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 Can my Landlord do this?
Im moving out of my rented flat the end of October. I gave him my 30days notice today which he was happy about. He did said however that he will have to start looking for new tenant's, which is ...


 Instead of going after the poor people trapped in ARMs, why doesn't the government go after the loan sharks?
They keep saying the sub-prime loan problem is due to people getting loans they couldn't afford. But the problem is the ARMs have been adjusting up by 2% a year. Who can afford a 12% mortgage? ...


 Was my father right or wrong?!? Pretty simple question lol?
Hey im 13 and in 8th grade and i have this to desire to be rich lol and happy, but really rich lol. My father said that if you purchase a condominium you can trade with other buyers in different ...


 I'm thnking that home mortgage rates will go as low as 5% and that home will probably decrease about 20 % in
most markets and that prices will remain in a valley for about 8 to 10 years ...... What's your forecast ????...


 How much do you think a seller will lower down the price of their home?
I'm just searching homes. If they list a price, how much lower can they go down or that they might be willing to go down?


For examle:

I just want to know, because the ...


 If a rented property floods, is that just the landlords problem?
I've found a nice place to live but it floods (not too bad) a little each spring. If i rent it and it's damaged by floods, is that my problem or can i just move out and leave the landlord ...


 ARM or Fixed Mortgage?
Planning on buying a condo for 175,000 in Texas. First time buyer. I've done some research and know I can afford it, but dont know much about mortgages. I will probably be in the place for 10 ...


 2 years ago my house px 355K. now it is apprsd @250K only. how does it affct my mortgage loan principal paymt?
...


 Someone tricked me into signing papers. What should I do?
My sister & I owned a house together. I've been living here for more then 15 years. I trusted her. However, on the night before I was supposed to leave for Japan, she told me that we ...


 We live in a 1 bedroom flat, but share the building with 3 other tenants.?
Last night (Thursday) one of the tenants had people over. They talked loudly and had loud music on from 11:30pm until 5am. I told them to keep it down, but it simply started up again.

They ...


 Im short on rent and was wondering if i could use the my security depost to pay?
...


 How do i get a home equity loan if i resently inherited a home and it is not in my name?
i want to sell but need to repair some things....


 What would be the best advice a homeowner could give to a first timer?
I'm getting ready to purchase a home for the first time and I need advice, what are some very important things that I should know before and after I close the deal....


 How much more of drop in the price of houses can we expect in the next 6 months? I'm looking to buy. Wait?
I'm looking to buy in Chicago's NW suburbs. I can wait another 4 months if I need to. Is that my best bet?

What can I expect to pay for a house that is listed for 300k right now ...


 I signed a contract with a real estate agency which said I pay 4%when they sell my property & now they want 6%
They said I have to pay 6 % now because the sale was from another real estate agency and they want a cut. They said I could have prevented this by muli- listing but I thought I was doing them a ...


 Does putting pictures of the inside of your house on the MLS help it sell?
I just want to know if seeing the inside of the house on the website is actually helpful or not for the seller. T...


 House for sale owned by the listing agent.?
We are in NJ. We're interested in a particular house which we have an appt to see. I checked into the tax info and saw who currently owns the home. I just realized he is the real estate agent ...


 Moved out of apartment and off lease now my ex boyfriend wont let me get my things.?
I was on a lease with my ex bf and less then two weeks ago and i had to remove myself off cause of school purposes for my son. At that time i was involved in a bad car accident and was not able to ...


 Is it illegal for a realtor to help with down payments on a house?
I am trying to close on a house that had many issues on the loan. I've even got to the end, and the bank saw a judgement on my credit that the underwriter didnt catch. 2 mos later, my credit has ...


 Need $475 to pay rent?
...



empanda
Can I legitimately get money off my rent?
We just moved into a new house and when we did the place was filthy - walls dirty,carpets muddy, cobwebs everywhere. We were told it would be clean before we moved in. Also, when we viewed the property I specifically asked if a big under-stairs storage area had damp, and the agent said no. However, on moving in, it is so damp the door is actually rotten (and because of this, very difficult to open) and whenever you touch the walls paint comes away on your hand.

