Comments for Renters Rights: Taking on your landlord

Comment on Chapter 14 by CowboyUp

CowboyUp — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:50:21 +0000

I am staying on my security deposit for my last month as a renter does my landlord have the right to say i have to be out 3 days before the end of the month so he can clean the place to rent it by the 1st

A. Your lease should tell you when the last day of your tenancy occurs. Your landlord has to honor that.

Comment on Contents by rsmoore89

rsmoore89 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:41:45 +0000

We moved into an apartment in December. We had looked at a one bedroom apartment before we moved in there, but it was not the same one we would be renting out. When we moved in I immediately noticed that all the cupboards in the kitchen reeked of cigarette smoke. I’ve always had a sensitivity to cigarette smoke (I get congested, sore throats, sometimes I even break out on my hands) but I didn’t think it would be a problem. Now, I’ve had a sore throat, and feel stuffed up in my head for about two weeks now. My fiance is sneezing alot (he’s also had a sensitivity to smoke when he was younger) and the only thing I can think of that is causing it is the smoke smell. The tenant in the apartment below us smokes like a chimney and when their door opens, we can get a strong whiff of the nasty smell. Is there anything we can do?

Comment on Chapter 15 by caregiver77

caregiver77 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:28:10 +0000

My lease is up on January 31, 2012 … gave the appropriate notice but need an extension due to the fact that I am caregiver for my Dad and he needs certain accommodations making it a little difficult … There are so many problems here in the apartment beginning day 1 of move in with no response/remedies/repairs — i.e., no heat/freeze in winter months; window leaks/mold; plaster falling/hole in ceiling … and the garage door is always broken/side door to building is always broken – jeopardizing residents’ safety … to make matters more difficult, 10/2011 they started working on a crumbling wall at the entrance of our garage (that was crumbling when I moved in 2010…) and it was to take 3 weeks and it is now going on 15 weeks and still not complete … we had to move our cars every morning by 8a. and move them back in after 5p. Mondays-Saturdays. They said I have to pay $200 extra a month to stay past my date — needless to say I am still rushing to find a place … I asked, given the circumstances, and the manager agreed-there are problems here, if I could get a 1-2 month extension at a lower rate? I was told no, but he would ask the owner and get back with me in a couple of days (last Thursday) but have not heard from him. We have complained about ‘ice’ at side entrance door and trash can area … but the maintenance person said he had asked for salt and they had not brought it to him … there was a thick sheet of ice on walkway to door … called to let them know they needed to ice the walkway before someone gets hurt bad and that my daughter fell and hit her head and back and the girl did not even let me get it out … she cut me off and said “Bob is over there he will take care of!” I called the manager and left him a voicemail regarding this and he has not called back at all … the walkway got shoveled and salted later the next day. I am trying to find temporary quarters but it is hard to move an 84 year old twice in 2 months …

Comment on Chapter 5 by nate44231

nate44231 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 11:39:56 +0000

I’m having problems with my dish washer. I have called ny landlord 4 times about it and he refuses to repair-replace it. What can I do about this?

A. You must provide the landlord with written notice of the problem. If after doing so, the landlord fails to fix the problem within a reasonable amount of time or 30 days, whichever comes first, you can escrow your rent with the county municipal court.

Comment on Chapter 7 by Sandra Townsend

Sandra Townsend — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:37:58 +0000

Hello, this makes my second winter living at this apt. and have had to use emergency heat setting instead of just being able to set it normal. It blows out cold air when setting the way it’s suppose to be set. This emergency heat setting has caused my electric bill to extremely increase. My apt. is not that large and when I’m not home I turn the thermostat down. I am the only person living in this apt. I have had maintenance out since I moved here on several occasions and some say there is a problem and others say not. I have been told that all other tenants living here doesn’t have to keep there thermostat set on emergency. A few maintenance men have told me there is a problem but their supervisor won’t let them fix the problem. Does anyone know who I can contact to resolve this issue ? Thanks !

