Comments on: Landlord driving me insane… everyone says we have no rights

By: Roy

Roy — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 02:30:11 +0000

please help……long story short my power was shut off yesterday.my wife and i got home from work seen power is off!SO I CALLED PAID MY BILL PLUS RECONNECT FEE OD 100 i then called to give them confirmation number and they told me someone tampered with power while off!i explained how i wasnt home etc…they said pay an additional 75 AND WELL TURN IT ON.I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY IT.i then seen my landlords out in my front yard(they live next door ) they lifted the cover to my well pump and had wires running from that to their house…so when the power company shut my power off it shut their water off!!!(which means ive been paying for some of their electricity)i then show the power company and he said yes that ive been payingfor their waterpump….BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM IS I’M 8 DAYS LATE ON MY RENT SO SHE SHUT OUR WATER OFF AND WILL NOT TURN IT BACK ON!!!I HAVE LIVED HERE SINCE APRIL AND I HAVE NEVER BEEN LATE…..IS THERE ANY THING I CAN DO??????please help

By: Brian C

Brian C — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:39:17 +0000

The solution is simple. Call your local Board of Health, and schedule an appointment to have the place inspected.

Sewage? Feces? Water leaks (mold breeding)? Yeah, have the place inspected. You’ll get the wheels a turnin by doing that.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 01:44:31 +0000

You need to contact your local Landlord and Tenant group. While laws and regulations differ from State to State and Province to Province there are certain standards that all landlords are required to live up to and it’s just not right to let lousy landlords get away with things like this. I put together information to help landlords become better at their job and one of my suggesttiosn to landlords was to not treat their rental properties as just a rental if they treat it as someone’s home, not only do they end up with happier tenants, but a better property as well.

By: anonymous

anonymous — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:05:13 +0000

In some cases you can break your lease if you can prove that the rental is unfit to live in. It will be tough proving that the allergies are coming from the home. One way to prove your point is to have it evaluated by a professional tesiting company. They will be able to give you toxicology counts to determine if the rental house is toxic or harmful to live in.
Like mentioned above by the RPA Agent, you should probably file a landlord complaint. That’s the first step.

By: James

James — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 16:52:07 +0000

You really should have arranged to have your landlord repair those things before moving in. Now that you’re moved in, its not going to happen.

By: RPA Agent

RPA Agent — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:39:23 +0000

Hi Barbara,
I handle numerous landlord complaints for the RPA. Your housing situation is not much different than many tenants that I have helped in the past. Regardless, of where you live all renters within any of the 50 States are provided rights. So the claim that you have no renting rights is wrong.
On federal level there are basic statutes and laws that apply to protect and regulate rental housing. Each State can make their own laws, but those laws can’t take away rights that you are entitled to by the federal government. In most cases rent laws will be more strict on a State or County level. Now lets be honest, you’re living Tennessee and not California where the laws are written to mostly benefit the tenant… In Tennessee the rent laws are more down the middle and provide rights to both the landlord and the tenant, and are not imparticularly weighed to one side more than another.
The question up for debate is whether the home you are renting is fit to live in. This is call implied warranty of habitability, which basically means that by renting the home the landlord has implied that the home is liveable. This argument can be tricky. The home is probably liveable, but isn’t up to your standards of living. So, unless there are obvious health hazards or dangers, the landlord could argue that the home is habitable.
So what can you do?
Option 1: Remain in the rental home through the remainder of your contract. Try to make due.
Option 2: Hire an attorney to help you get out of the lease– Can be costly ($1500 to $2500)
Option 3: Go through Landlord Tenant Mediation by filing a complaint with the RPA. ($35)
So, if its bothering you enough that you think its time to find a new place, then select the option that works best for you. I would have provided another obvious option of getting the landlord to fix the items mentioned, but based on your post it sounds like that option may be unlikely. However, you could always give the option to your landlord– Repair xx itmes or release me from lease with no penalties.
As a renter you have many options. The Rental Protection Agency is a good option for many people, but if you can afford an attorney– in this case that may be better, but I doubt it. I would challenge any RPA Agent’s ability to negotiate over an attorney. As a mediator– our goal is to find a solution quickly. Attorney’s aren’t in a hurry, after all they get paid more the longer it takes.
Hope that helps!