RPA Tenant Rights Blog » Landlord Problem

Warranty of habitability

mj — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:21:40 +0000

i’m renting a house in northeast nj for 2000 a month. i talked my landlord down from 2200. now, there are problems with the plumbing, the hot water in the shower doesn’t work. the air conditioner can never achieve the temperature you set it at unless you stuff an extra ac unit with exhaust in the fireplace chimney and you put a sprinkler on the roof ( it’s a slate roof ). there are holes that mice can and do get in through. they have eaten all my power bars and m&m’s and such. none of the windows have screens so i can’t open them unless i want bugs. there is a severe mold condition due to hot water leaking from the shower. there’s no gfi in the kitchen. there are no locks for the garage door so i use chains to keep all the equipment safe. i bought a rider mower, 3 blowers, a weed wacker and a snow thrower as i’m responsible for maintenance on the grounds. in honesty i just mow the lawn and blow the leaves and don’t do much more. i’m not the neatest person so the place is a little messy and so are the grounds, but pretty easy to correct. because i haven’t been able to get help and i’m single. the faucets are old and i constantly have to replace washers. the handle on the sinks faucets only works on one of them so i have to switch it from cold to hot. now, since he came down in price he says i have to take care of upkeep ( this house was built in the 40’s and everything is as was, old old old.) i told him he is obligated but he says it’s in the lease that i have to maintain it. i said he is obligated to the warranty of habitability and he said if we want to go by the letter of the law i have not been keeping the ground to the letter of the lease and he’ll have all sorts of inspectors come in. it was never mentioned that i would be getting less service, though service was poor to start with, in exchange for the drop in price, it’s not even legal. i am working steadfastly on getting it neatened up and getting the grounds neater. the place is so drafty that last year it cost my 750 bucks just to keep the temp between 62 – 65. i don’t really fear an inspection but i don’t know how i could get screwed with an inspection. to be honest i wouldn’t mind getting out of this place and getting it declared for non occupancey i would be ok with becausei could live in an apartment much cheaper. .where should i go with this. my lease expires in june and i have asked for a copy as i can’t find the one i had gotten originally. i really think this guy is being a bad landlord and nto conducting himself honorably and i wouldn’t mind skewering him. oh, and one more thing, i can never speak directly to him. i always speak to his assistanst in the office and she relays what i say and relays back to me what he says.

The post Warranty of habitability appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Did My Landlord violated my legal rights ?

lizg — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 19:17:21 +0000

my roommate complained that there was pet odor in my apartment. my landlord told me verbally that there was no smell and my lease says all i had to do is have the carpets professionally shampooed when i left. i requested by email that i could break my lease early because my roommate constantly harassed me about the carpet even after the landlord said it was fine, and he agreed in an email to break my lease and return my deposit assuming no pet damage.

the week before i moved out the landlord wrote in an email that he would get an estimate to clean the carpet (but not get it cleaned), and that i would have the option of a second estimate. he said we should both be present for any estimates.

my next email from him is a month after i moved out, saying he hired a cleaning company to clean the carpet TWICE even though they said they could not guarantee they could remove pet odor; that he was going to replace the carpet for $700; that he had several “experts” (a carpet cleaning company, a carpet installing company, two managers of petco, his maintenance man who is a family friend, and the current tenants) sign a statement that there was intolerable pet odor.

i responded to his email saying that i thought this was reasonable and that i was seeking legal advice. the advice i received was to ask to be present for a second estimate. (i was not notified of, present for, or even given a copy of any estimates or “expert” witnesses and no longer had a key to the apartment). i THOUGHT i had 30 days to seek advice and respond to his $700 estimate, but within three weeks he notified me that he had already replaced the carpet for $1060 in carpet cleaning charges and carpet installation charges.

i made calls and emails to carpet companies and there are companies who GUARANTEE their work for $200-$400, depending on if they need to treat the padding as well as the carpet. i offered to pay $200 for cleaning since there is no evidence of any pet odor other than the written testimony of witnesses who all have something to gain if the carpet is deemed soiled.

my question is, did he violate my legal rights by: (1) offering me a second opinion and then cleaning and replacing the carpet without inviting me to any of the estimates or witnesses or getting my consent to pay the bill, (2) replacing the carpet when i said i wanted to seek legal advice, effectively destroying all evidence of any alleged odor, (3) telling me he would bill me $700 and then billing me $1060 without notifying me of any changes (4) charging me to replace carpets when i moved out even though he only cleaned the carpets before i moved in (5) he has notified me by certified mail of intent to sue but i STILL have not seen a single piece of paper or email of an estimate, bill, witness statement, name of witness, photograph of the new carpet, i have no proof that the carpet has even been replaced….

The post Did My Landlord violated my legal rights ? appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Apartment Electrical problems

Veronica — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 07:01:58 +0000

The power supply on 2 of my TV’s have been blown out do to poor electrical maintainace in my duplex. Is the owner liable for repair costs to fix my TV’s? Isn’t the apartment electrical problems something the landlord should be responsible to maintain. Can I get my landlord to pay for damages to my ty’s due to poor apartment electrical supply?