We have thus had to spend lots of time on cleaning and decorating, and buy additional storage (it's a furnished flat) and I have not had time to work all week (I am freelance).

My mother reckons we are within our rights to ask for two weeks rent free to make up for the time and money we have spent on this, and I wondered what our prospects were.

Has anyone ever done this?
Does anyone work for a property management company?
Any Advice?
                     
 




Willems_grandpa
Diffidently ask.
Nothing ventured nothing gained.


a.hawari@sbcglobal.net
If the owner wants to make you happy and stay for a long time it would be in their best interest to give u 2 weeks free however they are not obligated too once you have signed the contract it's a done deal because you stated that you understood the condition of the property once you signed


sbyldy@sbcglobal.net
Rating
I think it may be too late to anything about it now, your moving in implied that everything was ok.


libbyft
Rating
You should have negotiated this before you took the time off work, but did you make your displeasure known to the agent before you carried out the work? Have you got photos or other evidence that things were this bad?

I would go for it anyway - you won't be any worse off than you are now!


Jeff V
Rating
Did you look at the schedule of condition? Did you sign the schedule of condition? You normally have a few days from the commencement of the tenancy agreement to submit any problems.
Did you inform the agents as soon as you opened the door and found the condition? What was their reply?
Did you not see the damp problem yourself?

The Estate agent is probably not a qualified surveyor or timber and damp specialist so he only saw what you saw!

Have you taken digital photographs of the evidence?

Have you kept any receipts of cleaning materials purchased to carry out the cleaning?

Surely you must of noticed the condition of the walls!!

Legally you cannot withold rent this will mean you will be in arrears and this could affect your credit score or ability to rent another property in the future!!!
Firstly find out if the agents are manging the property or is it on a tenant introduction only. Speak with the agent and get the property professionally cleaned if it is managed by them or if you are happy with the cleanliness give them the receipts and ask for a refund.
If it is not then speak with the landlord and voice your concerns He/She may be more than happy to rectify any problems quickly and give you a refund on the cleaning costs.

Your Mother is incorrect. You do need to take the correct procedures to ensure these problems are sorted out quickly.

Good luck I do hope you sort this out amiably


bostonianinmo
Rating
You can ask, but it's probably too late now. The proper time to complain was as soon as you walked through the door and saw the condition of the unit. Since the place was not ready for occupancy you would have been in a position to demand that they put it right immediately.

As to the storage space, you should have checked that out when you first looked at the premises.

Issues such as this are completely avoidable if you perform a joint move-in inspection with the landlord or their representative. You should always demand such an inspection and refuse the keys (and refuse to pay the initial rents!) unless this is done.


simplesimon
This is made a little more difficult due to the fact you have already done all the work to set it straight, should it ever happen in the future I would try to sort it out first!

However, you are not entirely without hope. Rather than me copying words verbatim, have a look at this website which gives a good overview of the legal position you are in:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/family_parent/housing/disrepair_in_rented_accommodation.htm

Essentially, however, there is no particularly guarantee that you will get money back.

The first point to start with is you tennancy agreement, which should make reference to responsibility for repairs. It may be that something is expressly mentioned about cleaning and damp.

Second, I would start negotiations with your letting agency. There are various tactics you can employ here, but it is very important to be firm be civil. There is no point in being offensive and upsetting anyone, just report your legitimate grievances and say what you will be willing to accept as repayment. Although there is no overarching legal obligation for them to listen to you, it may help to use one (or all) of the following tactics:

* Use your damage deposit as levarage. Make it clear that if this is the condition they hand the flat over to you in, this is what they will receive it back in. If there are disagreements over the deposit you will be prepared to take whatever action is required to get it back in full (this would really help if you have photos of the state it was in).

