Renters need to take extra precautions to cover their liabilities for when they leave the property. Even the nicest sounding landlords can still turn out to be interested only in their financial well being at the end of the term.
In the beginning make sure to document EVERYTHING that is wrong, substandard, cracked or in anything but in perfect condition. Take a video of the property. Have the landlord signoff on the list of problems that are acceptable to live with, but that you want to make sure won't come back to haunt you when you leave.
When preparing to leave, make sure you mail your 30 days of notice before that final 30 day mark and send it via certified mail. When you leave, do a final walkthrough and make the itemized list of problems at that time.
Remember during your stay to document anything you do to the property, keep receipts and any inspection reports.
I just had a landlord come back to me and claim that there was over $600 of damages to a place I had rented. The pool was the big item on the list. $400 to clean up the pool... even though the pool had been given to us in a less than perfect condition and where we had a verbal agreement that we could have left the pool covered the entire time and they wouldn't have minded. Now that we've moved out, they are claiming that not only do we not get our deposit back, but that we owe money. Of course, I have full documentation thanks to the wonderful pool and spa place we used which includes chemical tests done to the water over the time to show that it was not clean when we received it and receipts showing that we did everything within our power to clean things up.
Strangely enough these were the nicest landlords I think I had ever dealt with.. up until now.
Just to clarify the type of renters we were... we paid the rent a month in advance most of the time we were living there. We did not ask for modifications to be done when we moved in - allowing them to spend less and give it to us in more of an "as is" condition and got along with the neighbors etc.
Posted by Aaron at May 10, 2002 03:12 PMBuncha poopieheads.
Lemme know if it goes as far as court, 'cause I can testify to the shape of the place when it was rented. *hug* What are you going to do?
wow sup.
yea landlords sux
take them to court and get money for your time wasted in this ordel =D
Cya
Boloman
aka mike
I have severe water damage due to the recent rain. I called the manager right away to inform him that the roof was leaking, he said the earliest it would be repaired would be Tuesday. I disagree, due to the fact that tarps could have been placed on the roof to help further damage. I now have a stinking interior roof, with 5 feet of water damage. and never did the manager call to help with this problem. I would like to know what legal rights I have as a tenent because the repairs will probably be minimal if any are done. This is just another of the problems he has neglected and I've still got four months left on the lease. Is there any way out of this place before the lease is actually over, if so let me know.
Gary Bolita
Posted by: Gary on November 11, 2002 04:17 PM