I’d love to hear what you all think. Thanks!

The post Apartment Electrical problems appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

patiently waiting but things keep getting worse

Tenant — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:56:29 +0000

my first time renting after looking into some different apartment complexes, it seemed as though moving into student living with 2 of my cousins seemed like the best choice, we would each have individual leases, near aged neighbors and our own bathrooms.

we were set to move in july 1st, we were told we wouldnt have many choices available, but would get a call as soon as they had some options ready. just a week prior we finally got a call, i had to work so 1 of my cousins (a lease holder) went to see our unit. he told me they only had 1 available, 4307. june 30 1 day prior! i get a call from the supervisor who i had been dealing with, said there was a hiccup and that the previous tenant had left their furniture! they needed 1 more day, maybe more to remove the property. july2nd, i get the call that the apt was ready, i alert my cousin to prepare to move in with all the stuff i bought to move in. his car was towed and had no way to accomplish this. he wasnt going to be able to afford the rent, so because i was visiting my bf and nothing could be done immediatly i just tried to enjoy my well deserved weekend the best i could, stress free. the office was closed july 4th so i called july 5th no answer, july 6th no answer, then after another try an answer; i explain the situation and ask what options we had.i called back a few hrs later with ideas to renegotiate my lease to a yr long so that my cousin who i co-signed for wouldnt be a burden and to delay the other cousins lease as much as possible. "tom" repeatedly cut me off, and refused to work with me until the cousin with the car problem had an answer for him. after getting ahold of that cousin we had agreed to work with the leasing agent to find the best solution rather then starting a legal war. so i called back on the 9th and wasnt able to get ahold of "tom" up until the 21st i wasnt able to get ahold of him, after message after message absolutly nothing.

i finally talked to tom who proceeded to conversate as if nothing was wrong, i was being as patient as possible expecting to be able to move in asap, and as easy as possible. not only was i told that they had another unit available, but that there were still 2 girls living there who were moving out in a week. expecting to be able to walk through and choose my own room on the 23rd, i wasnt able to until the 24th. i was told i had to give the $ order to the tenant, who also worked in the office, before i got my keys. there was no checklist whatso ever and the girl simply got her dog and took a walk, i was never told she had a dog! what if i was allergic or just didnt want a dog? i walked into my room and i was mortified. my parents came with me to help me move and i had paid to use the truck for the day so i left my stuff locked in the room. the room was still dirty, the blinds were damaged, there was a burn and stain on the carpet, there were human hairballs scattered in the hall and bathroom. someones eye solution and tissue was left there along with some comforter or blanket left on the bulit in desk. the room was much smaller then the model we were presented, if i knew it was that size i wouldnt have boughten a brand new bed just after signing the lease and being promised everything would be ready. in addition, the door showed signs of a possible break in, the doorknob was rickety and loose and the doorframe had chipped paint from what looked like it had been damaged due to a break in. i took pictures, locked the door and left a message about my complaints. monday mornin i call "tom" who hadnt recieved my message yet, after listening to my complaint, he said he would have it cleaned and i could be moved to another room but snapped at me when i proceeded to question the situation about the unit we were told we were assigned and why he ignored us for almost 2 weeks, he rushed me off the phone and after looking up complaints, i can see im not the one doing wrong, contrary to the way "tom" is portraying

The post patiently waiting but things keep getting worse appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Tenant revenge!!

HappyRenter — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:07:58 +0000

Revenge of the Renter!

Finally I got my landlord to face the music! First of all, I’m a good renter. I pay on-time, I’m friendly, and very particular about cleanliness. So after moving out of my rental complex I expected to get my full $350 rent deposit back, but low and behold this big management company thought they could get away with keeping it.
WHAT THEY WERE CHARGING ME:

$75 General Cleaning
$50 Drip Pans (Oven)
$85 Carpet Cleaning
$200 Painting

TOTAL: $410 ($350 Deposit) (I owed $60)

What in the world! After spending hours and hours of cleaning my apartment, I was furious to find my complex charging me for stupid stuff. So instead of getting a refund, they were charging me! Can you believe that crap?!

I immediately contacted my apartment manager to see if a mistake was made. She told me that no mistake was made and that I needed to pay the $60 right away or it would be sent to collections. I was mad!!! Jerks! So I worte a letter disputing the charges, and of course no response. I kept calling, but no one would talk to me.

Now I’m a nice guy, but I won’t let some property management company walk all over me. Although, I was mad about not getting my money, I was more pissed about the whole principal of the thing. I decided to file a complaint with the RPA. The investigator assigned to my case was awesome!!! He immediately contacted the management office, then within a week of filing the complaint I had a refund check for $265. TAKE THAT BIG MANAGEMENT,

So what happened;

The RPA Agent was able to get all of the fees waived except for the “Drip Pan” fee of $50. But to be honest, I never thought to clean the drip pan, the oven was immaculate, but I didn’t even think about those drip pans.

