Renter Advice Blog

I am losing my job and found one out of state.  We were not going to be able to pay rent if I didn’t get a new job anyways.  We were made to sign a renewal to our lease in February, but it doesn’t actually go into effect until July 16th.  Is there any way I can get out of this?

I am leaving this comment as a beware to any future residents of the landings apartments in Gastonia, NC. On 11/15/2008 I took possession of a unit in this complex after performing a move in inspection that day I filled out a repair list and gave it to the property manager Pamela Ali, I waited until around January of 2009 and still no repairs, so I wrote a letter to the office and gave them a follow up call concerning the repairs and I was promised that the repairs would be done ASAP. well another 4 months went by and no repairs so I decided to call code enforcement concerning the issues with no overhead lighting fixtures in any of the bedrooms, missing stoppers on the sink in the bath and bedroom sinks, no screens in the 1st bedroom window and patio door, which was promised to be taken care of by the assistant in the office. But my biggest concern is the faulty water meter transmitter in my apartment which give intermittent reads, because of these reads I get estimated bills for 1 to 2 months in the amount of $19.00 then a so-called actual read with a bill of around $79 to $90 monthly these bills are ridiculous for a apartment not to mention my electric bills are less than the water bills. I have contacted the billing company and property management concerning this issue and still the transmitter has not been repaired. I have written the property manger and given follow up calls and again I was promised that the issue would be taken care but you guessed it nothing has been done. The good thing is after writing to the attorney General’s office and calling code enforcement maintenance came in and installed 1 window screen and some smoke detectors, and the maintenance man put some tape over the disconnected wire coming from the transmitter as if that will fix the problem. I am also concerned about my water bills because if I am getting estimated reads 1 to 2 months then on the 3rd month a so-called actual read why don’t any of my bills reflect a adjustment for the estimate bills that I have paid for the previous months? Also I have proof of every claim that I have made in this writing concerning my experience with the workers in the office as well as the billing company. If you plan to rent a apartment now or in the future steer clear of this place.

Hello.  My boyfriend and I just moved to a suburb of Milwaukee.  Since I have a large sum of student loan debt, and since my boyfriend’s credit is not so hot, we were asked to pay two and a half month’s rent plus a one hundred dollar security deposit for our cat at signing.  We were told what the amount would be (less the fifty dollar application fee that had already been paid) and came to our lease signing appointment with our money order/check prefilled with that amount.  We were originally going to move in to our apartment on the 30th of June, which we were told would be fine.  Later, after we had been given the amount that we were to pay, I called and asked if we would be able to move in on the 28th so that my parents would not have to take off of work to help us move.  We were told that this would not be a problem.

At the lease signing, we handed over our prewritten checks, and were then told that the balance did not add up; that we had to pay an extra $61 because we were moving in early.  We had not been told of this previously, and when we brought that to their attention, they shrugged their shoulders and said ’sorry.’  If they were not going to originally charge us for the 30th, then why are we having to pay for the 28th, 29th and 30th?? (It comes out to 20 dollars a day plus a dollar for the cat).  Is it fair for them to do this to us?  Do they have a legal obligation to give us that money back?  This was supposed to be an exciting next step for my boyfriend and I, but instead we are stuck with no money until our next payday.  The thing that bothers me most is had they just told us we would be prorated, I would have said nevermind, we’ll just move in on the 30th.  This feels like going through the checkouts and having the cashier automatically ring you up a candybar without telling you, and you don’t find out until you look at the receipt.

Hello, we come from a really small community. We rented a house and had no problems for 3 years. Our current property manager became seriously ill, and stepped down. When the new property manager came to meet us, it was horryfying, he was a man whom my husband had testified against in in a criminal case years before. There reason for the eviction was that they needed us out because the house needed to be remolded. I believe the eviction itself was done totally out of spitefulness, due to the fact that my husband testified against him. We had a meeting with the parties in this case outside the courtroom, and came to a personal aggreement: we no longer wanted to live there due to the fact that we didn’t feel safe with that property manager, and we would not contest the eviction at all, because we wanted to move out immediately. So, they decided they didnt want to continue jumpiong through all of these legal hoops, due to the fact that there were not any arrears in rent, and we would be moving out expeditiously. When we entered the coutroom. the lawyer stated that we had resolved this matter privately, and the eviction process was no longer needed.

I became appalled today, when trying to rent a property, I was told that there was an eviction on my record. It shouldnt be there because they dropped the eviction. Even on my credit report the judgement, and monetary judgement areas are blank. If there was a completed eviction it would have the results of that in those boxes. I am not wanting to challenge that at this point because the date of the filed eviction is7/02, and I am hoping that it will drop of July 1, because it will be seven years old at that point.

What happens if it isnt removed? What actions can I take? Are evictions supossed to be dropped after seven years? 

