuse, call the City of Boston’s Housing Inspection Division, or the Inspectional Services Department (ISD). ISD was established to ensure that Boston apartments are kept in proper order. They will send a housing inspector out to your apartment, determine if the landlord is responsible for any code violations, and order the landlord to make the necessary repairs or face fines and penalties.

You can get in touch with ISD by calling them at (617) 635-5322 or visiting their website at cityofboston.gov/isd/housing/.

You have a right to a safe apartment. Don’t duct tape over it.

– Michael Denham can be reached at [email protected].