* If appropriate, say you are willing to go to the local authorities due to genuine concerns about your health. If it is very damp you are entitled to do this (although its a faff you'd probably all be keen to avoid).

* Appeal to some sort of sense of logic. Explain the house is clearly rotting away, and needs basic repairs in order to sustain it. Say in its current condition you would never consider staying longer than your tennancy agreement, and it will struggle to rent in the future (although don't overdo it as they will know more about what will rent!).

* Make an official point of how disappointed you are that they misrepresented the property. Again, don't overdo it or annoy them unduly, but if they don't appear to be budging make a formal complaint and consider reporting them to ARLA (the governing body for letting agents).

Depending on the type of agreement the landlord has with the agency (i.e. how much they manage the property or just market it) it may be appropriate (and more fruitful) to contact them directly. Afterall, its their investment in the bricks and mortar and they shouldn't want it to be rotting away. It is possible the agency has not kept them informed of this, indeed, if they have a management contract with the landlord - they should be paying for cleaning so the landlord would be interested to hear they weren't!

Essentially, it is possible for you to get some money back. Be as polite as possible, and firm. Agencies are made up of human beings who do care (to a point), and the same applies for landlords. At the very least, if you make it clear you're not going to let this go - they may well relent just for an easier life.

Good luck!


cobymox
Rating
When i had the keys to my flat back in October to tidy up before i moved in, it too was in a filthy state. My parents helped me scrub and it was really hard work. I had my landlord call round to check on the electrics and while he was there he asked how everything was and i told him that when i leave i could basically trash the flat and still expect my deposit back because it was so bad. In return, he sent me a cheque for £100. Also, i told him that there was no way that i would use the cooker because it was so thick with grease, despite spending ages cleaning it. He ordered me a new cooker. A few months later, i also discovered damp in the back bedroom which had started to make my clothes mouldy. He brought round a de-humidifier and gives me a cheque of £10 a month to cover the extra costs. As the council owns the exterior of the property, i have had them call round to look at the damp and they have made some recommendations - i'm still waiting on this one.

It seems to me that my landlord was so desperate to have someone take the flat that he is willing to compromise on costs in order to keep me there. So i guess it all depends on how understanding/desperate your landlord is.


vdpphd
Rating
Any verbal assurances you were given by the rental agent are worthless. You may have a rental agreement, a form of legal contract, which has terms and conditions, which you signed when you made the deal to move in. Both you and your landlord are bound by those terms and conditions. In addition, every municipality, and every state, has laws governing the responsibilities of landlords and tenants, which are all that apply if you have no formal agreement, lease, or contract, and apply in addition to, or in some cases despite, the terms of your rental agreement or lease.

If you incur expenses to make your rental livable, when it is your landlord's responsibility to make it livable, you are entitled to reimbursement for your costs. This reimbursement can take the form of a period or amount of "free" rent. However, unless the property was not as represented by the agreement, or not in compliance with local ordinances, you do not have an absolute right to this compensation. You are usually not entitled to compensation for inconvenience, unless the defect is a violation of local law. A building inspector will let you know if the property is below standard, but may, if it is far enough below standard, condemn it, requiring you to move out. A trip to the nearest law library, or a consultation with a lawyer, will let you know what your rights are as a renter, subject to the agreement you signed, if any, and the statutes that apply where you live.

If you do not pay, and the landlord demands you pay, you may be subject to eviction, On the other hand, if you have an actionable case, you can take it to small claims court (if the amount is small enough) and have the landlord ordered to compensate you. In some states (i.e., California), rental laws favor the tenant, in others (i.e., New York), they favor the landlord.


BugsBunny
Rating
GOOD QUESTION...YES YOU CAN. First take photographs of everything. Then call in the decorators. Get the carpet fitters in, and any plumbing or electrical work sorted. Keep the receipts. Contact a lawyer, then slap an injunction on the landlord for negative estate livery. The courts favour a smart cookie, who gets things done.


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