RPA Tenant Rights Blog » Frustrated Landlord

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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Working on my rental house

David Adkins — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 13:27:26 +0000

My renters have been given a 3 day notice and a 30 day notice to move out of my rent house for not paying rent for 2 months. They have been told to move out by November 30 2013. I have informed them in writing that the house will undergo a complete kitchen and bath remodel starting on December 1,2013 before I move back into my house. They are supposed to be out of the house. If they are not out of my house can I still move on forward with the remodeling of the kitchen and bath? New tile and new shower that they have destroyed and a new toilet. The house will be inhabitable for about a week during this process. Workers have already been scheduled for Dec 1 2013 for a start date. Can I continue forward with demolition if they are still there?

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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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Disputing Tenants

Frustrated Landlord — Thu, 19 Sep 2013 10:25:09 +0000

I own a two family flat in Michigan. It is an upper and a lower. My upstairs tenant is complaining that every time they walk around at night, the downsatairs tenant begins to start slamming doors. The downstairs tenants have confronted my other tenant outside and complaining about them walking around at night. We are wits end on how to end this. The downstairs tenant does nothing but complain about anything and everything, and our upstairs tenant is nothing but fantastic

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Landlord expecting correct payment for water charge

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:45:55 +0000

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Landlord expecting payment for water charge
Friday, May 3rd, 2013 6:10 pm
Posted By: taras1

I have a large custom 2 family house in a boro of NYC. I reside in one apartment with my son. I rent the other large apartment to a couple for a few years now with a Lease. The 2 year Lease was renewed last year for another 2 years. I have one large water heater and one water meter. I got talked down in rent when they moved in they seemed nice. I did request an estimated water payment of $25.00 and in the Lease. Lease states water charge can change at anytime deemed necessary due to Water Board increase or usage. Note: there are 2 tenants in the rental apt, and 2 people in my apt. also. What I did is take the 4 previose water bills, which I have had 2 people in the rental apt. also, add them together and devided it in half. then devided it by 12 to get estimate of water use for each apartment. I do not want to cheat my tenants. In the Lease there is a clause stating they can’t bring another person to live in there apartment. About 6 weeks ago they had a baby. At this point I requested a $12.50 estimated increase for an additional person water use. Yes it is a baby, but they have a washer and dryer in the basement. There has been lots of small washes of baby clothes, I am not sure if they adjust water levels or not for the wash. I do not think this is important to them. My tenants claim they do not have to pay for water for a baby, it doesn’t use much water. Well I disagree with that, The baby is here about 6 weeks now and I received a water bill that was for the last 3 months and I compaired it to same months but for previouse year and found the new bill is $45.00 more than the last years bill for same period regarding weather conditions. On top of this there has also been a 7% water increase that I have no control of. My Tenant has refused to pay the additional water that I am requesting. I believe this baby is a person and I should have the right to add additional water charge and due to water estimated use. If a baby doesn’t count as a person that uses water equally, then just when does a person count as someone that uses water. Tenant said doesn’t use same amount of water as an adult. Didn’t pay the 7% water increase also. Kind of acused me of ripping them off and they are now banging the door when the baby is not sleeping. They painted the apartment a dark color even though it was in the lease they can’t paint until I give them letter approving of light color they picked. She works in the house even though the Lease states can not use apartment for a business. When they received an increase after 2 years I was to demand security to match the rent as per lease and let it go to be nice. Does anyone know what my rights are in NYC area regarding this with a 2 family house. Note this is stupid due to I am willing to make adjustments either way to adjust there correct water charge. I believe I have the right to charge water for a third person. Lease doesn’t state anything about a 3 person or baby but it says I have the right to adjust water charge at anytime deemed necessary. I have always been nice, maybe to nice. This house does not bring in a profit at all. I keep adding money back in and also whatever I can afford to fix everything I can all over the house including the tenants apartment. There is no government agency that could help me I would appreciate your response. Thanks so much. Just would like to say, it is too bad that tenants do not understand a good landlord that tries to takes care of things, and always looking to fix whatever needs to be fixed as much as money allows and pays high insurance and taxes does not make anything at all. I also work to do many things myself so I would have money to do the things I can’t do. I do not understand why I get treated like I am getting rich. I work so hard in this house also. It would be easier to be a tenant than what I do. And I am getting older getting hard, but still trying. Thanks.

