| Date: Sunday, February 28th, 2010 8:52 pm | Category: Frustrated Renter, Landlord Problems | ||
| Landlord refuses to give back entire deposit | Melissa | IA | Former Renter |
|
My husband an I recently moved out of our apartment into a house that we just purchased. We never had a lease at the apartment, though the landlord often said he would have us sign one, he never did. When we first moved into the apartment, we found out that the landlord had JUST purchased it (maybe a week prior to us moving in) and he hadn’t even bothered cleaning or making any repairs to the apartment. It hadn’t been lived in for quite some time so it was very dirty and full of bugs and spiders. The faucet in the kitchen didn’t work – there was no hot water and it squirted everywhere. It took him a month to have it repaired. The ceiling in the upstairs 1/2 bath was caving in and it took him a month to have that repaired. The walls were damaged and dinged. The carpets were filthy. The ceiling panels in the bathroom aren’t in the best shape. Also, we never received keys to the apartment. We received one key to the main stairwell, but since the landlord sometimes uses the stairwell (he lives in the apartment below ours) he asked us to keep it unlocked. The landlord also made a harrassing entry into our apartment on the very first evening we lived there. I was showering, husband was out, and daughter was sleeping. All of a sudden, there was a loud banging at the door and he rushed into our apartment while I was in the bathroom, naked without any access to clothes, ranting about some minor leak downstairs. Granted, a leak can be an emergency – but it’s not good to go running into someone’s living space when they are naked and taking a shower! The landlord is never home either – he is a over the road trucker so he is rarely around. This winter, the property was not adequately maintained. The sidewalks were dangerously icy and snow covered. Never once were we told that we needed to take care of any of the snow shoveling. It was so icy, that I didn’t want to leave the house for fear that I’d fall. I ended up having to buy special traction covers for my shoes. Needless to say, our landlord has not been the best. Now, he has been telling our friend and neighbor that he’s going to withhold some or all of our deposit because the carpets need steam cleaned and because it’s “disgusting” up there. I have no idea what it’s talking about – it was dirtier when we moved in! And we are planning on using our own caroet cleaner to clean the carpets before we leave. I did take before and after photos to prove that it was a mess. What else can I do? Our friend and neighbor said that our landlord told him that he (the landlord) is just irritated because now he’ll have to pay the full mortgage payment on the place and he doesn’t have any potential renters. So I’m sure he’s just doing this out of spite. I just couldn’t stand living there any more – it was unsafe for my daughter and when the landlord was home, he threw loud parties and there were people banging on our door (thinking it was the door to the landlord’s house) at 3 am! I just want my deposit back – I think we deserve it. Please help! |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
Archive for February, 2010
Processing your request, Please wait....
| Date: Friday, February 26th, 2010 2:44 am | Category: General Topics | ||
| Who is at fault?? | Patel | NJ | Land Lord |
|
Today I received an email from my tenant that the water in toilet was not stopping and then suddenly water in toilet tank stopped coming from the source itself. Now I am currently not in country so I called my friend and asked him to visit the place to check the situation however meanwhile I was checking the rental agreement I have scanned on my computer and based on this rental agreement this is what is written in agreement as given below. ==================================================================== 15. Tenant’s Repair and Maintenance: The Tenant Shall
a) Pay for all repairs, replacements and damages caused by the act or neglect of the tenant, the tenant’s family, domestic employees, guests or visitors, which includes but not limited to sewer and plumbing drainage problems caused by the Tenant.
16. Landlord’s Repair and Maintenance : The Landlord shall make any necessary repairs and replacements to the vital facility serving the property, such as heating, plumbing and electrical system, within a reasonable time after notice by tenant. The tenant may be liable for cost of such repairs and replacement pursuant to Section 15. The landlord shall not be liable for interruption of services or inconvenience resulting from delays in making repairs or replacements if due to circumstances beyond Landlord’s reasonable control.
======================================================================================== So it says that tenant shall pay for the repair, damages or replacement caused by tenant’s act or neglact. So how can we say whose fault is this? Since I am landlord but do not live in that home and when I gave this place it was completely in working condition until yesterday Please advise, Patel |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Friday, February 26th, 2010 2:37 am | Category: Frustrated Renter, Landlord Problems | ||
| Filing Complaint Against Landlord | Kirstin | CO | Got Landlord Complaint! |
|
My landlord isn’t being very ethical, so I think its time to file a complaint against my landlord. I called my several local government offices in Aurora Colorado to find out where I could file a complaint. Finally after contacting my State Senator, his office referred me to the RPA. I’m so glad I found the RPA. I didn’t know if such an agency existed. After coming to the site, I found our there is a $35 filing fee. So I thought I would see if I could get some opinions on whether I should file a landlord complaint or not.
Here’s my landlord problem:
Firstly, my landlord is actually a nice guy and I don’t want to cause any problems, but honestly I’m tired of getting no resolution to the following issue. About 3 weeks ago my apartment had been broken into. The thief damaged the door and window to my unit and stole close to $1200 worth of my things. (Plasma TV, DVD’s, Stereo, and Jewerly)
I have renters insurance, so my things are being covered by my renters policy even though I did try to get my landlord to cover the cost first– he pointed out some clause in the lease that required me to carry renters insurance, so I called them and they (American Family) have been great. I actually just got a check for $1058 (after my deductible)
So the problem is this, my landlord STILL hasn’t fixed my window. He’s got a piece of plywood screwed up and doesn’t seem too concerned about replacing it. I know it sounds lame, but I really hate looking at that ugly wood and just want to have a window to look through. I don’t invite my friends over because, I’m almost embarrassed by it. (I know, I know– I should grow up) So, what do you all think?? Should I file a complaint against my landlord to force him to repair the broken window pain? Do you think I have been reasonable enough to allow him 3 weeks, or does glass replacement take longer?
