How can they do this?? I have lived in my RENTED house for almost a year, and it is FALLING APART!?
When they redid the house, i.e. new paint job and new carpeting, I really don't think they replaced the beams becuase the house is LEANING toward the middle. I can't open some doors and others I can't shut!! We are just waiting for this house to fall in around us!
And I have told the Real Estate Agency about all this and they refurse to do anything about it. In FACT they have actually LAUGHED in my face about it!So my quesiton is, HOW CAN THEY KNOWINGLY KEEP ME IN A HOUSE THAT IS FALLING APART and then ask for $100 more in rent when my lease is up??
It is a nice house, except the fact that is it breaking.
Answer:
You have a case with HUD, then. Contact the department of Housing and Development in your community. Your landlord should have homeowners insuranceto cover this, and it's his problem, not yours. He does NOT have the right to up your lease while neglecting his responsibilities as a landlord. You are not helpless in this situation, but you have a "slumlord!"
Get ready to move, contact a home inspector, he can close it down if it is unsafe then they will be out of getting any rent at all, chances are you would have to move out anyway if they had to repair it. It will cost you to have it inspected by a certified house inspector, you may threaten that you are going to do that and see what their response is then, but be prepared to back up what you are telling them if they don't do anything. Check with a lawyer and see what recourse you may have
GO TO THE COURTS AND PUT YOUR RENT IN ESCROW,
IF THE LANDLORD DOES'NT FIX YOUR PROBLEM, TELL HIM
THE JUDGE IS HOLDING IT FOR HIM! THERE ARE LEGAL
WAYS TO DEAL WITH THIS ON GOING PROBLEM.
REMEMBER, TENANTS HAVE RIGHTS UNDER THE LAWS OF
HOUSING! CHECK THEM OUT!
Check with a lawyer or legal aid in your state. You may have the right to withold rent until the problems are fixed. Each state has regulations regarding the minimum standards that a home must be maintained to be considered habitable. If the landlord does not maintain the home to these standards they can be held liable in a court of law.
Having been in the property management business for over 15 years, I can tell you that landlords have the right to ask any amount they want for their units so long as they follow proper procedures ( giving proper notice, not exceeding states guidelines on increases, etc). The only choices you have as a tenant, are to agree to the new rents or to move.
I know that this sounds harsh, but rent hikes, even for a "dump", are one of the downsides to being a renter.
Best of luck in your situation.. As an after thought: You mentioned a real estate company. Have you tried contacting the owner directly? They may not be aware of the situation being as bad as it is. You can find out who the registered owner of a property is and their current mailing address by contacting your county's tax office.
I'd talk to the landlord or agency that you pay rent to again and insist that someone come and at least look at the items you're talking about. If they don't listen, you might try calling up the local news channel.that might generate some interest.
Call your town's building inspector and tell them the problem. They will come out and inspect the property. There should be no cost to you.
If the property is as bad as you say, then the building inspector will condemn the house. You will have to move out immediately and the landlord will have to repair before anyone can move back in.
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