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Evicting a tenant who lied about bedbug infestation

admin — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 22:56:56 +0000

We have a tenant (on retirement) (let’s call him George) who 2 years ago lied about the bed bug infestation in his apartment and even screamed and refused to allow the exterminator we hired then to fix the problem. The exterminator did his part with the other apartments and we thought we took care of the situation. This past year a tenant complained about bed bugs. We took this seriously and hired the exterminator again.

Our building is a 6 family that we take care of ourselves. We know our tenants, most of the apartments are renovated, and we do our best to keep the building clean and fix any problems that arrive quickly.

This past month another tenant had complained about a bed bug problem. We realized that this can not be an isolated incident. So we had the exterimnator come again, except this time we wanted for all the apartments to be exterminated. George was difficult and refused to allow the exterminator that we have been working with to enter his apartment. We comprised and found another exterminator. When we saw the state of George’s apartment we realized why he felt uncomfortable letting someone in. He is a bit of a hoarder. Exterminator #2 said that nearly everything had to go from George’s apartment, that it had spread to all the walls of the apartment. The infestation was so bad you could easily see the bed bugs. After we agreed to pay for a new mattress for George and that the extermination team will do an extentive extermination without throwing out all his things, he agreed.

Now George wants us to pay for his hotel room while the extermination took place but the worst part is that the infestation is still there. And another tenant has complained. Mind you, we paid for the exterimination and it is expensive. Something like this could have been taken care of 2 years ago at a lesser expense and hopefully it would not have affected any of our other tenants.

Can we evict this tenant in NYC? How long will this take?

Bed bugs are hard to get rid of. In order to accomplish this, the apartment has to be gutted becasue the bugs are in the walls and we have to exterminated it again and all the other apartments. This man is a bit of a hoarder and not cleanly. i know every effort will be pointless if all the possibly hiding places are not cleared and it will take us some time to completey rid our building of the bed bugs. I’m worried that the infestation will get worst and spread to all the walls and apartments. Please help with any informtion. We are worried about our building and our tenants health.

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Tenants with Pets want me to fumigate

Laurie — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:12:06 +0000

I have owned a 4 unit row home now for about 7 years. Up until about 2 years ago, I did not allow pets. After I had done alot of renovations on my apartments, I decided to allow people to come in with small pets, with a pet fee attached. As of 2 years ago, all 4 of my units had pets, all small dogs, and or cats… the building has a large shared yard. Never, not once have I ever had a tenant inform me of a flea issue. I do however, whenever a tenant moves out, fumigate all 4 units, that I personally pay for. Per Pa law, I am required to ensure that any new tenant coming into my building have an apt that is pest free. Back in May I had 2 tenants, in 2 different units move out, one had a cat, the other had no pets at all. So I went in, cleaned the places as normal, all was great. My other 2 units still had the same tenants I had for almost 2 years… again, both have dogs, and one has an indoor cat. I ended up renting out one the apts on June 1st, to a couple with a small child, and cat… than rented out the other apartment to their sister and her boyfriend on July 1st, who has a small dog, but constantly "dog sits" her mother’s 2 dogs. June goes by, July goes by, than on August 28th, I get a text message informing me that all of the apts are infested with fleas, and they want to take money off the rent to buy foggers… Apparently after further investagation with my other tenants, only the brother/sister duo that just moved in had the flea issue, the third tenant simply thought it smart to bomb as well, which I agree, but the forth tenant doesn’t have any fleas in his home at all… so anyway, I allowed them to take money off the rent for the bombs… the fourth apartment did not have the money to buy the bombs (fixed income for a disable tenant), so the other tenants with the infestation, told me that I had to make him buy them… so my husband went out, bought bombs for our disable tenant…While in the midst of all of this, the brother/sister duo’s mother calls my cell phone, threatening to call the board of health, and code enforcement, stating it is my responsibilty and that I am required to get a professional in there to fumigate, since their attempts at fumigating didnt work…which is what this tenants mother is requiring from me…

*So, here’s my question… am I liable to by LAW to fumigate these apartments, if it were their pets that caused the infestiation. Which I can prove, based on the timeframes and my other tenants. Also, they are threatening to not pay rent, since the one apartment is so bad, they all moved in together in the 2nd apartment…

I can tell you that before becoming a homeowner, and landlord, I was a tenant… I was a tenant with a pet… I was a tenant who’s pet had fleas… which meant my apartment had fleas… I never put the onis on my landlord… It was my pet, my responsibilty to ensure my dwelling stay flea free.. I always bought the bombs and did it myself..

