Living in an Apartment: Landlord Issues
Posted on January 31, 2008
Filed Under Apartment Living | 9 Comments
Living in an apartment can be a very exhilarating experience—especially if you are just moving out of your parent’s house. But because you are young, your landlord may seem to be harsh on you. However, that is not the case. Landlords have a lot of experience when it comes to leasing an apartment to young adults, and know that a firm hand is needed in order for both parties to remain amicable. Landlord issues are par for the course of tenants and you can always find articles where tenants are complaining about their landlords.
One issue with a landlord could be that he or she treats tenants differently. An instance like this may be where he allows one to consistently be late with their rent but is very strict with another on making them have their rent turned in on time. Without knowing both sides of the story, it is easy to assume that the landlord is not being fair. But in all actuality, the landlord and tenant may have come to terms on a different rent due date.
Another issue that tenants can have with their roommates is how well the maintenance on their apartments is taken care of. Some tenants have to repeatedly tell their landlord that they have plumbing problems or some other maintenance requirement before it is taken care of. In order to avoid this issue you can specify how soon you would like emergency maintenance to be taken care of in your lease. That way you will be covered when your landlord fails to provide the service that you require.
Another issue that many tenants have is receiving their deposit for the apartment. This is more likely to happen when you have pets because the landlord can claim that because of the pets the apartment is going to have to be professionally cleaned before he can lease it to someone else. However, you can go out of your way to clean the apartment to the best of your ability to try and get the deposit. Other tenants have a hard time getting their security deposit back from their landlords. The security deposit if for any damages that have been done that are beyond the normal wear and tear of living in a rental for any amount of time. It can also cover the last months rent if you move out mid-month. In order to avoid this issue you can make sure that you provide your landlord with written, not verbal, notice that you will be moving in 30 or more days. And by also cleaning the place extremely well and doing any minor repairs that you need to from your living there you have a much better chance of getting your deposit back.
Landlord issues are nothing new when it comes to tenants who are leasing their home or apartment. But by being mature and doing everything by the book you have a good chance of avoiding them. And if you are worried about a landlord before you lease an apartment, you can always check out any reviews that are available on the apartment and or landlord.
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Help answer the question about pets for apartment living
have friend living in apartment want to get train his own service dog for hearing lease says no pets. commentshe depends on hearing aids and his hearing will deteriorate to complete within the next decade. is it possible to get your own dog and train it to be a service dog? has anyone had problems with no pet lease with service dog?
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Zack Fair writes for Apartment Ratings website Apartmentreviews.net that features ratings and reviews for Philadelphia Apartments as well as Miami Apartments, and so much more. Choosing the right apartment is not easy, so read their ratings and reviews on an Apartment Ratings site apartmenteviews.net.
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9 Responses to “Living in an Apartment: Landlord Issues”
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http://www.ago.mo.gov/publications/landlordtenant.pdf
(click on the above link) This might help advise you a bit. It is the Landlord & Tenant Law from the state of MO. Hope this helps & good Luck! Also wanted to mention at the end of this booklet there are phone numbers you can call about this issue.
I would call the city inspector and see if the place is up to code for renting, Heck if something happened, you could be hurt or die, I know Lincoln Park Mi. you have to have a 7' 6" ceiling and no open drains in the floor.and more before you can rent a place out, you need pictures and lots of them, so if you go to small claims, the Judge will see you didn't choose to live like that before you signed a lease. This ain't Delray
Check your state laws and read up on tenant-landlord responsibilities. Apartment policy is subject to change, but this dude sounds like a scum bag. There's no harm in checking out what legal advice an attorney can offer you, try finding one who can give you a phone consult or even a free consult, but once again check your state laws. If he is violating anything within the contract, you most definitely have a case against him. If he promises in the contract to get back to you in a timely manner regarding home improvement and he doesn't, then he is in violation. Try going to the Better Business Bureau and filing a report. That might take more time than you have, so that can be step 2 after you have a consult with an attorney. If anything you can possibly take him to small claims court and get your deposits and any other payments made to him back, but come up with evidence, anything you can think of. If nothing can be done with lawyers or the BBB, look to see if there is a tenant buyout. It's more expensive than your usual monthly rate, but it will allow you to cut your lease short and run like hell! Good luck next time and remember, always get everything in writing and if something feels squirrly like you not getting a copy of your lease right away, run quick.
The landlord is taking measures to cure the issue by having an exterminator come out weekly. That is very aggressive extermination as it is generally done on a monthly basis.
How long has the problem existed? How long has the exterminator been servicing the rental?
Cockroaches can take a while to fully exterminate. I am unsure about ants – it would also depend on the type of ant.
Does the exterminator know that you are using spray? If not, you should ask him if it is acceptable. Many times the use of two different products will cancel out each other. Cockroach sprays and bombs should never be used in combination for this reason.
At this point, it seems as though the landlord is doing her duty by having an exterminator come out weekly, so she is not in breach of the lease.
If you are not satisfied, you can call your local housing inspector and they will force the landlord to take more aggressive action. Many times the inspector will give the landlord a time schedule in which the problem must be cured.
If the inspector deems the pest issue a health issue, the inspector can provide you with the means to break your lease legally, but only if he deems the issue as severe.
You cannot deem the rental uninhabitable – you would need the inspector or a judge to do so. If you were to move out without going through the proper channels forst, you could be held liable for the rent through the expiration of your lease.
You should have no problem with the parent's signature. And not legal without their signatures since minors can't sign contracts unless they have been emancipated. It is a very common situation.
Without a written lease, you are considered a month-to-month tenant. Most states would require you to give 1 full rental period (30 days) as notice. Not having a lease does NOT mean you are not required to give notice.
Something similar happened to me, and I spoke calmly to my leasing manager and was offered 3 months free rent and a check to cover the deductable on my renters insurance, if I agreed not to take legal action. I don't know what the Law would say, but I was satisfied. I think though that any landlord/leasing company would rather pay our a thousand dollars or so to make the issue go away rather then face legal costs / poor publicity. If you feel you have legal grounds to sue, then many attorneys will provide a free assesment of your options, and many times not charge you a fee, but simply take a percentage of any money won.
You can call your landlord and explain the situation to her. But if she says no, then you are out of luck. Most reputable adoption places will ask for your landlord's phone number to verify that pets are allowed or will ask for a signed letter with phone number stating that it's acceptable.
If you have ANY possibility of moving into another no pet apartment, then it's not a good time to get a pet. Wait until you are more stable so that you don't end up with heartbreak later. Unfortunately with all the unethical breeders and owners out there, there will always be dogs available at local shelters.
It sounds like you are in a very unfortunate situation. Depending on the state you are in, there may be a protection that would apply to you. In some states, misrepresented rentals or inadequate maintenance/repair services can give you the right to break your current lease with little/no financial impact to you. If you google Renter's Rights and your state, you should find some helpful information. I hope something works out for you and your baby on the way.