Comment on Chapter 7 by carla

carla — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 17:10:10 +0000

We recently had prescription drugs and money stolen by a roommate. The roommate not only confessed to us he had stolen these things, after being confronted, but actually wrote a letter of apology which we have in our possession. I don’t know if this is pertinent, but he has other legal matters pending regarding a second DUI which he has totally ignored all directions given to him by the court. We presented all of this to our landlord, and had the police report and all of his records re: his DUI and past illegal activity. We wanted a new lease with him removed from the lease; and discussed with them that we needed their cooperation to remove him from the household per the local police.

And they refused to help us.

I have sent a letter by registered mail/signature required (as you have recommended on this site!) to the landlords stating just the facts of our conversation regarding all of this. What we want to know is this: if we are living with a thief who has entered our bedroom and admittedly stolen prescription drugs, and the landlords refuse to aid us, what can we do besides move out ourselves? Can we hold them responsible for any harm that comes to us because of their refusal to help us in this matter? A crime has been commited on their property and they are doing nothing about it. If he were growing pot on their property, not only would they be at risk for losing their rental property, BUT WE would be in trouble too! (as law enforcement will assume we are knowledgable or involved in the illegal activity).

Any help is appreciated!

A. If the roommate does not pay his share of the rent, you can attempt to evict him. Your other option may be to move out or threaten to move out if the lease is ending soon or if you are on a month to month tenancy. You could also bring criminal charges against the roommate and attempt to get a restraining order against him.

Comment on Contents by beautiful442

beautiful442 — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:20:02 +0000

Hi ,, i am in na lease option contract and for almost a month now my
Bathroon has been leakin in my kitchen , well i woke up to find my part
Of my kitchen tiles in the floor , when u flush the toilet it leaks in the kitchen
All over the bar, floor and every where , i told them about it a month ago
Is there anything i can do to get them to fix it ,,,, it cant be too safe having toilet
Water in the kitchen.. i have talked to nthem recently and they keep tellin
Me that parts are on order.
About three months ago my bathroom was saturated when u would
Walk on the floor u could see water bubbleing up and hey never fixed that
Problem and i believe thats y my ceiling fell down ..
Is there anyway u could guide me in the right direction
Thank u beautiful442

Comment on Chapter 16 by LisaNicole

LisaNicole — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 12:22:22 +0000

HELP!!! I live in Shaker Heights, OH in an apt complex where the management owns LOTS of properties & bc of that customer service is the WORST I have ever seen. Included in the rent is heat & water, here’s the thing: I have called over 7 times bc there is no heat in my apt and the temp outside is 30 degrees. The lease states that the Management will “supply a reasonable amount of heat” but no heat in winter is a problem for me. Is there anyway that I can fight these people & just have heat in my home? Please respond~thank you!

Comment on Chapter 15 by They want 60 days notice...

They want 60 days notice... — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:34:39 +0000

My lease on my apt ends on 1/6. We are closing on a house before the lease ends, so we will be moving out at the end of our lease (not renewing or continuing month to month). I gave written notice on 11/27 as such. However, after calling them and confirming receipt on 11/29, they claim I need to pay rent through 1/27 because my lease stated I needed to give them 60 days notice before moving out, even at the end of the lease. They basically automatically enrolled me in month-by-month without giving me rates first (higher than current rates). The only notice, reminder or inquiry I got about this from the complex was given in a letter on 11/27 giving new rates and a reminder that they needed 60 days notice. It also said I needed to reply by 1/16 for those rates. Is this legal? What should my next steps be? As additional info, my rent is due on the 3rd of every month and I will be requesting a copy of my lease today, along with a written confirmation of my letter from 11/27, as well as a copy of the letter they sent on 11/27.

A. If you are on a month to month tenancy then you only need to give 30 days written notice and not 60.

Comment on Chapter 3 by Gloria

Gloria — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 00:52:21 +0000

I hope I am in the right place. Can the landlord rent out the house if you moved before the rent expires? Example: I paid Aug. Rent. Left on 11th of Aug. with a 30 day notice beganing Jul 18th. They rented the house before I could finish the house and when we came back to finish up the maintence man use his key to get in and had the air compressor and paint to paint the house and his tools were there and he took down the bathroom closet. He was hurring me out of there and could not figure out why. My husband told the landlord we will be back to give her the keys and she did not have the keys for they were already taken over the place and my rent was paid for until Aug. 31. Can she made a lease before the rent runs out? Gloria

A. Technically, you should have possession until the end of the month.