I am legally liable to get an exterminator in the building to fumigate the property?
*note:: there is nothing specific in any of the leases, since prior to allowing pets, our lease simply stated no pets, and than listed the types of pets that were not allowed. I would simply X out the NO in no pets, initial it, and circle what they informed me they had and the number. oh, that reminds me of another question, if I do, as a courtesy or if I am required by law to have someone come out to professional exterminate the pests, can I put an adendum on the lease for my tenants with pets, requesting 90 day proof receipts from their vet stating that their pets are be treating for fleas/pests, and require them to pay for the quarterly fumigation that is done??? I did some research, and did get a quote just in case.

thanks in advance
Laurie aka Had it ^ to here Landlord

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Tenant 13 months deliquint owing $10,500. in backrent

Lauranslew — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:36:19 +0000

      My tenant since 2005 lost his job, elderly ill parents, Mom passes-you get the picture. Long story short, he stops paying rent in March 2011. Seems my kindness was taken as weakness and he only showed his face on Tragedy Tuesdays! At the risk of "Casper" being the next statistic, he was servered March 9, 2012 with a 30-days and a 5-day on April 24, 2012. NO moving activity!

       This income covers the taxes, insurances & misc repairs. Needless to say I’m a bit behind. When he’s caught it’s "any day now!" Now he thinks my name is "Mark" My question is do I have to file the Unlawful Detainer; lets face it, the $$ is a wrap and I have someone ready to move-in 5/1. Any Advice??????

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question – about tenants' requests, what exactly am i responsible for?

senhorio — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:14:44 +0000

Hi,
I have recently rented my apartment, which is a prewar walk-up in NY, with no manager or doorman.

My tenants did a roast last weekend and the fire alarm went off. They called the fire department which detected the levels of carbon monoxide slightly high; then they called me saying that there was a problem with the stove.
I have called a technician who sent me a report saying the stove was perfectly fine and that the incident was caused by the lack of exterior exhaust and therefore the accumulation of smoke when they opened the stove. The apartment has an open kitchen and, like most buildings of the same period, and visibly so, no exterior air exhaust in the kitchen.

Now, I have a bill of $70 for the technician saying "no problem" and the fire dept coming. Who pays?

This seems to be a recurrent problem…
One month ago it was a problem with a circuit in a lamp of the kitchen: smoke was coming out of it. Frightening, isn’t it? I sent someone and it ended up being the bulb badly screwed – again another bill;

I received an email because of a "light" on the dishwasher – that one was easy to detect fortunately: it needed more product…

what are exactly my responsibilities in these cases? Do I have to pay all bills?

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House flooded due to gutter not being cleand gave 30 notice tenant refuses to give me the keys to the property says she is suing me for mold.

admin — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:51:35 +0000

My tenant basement flooded due to heavy rain 13 inches. Gave her 30 day and brought mold remedation company. She then said she was calling the health department. They came out said I had to remediate the issue with in 30days. The tenant called asking for her deposit. I advised her not till the property is empty and I can have it inspected. She was supposed to have given me the key today. She now is saying she has an attorney and her own company coming in the propertry tomorrow and she is going to make me get the keys the hard way. I was there last week with the insurance company and she was sitting there with several other people doing find with larengitis she smokes 2 packs of cigarettes a day and claims it my fault she is sick she has been sick for years. they also never moved anything from the damp basement and the home has two other floors? She keeps saying I am threating her which I am not at all she has cussed me out her daughter has cussed me out she had pets in the home which is a violation of the lease they refused to let me in the 2nd bedroom. I will have to get my attorney. I have never rented to anyone my aunt died left the house still in probate.

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