RPA Tenant Rights Blog » Landlord Q & A

Renter

Tom — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 17:12:54 +0000

I am aware of the Philadelphia Lead Paint Regulation

[named Lead Disclosure and Certification act] states that a Landlord can NOT evict a tenant, if they are not in compliance with the regulation [IE Providing the Tenant with children 6 and under, with a "Lead Safe" or "Lead Free" certificate.

LANDLORD CAN NOT CHARGE RENT OR EVICT IF HE DID NOT FOLLOW THE LEAD PAINT REGULATION !!!

Fellow tenants, Wake Up. This is our chance at getting the safety rights for ourselves.

The cheap landlords who do follow and provide us with the official Lead Safe Certificate, certify the safety THEMSELVES !

How can we trust them to ensure Lead Paint Safety ?

can the Fox watch the henhouse ?

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Landlord having issues with neighbors over tenant noise.

admin — Thu, 21 Nov 2013 13:10:10 +0000

I am the landlord of a residential house and the neighbors are complaining to me that my new tenants are making too much noise during the day lifting weights. They say the vibration is shaking the entire area too much. Am I liable by law to talk to the tenants or should the neighbors resolve this with them? I do not want to be the middle man if I do not have to but will if the law indicates I must. Any advice for Newport Beach, CA landlord?

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tenants using pesticide without notifying landlord

Kerena OConnell — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 22:59:05 +0000

I have tenants renting a home in an upscale neighborhood.

I was at the rental house the other day as a new kitchen is being installed, construction has been ongoing for almost 2 weeks. As I was leaving, I saw a pest control company pull up and a guy got out and started spraying the outside of the house with something. I told him to stop, asked what he was doing, who hired him. Tenant’s wife came out and said they hired the service because there are black widow spiders living in the leaves of the backyard trees and her boys go into the leaves when they chase down thier baseballs. I reminded her of the conversation I had with her and her husband a few months back, how a prospective renter wanted me to hire a service for spiders because he had black widows at his downtown house, and I didn’t want pesticides and that was the primary reason I turned him down, and wouldn’t that have been a good opportunity to broach the subject with me? She replied that the neighbors use this company and it’s all natural. You may wonder what my beef is – the problem is I have a son who is nuero developmentally disabled and I completely believe it is due to the pesticides we used in that house while I was pregnant with him and continued to use when he was a baby. Because of his issues, we moved into a rental in another district to get him into a special ed class.

I am furious that these people have a fumigation company and didn’t tell me, knowing how I feel about it.

And if spiders are in the leaves, then rake the leaves, don’t use pesticides.

And my research tells me that black widows don’t live in leaves and aren’t killed by sprays unless it’s a direct hit (hours after spraying they can walk on the spray and not be harmed.).

An online search tells me tenants have the right to know what is being sprayed and how often etc. What about the landlord being informed?

I can’t find anything in the lease about tenants deciding to use a pesticide company.

BTW, they are only spraying outside. I called the company, they said they were using the following products quarterly : Wisdom Lawn Granular, Termidor SC, Temprid SC, and Suspend Polyzone. I am GREEN. I have a garden at that house that I use for food (when I’m living there).

What are my rights here? Thank you –

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Pipe busted in restroom can carpet be replaced

sophia Holoman — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:56:37 +0000

I recently returned home to find the line from the toilet had busted while i was gone and the enrire apartment’s carpet was soaked. the apartments office informed me that someone would come out to vacuum up the water. after they came out and vacuumed up most of the water and removed the padding underneath it they informed me that the carpet would not be removed even thought there are still puddles throughout the unit. I have two sons with asthma and worry that the bacteria from the water could lead to toxic mold and would like to know what i can do to get the apartment office to remove the carpet.

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Can I ligally live in the basement?

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:20:06 +0000

Hi:

I am single and currently live in a 2 bedroom apt on 1st floor which has 2 large bedrooms, a large kitchen, a large dining room, a large living room, and decent office space, in addition to a large basement. Two seperate entances lead to the basement which is partially done and which can easilly converted into a comfortable 1 or 2 bredrooms with living room, small kitchen, bathroom, and my existing private laundry area. My first step would consist of boxing the boilers and water heaters (which are now in the open) with revolving or sliding doors. I have also absestos removed from the basement in June.

Questions:

[1] Moving to the basement would help be save about (1200.00) for my mortgage and other bills from renting the first floor appartment I am currently using. Financially, it would be a big relief. Can I legally live in the basement. My 2 kids, respectively 24 and 14 rarely come over.

[2] The electical and gaz bills to the basement run from the same meters as those for the 1st floor. Is it realistic to request a landlord meter from both the electric and the gaz companies.

Please advise.

Thanks:

Ken

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Late Fees

admin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 19:58:48 +0000

Can you deduct late fees for not paying rent on time from tenant security deposit?

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Bed Bugs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shanting — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:40:24 +0000

My apartment was vacant for a year and before that my apartment was cleaned and checked for bed bugs. About a month ago i rented the apartment out to a tenant and he has complained about bedbugs and i had no previous furniture in the house before he moved in. Am i responsible for fixing the problem?

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Air Conditioning Repair

admin — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 11:08:15 +0000

How long must I wait to get my A/C repaired by the Landlord’s repairman before I contact a repairman myself?, and is it legal for me to decuct the cost from my Lease payment?

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PROBLEMS WITH TENANT

IRIS — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 18:10:14 +0000

WOULD LIKE TO START AN ORGANIZATION TO ASSIST LANDLORDS WITH SECTION 8 TENANTS WHO ARE ALLOWED TO DESTROY PROPERTY GET OVER ON THE COURT SYSTEM AND GO WITHOUT PAYING RENT. LANDLORDS NEED TO NEED TO ORGANIZE. IF INTERESTED E-MAIL ME AT QOL4317@AOL.COM MENTION LANDLORD AND I WILL RESPOND. TENANT OWES 7 MONTHS RENT AND SECTION 8 GAVE THEM AN ADDITIONAL 6 MONTHS.

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Rental House with a POOL

Courtney S. — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:49:24 +0000

Hello there! I need some advice and quick!

I have a rental home in South Santa Clara County – California that has an ancient pool. The pool has given me serious headaches since I bought the property three years ago. Now the pool has black algae and after three different estimates on #1) remodel vs. #2) remove and fill it in – I have decided to FILL IT IN and be done with it. Bottom line is that the remodel has come down to REPLACEMENT of the entire pool due to it’s current condition. That estimate is around $17K. The fill-in estimate not including permit is $7K.

The property management company I use is saying that because the renter is in mid-contract with me I will have to reduce the rent quite a bit to compensate for the loss of the pool. The renters have been great and they have lived there two years, but have rarely used the pool because of all of the issues it has had. I have a regular pool maint. guy, I have approved all repairs that the renter has requested. I am “OK” with the prop. management company as they are nice, efficient and their monthly percentage charge is reasonable. But this issue is really bugging me now.

MY QUESTION IS: DO I REALLY HAVE TO REDUCE THE RENT AFTER PAYING $7K TO FILL IN THIS NASTY POOL?? AND IF I SHOULD, WHAT AMOUNT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND? I AM THINKING $100.00/MO OR LESS, LIKE ZERO!

PLEASE RESPOND!!

Thank you so much,
Courtney S.
San Jose,CA

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