 Thak You,

Barber

I signed a lease at an apt complex in May since then i have had issues with my job and have looked at having to move out of state.  I called the apt complex a week before I was to pick up the keys and told them what had happened and explained I was not sure if I could afford to move in but I could let them know by the end of the month.  I was told this was fine and if I could not move in that I would loose my security deposit.  I then asked if I should collect my keys.  They said no do not do this then I would be in possion of the property.  I got a call that following weekend asking if I was going to get the keys I told them no and told them I talk to some one in the office.  They said fine.  So then on the 22 of June a week after I was supposed to move in I get a call.  They said when are you going to move in.  I told her that I spoke to someone in the office 2 weeks earlier and explain the situation.  She said well that is not true and no one her would tell you such a thing.  Then they told me if I wanted to break the lease i would have to pay a early term. fee and pay until someone moved in.  I did not want that so I said ok I will move in then.  I was not able to get to the office to get the keys and they kept calling me to see when I was going to get the keys.  I thought this was really strange.  I get the feeling now that if I get the keys I am in possesion of the apt and they can screw me and they know it.  So at this point I told them I do now want the apt.  Now they are telling me they will charge me rent until someone moves in.  How do I know when someone moves in.  They could say it took 5 month for all I know.  What are my rights.  I dont want to be screwed any more then I already have.  Help someone.

Hello! My roommate and I had to quickly find a new house because I had a new job in Michigan (we were in Ohio) and our lease was up. We found a small 2 bedroom house and moved.The landlords seemed really down to earth and friendly. The rent was a bit excessive but we hadn’t found anything else we liked.We noticed a few things were wrong with the house (no storm door on back door, screen missing from front storm door), but we were assured it would be promptly fixed. After moving in, we started noticing other issues.One of the window panes in the downstairs bedroom was broken out,no screen on the kitchen window,unstable front steps, a huge pile of wood in our driveway (was supposed to be removed before we moved in),some of the previous tenants’ stuff still in the shed, etc. We also moved in under the premise that we had a working stove and refrigerator. The fridge door wouldn’t shut completely so our food was spoiling and the oven didn’t work. The landlords didn’t offer to fix or repair so we had to replace at our own cost. We also had an infestation of moths and slugs in the house which they took no responsibility for and we had to bug bomb it. Now the bugs are back. We were also left a window a/c unit to use in the upstairs bedroom. The first night we used it, the plug caught on fire in the outlet and caused my roommate to have carbon monoxide poisoning. Again, the landlord accepted no responsibility for what happened. To top it off, we have never received a copy of the lease and we never signed any type of waiver for the lead paint disclosure nor did we ever receive a lead paint pamphlet. We have asked to be let out of the lease and have our deposit returned but they are not really wanting to let us out. I really just want to get an "outside" opinion from others. I know that I could really do some damage to them because not providing us the lead paint disclosure and pamphlet is a $10,000 fine but I’d rather try to find a different route. Thank you for reading!

my boyfriend and i are currently in the process of breaking our lease because the landlord has not enforced part of the lease agreement. the problem for months has been that the tenants above us smoke in their apartment or in the hallway in front of our door, and then our apartment reeks of smoke. the landlord added a no smoking on premises rule to the lease but whenever we complain to him that they continue to do it, he does nothing. he has told us that he has to witness it in person. just last week i had a problem with them smoking and he told me he was out of town and to get a neighbor as witness. since then he has still done nothing about it. i don’t even think we should pay him rent until we move out (we have gotten a new apartment but can’t move in until september). since this is a lease violation is there anything i can do like withhold rent, not pay or even take him to court about this? any help i appreciate it!!!

 My son and his wife moved in a 2 bedroom moble home with my wife and I.  We own the home but rent the lot.  We have lived here 6 mts before my son moved in. The land lord wants to charge us dubble rent for the lot becouse he says their is 2 familys living here.  We signed a lease saying that any lessee would be charged 100.00 per party per month. .. are my son and his wife concidered as lessees? and are they considered as a party together or are they a party each? 

Hi All:

I subleased a room in my home but no lease was signed.  The renter gave me a check, but changed their mind and left me the keys and put a stop on the check.  The renter stayed only two days.

Do I have any recourse?? 

WE LOST OUR JOBS AND OUR HOME WE CAME UP WITH 4,200 DOWN PAYMENT TO MOVE INTO THIS HOME IN A RENT TO OWN CONTRACT.  WE LIVED THERE ONLY ONE DAY AND FOUND OUT THAT THE FOUNDATION HAS HOLES IN IT THAT FLOOD THE BASEMENT AND THE PLUMBING IN THE MASTER BATH LEAKS THREW THE FLOOR INTO THE BASEMENT.  WE IMMEDIATLY NOTIFIED THE RENTAL AGENCY AS THEY GAVE US ONE WEEK TO FIND ANY PROBLEMS THAT WAS SEVEN MONTHS AGO WE STILL HAVENT HAD THE PROBLEM FIXED MY CHILDREN HAVE BEEN AT THE DR 22 TIMES IN THAT TIME WE HAD A MOLD AGENCY COME INSPECT THEY THINK THATS WHAT CAUSING MY CHILDREN TO BE SICK.  WHAT DO I DO THEY WONT LET ME MOVE OR GIVE BACK ANY OF MY MONEY