I’m not really worried about the filing fee, that’s nothing… but I am concerned about whether it makes the most sense based on the situation. Are there any other options? I have asked him by phone on 3 different times to fix it, and still no results. When I called local government offices, they wouldn’t tell me what to do– just that I could sue him (No plans to do that, its just a piece of glass) or File a complaint. So, really, that leaves me with the option to file a complaint or continue begging my landlord to fix it.
Thanks for your advice… I just want to do the right thing.
|
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 9:50 pm | Category: General Topics | ||
| Who’s fault is it? Landlord or Tenant? | sandra | NJ | renter |
|
I am a renter off campus near my school, we have a one year lease for our house. Since I moved in I have had an on going problem with my roof leaking, and the landlord’s so called “repairs” not holding up. It has gotten to the point where my mattress has suffered enough water damage to need replacing, am I within my rights as a renter to subtract this cost from my rent as the damage is due to the landlord’s neglect to properly repair the roof for the past 8 months?? |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010 9:56 am | Category: Legal Questions | ||
| refuses to be removed from lease | jak | MN | renter |
|
friend moved out but won`t take his name off lease. Says he can still come into my house anytime he wants to, when I got a couch (he took all furniture) he just comes in and takes it. Says he can take anything I buy. Came in the other day, son was home, heard someone got so scared he didn`t know what to do. Can he keep comming in here and just take what is mine? he says my word against his - prove it. |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 11:05 pm | Category: Landlord Problems, Legal Questions | ||
| Noise Complaint against us, threat of Eviction | SD2010 | CA | Renter, 25years same place |
|
I have lived in my rental unit for 25years. I pay my rent on time, I do not complaint or make an issue about other tenents as I have always figured it is townhouse living with common walls. My daughter and son in law moved in with me and where put on the lease. Our Complex manager on site (it is overseen by a Property Manager company) is mean and vindictive and goes after lots of people about petty things. He claims that he has 11 documented complaints of noise against us in 8 weeks. He thought this is the first time he has brought this to us in eight weeks. He gave us a final notice letter with no back up or documentation. I asked him for a list of the 11 times and by who? He said that it was confidental and only if we went to court and if a judge requested the info he would produce it as we might retaliate against the person. So I have no way to defend us or even know if the dates we where even home. My daughter goes to graduate school and goes at night twice a week. I work long hours and am out quite a bit. My son in law works a lot of nights. One of our next door neighbors are young people and they slam their doors all the time and it shakes our place. I have never complained about it. So when i ask him to produce the list of 11 complaints as I believe some of them are really the other neighbors slamming the doors he wrote back that I have never complained and therefore he didn’t believe me in so many words. Do I have any rigthts? I am going to write him and copy the property management firm. Should we just move? This is very stressful and I am in shock. The nieghbor who I believed has filed the complaint is single older and lives alone. Thank you for your help. |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Monday, February 15th, 2010 12:16 am | Category: General Topics | ||
| What can I do about trying landlord? | Samuel | CA | Renter |
|
I can’t stand my landlord! He seems to be doing things, just to make me mad. Does anybody know how to deal with a landlord that is trying to make me mad on purpose. The guy goes out of his way to annoy me. Now its getting really old. Just looking for some real world advice on dealing with this landlord. |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Saturday, February 13th, 2010 5:43 pm | Category: General Topics | ||
| Normal Wear and Tear | Joey | WA | Renter |
|
Can my landlord charge me to clean the carpets whean I move out? The carpet was brand new when we moved in. When we moved out we vaccumed really well and there are no stains on the carpet. It does not state in the lease that they will deduct a carpet cleaning from my deposit – in fact it mentions nothing about carpet cleaning at all. Wehn I gave notice to move out the Resident Manager told me that I had to pay a professional to clean my carpet and provide them with a receipt or else they would clean the carpets and deduct it from my deposit. Ibelieve that a carpet cleaning to “freshen” up the carpet is normal wear and tear if there are stainsn than it is not. |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Wednesday, February 10th, 2010 10:24 pm | Category: General Topics, Renter Q & A | ||
| Roommate is not paying her share of rent | B. D | CA | Renter |
|
For the last couple of months my room mate (we are both on the lease) has been struggling to make her payments. I found out today that she has paid only $100 towards $850 of her portion of rent. Does anyone have ideas on how to handle this? |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
| Date: Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 8:28 am | Category: General Topics | ||
| unfair eviction | msk | NJ | renter |
|
my landlord is threatening to evict me based on a complaint about my dog attacking another tenants dog. My side of the story was never asked for. no damage was done to the other dog because the socalled attack was broken up before any damage to either dog. My dog did slip out of his collar when the other dog began barking at him. However, I did not register the dog with landlord which I was required to do. Eviction or getting rid of the dog seems a harsh solution. Any suggestions? |
|||
| What do you think? Please Comment | |||