IN THE END:

I got my money, and now management has a negative record on their history report. They should’ve worked with me in the first place. By the way; management agreed to waive all fees if I would have the RPA remove the complaint from their record… That’s right, I ate the $50 Drip Pan fee just so the record would stay on their file. That’s revenge! No-one messes with me!

The post Tenant revenge!! appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

My landlord wont return my deposit

B.C. — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:05:26 +0000

I’ve been in contact with my former landlords and now they are putting off talking about the deposit. It has been a month since I have moved out and the landlords still claim they need to talk to some people. Although since I last talked to them the husband has had some physical problems and been in the hospital, they have had a month to figure out what charges should be deducted from the deposit. How long should I give them before I become much more presistent?

The post My landlord wont return my deposit appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Landlord Air conditioning problem

haterenting — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 02:07:15 +0000

My air conditioner is on the fritz. It works in that it blows cold air, but it no longer works well. It sucks down the kilowatts to cool this place to a bearable 80F, but to cool it down to a comfortable temperature (74-76) it would run up a $1200 electric bill for 1000 square feet. This is not a joke or a typo. $1200, as in one thousand two hundred dollars. My electric bills last summer were nowhere near this high, mostly in the $150-$200 range.

The management company is dragging its feet about sending someone out here to service the unit as it’s not “broken” and are threatening to bill me a “trip charge” if someone comes out and finds nothing wrong. Given the idiots they send out to fix problems, I would not be surprised at all if they didn’t find anything. After all, it took them four months and three visits to fix a problem in the bathroom that caused water to leak through my neighbor’s kitchen light fixtures, which WAS grounds to break the lease if I’d taken it further.

My lease runs out on August 31st and I am NOT going to renew. Do I have to sweat and suffer, or do I have any legal remedies available to me? My electric bill is probably going to be $600-$700 as it is. I think it would be cheaper to pay my last month’s rent, cut the power, and bail.

The post Landlord Air conditioning problem appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

problem with landlord

ms feedup — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:32:35 +0000

I am a tent at a apartment complex my landlord is all ways in sombody business the problem im having is she told another tent how much rent i pay each month,she is always threating to put me out for no unknow reasonand i have had enough along with other tents what do i need to do? Isn’t that a breach of privacy for the landlord to share information about me with other tenants? I have some major problem with landlord. I don’t like how the manager is dealing with things around here!

The post problem with landlord appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Problems regarding Utility Ownership

Jack Shea — Sat, 23 Oct 2010 09:09:20 +0000

Me and my other roommates are in quite a predicament regarding utilities. In our written lease agreement it states that our landlord has no obligation to cover utilties. In the beginning of the year, our landlord asked one of our roommates to put his name on the gas bill. The problem with this though is that none of our floors have control over the heat. The only working thermometer is located in the basement which causes the tennent downstairs to have complete control of the heat. It was because of this and the fact that the house has one gas line for multilple different tennents that are roommate denied acceptance to this amount of risk. Well our landlord never mentioned the gas issue for several months until just recently, in which they requested one us to put our name on the gas bill AGAIN, along with request of payment for all the previous months that we used the gas. We’ve sent them a letter explaining the matter and instead of negotiating, our landlord has sent us an ultimatium which entails shutting off the gas as of next week. If someone has any suggestions on how to handle this matter, I be very grateful.

The post Problems regarding Utility Ownership appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.

Landlord mistake!

Michelle — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 12:27:44 +0000

On 12/5/2008, I received a flyer from the Apartment complex on my door. It says, “As of the current date, you have not renewed your lease term. If you renew by 12/31/2008, you will continue with your same rental rate. If you do not, you will be assessed a month to month charge starting on January 2009 rent.” My apartment number is written on this flyer along with my current rental rate and what my month to month rental rate would be if I didn’t renew my lease. There is no signature on this flyer, however, the Community Manager’s name is on this flyer, the apartment complex phone number, and the Community Manager’s email address.

I went to renew my lease today, however, the manager on-duty told me that my rental rate will increase a little more than 10% due to the fact that there were some errors on my original lease. This was an error that they had made, and I was unaware of it until today.

At first, the manager on-duty told me the flyer that was sent to me was not correct, and there is nothing she could do. Then the on-duty manager called after I left the office (without signing my lease because I needed time to think about the whole situation) and said that after talking to the community manager, they will try to lower the rental increase, but there will still be an increase.

I understand that once a lease expires, there is no contract therefore, a landlord could charge whatever they want. However, I have a written document from the Community Manager stating that they will honor the lease as long as it is renewed by the 31st, shouldn’t they honor it? I am not asking for much…I just want to pay the same rental rate!!

The post Landlord mistake! appeared first on RPA Tenant Rights Blog.