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Massive ant invasion pits tenants against landlord

By Robert Griswold, Monday, November 28, 2005.

Question: My girlfriend and I recently began renting a nice home. About a month after living here, ants began to invade. They started in the kitchen, and then appeared in the bedroom, living room and bathroom. I have found them on the outside of the house as well. We keep the house looking nice and clean. We have tried to get rid of them with over-the-counter ant killers, but with this many, we really need an exterminator. We notified our landlords about the problem, but they do not want to pay for an exterminator. more...

Bank error brings out landlord's greed, insensitivity
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, November 10, 2005.

Question: I own a rental condo and have a tenant who two months ago was very late in payment of the rent and last month the rent check bounced due to a banking error, substantiated by a letter from his bank. My question is what can I charge back to the tenant? I know I can charge for the returned rent check; however, there are other charges and expenses incurred by me. These include the fees I had to pay to my mortgage company for sending them a bad check and overdrafts for other payments that I made expecting timely and funded rent checks from my tenant. more...

Repainting rental puts tenant in financial pickle
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, October 26, 2005.

Question: I am a tenant and I really don't like the color of the walls in my apartment. Is it OK to paint a unit, especially when the tenant supplies the paint and labor? Is there anything that I should do to protect myself from being charged when I move out for repainting?

Property Manager Griswold replies: more...

Can renter break lease to buy a house?
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, October 12, 2005.

Question: I signed a one-year lease three months ago and just found a great house that I can afford to buy. My rental is very noisy, which makes it difficult to sleep. Also, the yard is really too small for my large dog and it is quite a walk to the closest bus stop for my son to go to school. My landlord is very nice, but the amount we pay for rent is close to what our mortgage would be. Are there agreeable ways to break a lease, or should I just hold off buying a house for nine more months? I have been told that you can find a replacement renter and not lose any money. more...

Must tenant provide landlord with proof of renter's insurance?
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, September 28, 2005.

Question: My landlord sent me a notice stating that when I sign my next lease renewal I must provide proof of renter's insurance and that I must have certain minimum limit on personal property ($20,000) and personal liability ($100,000). The landlord must also be named as secondary insured. Is this requirement legal? What implications does it have for me in the event of a claim or lawsuit?

Property Manager Griswold replies: more...

Landlord gives tenant grief over lock change
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, September 14, 2005.

Question: I recently changed the locks to the front door of my apartment and immediately provided the landlord with a new key. The landlord then sent a letter indicating that I violated the lease by making an "alteration" to the property. Is this correct? There is no provision in the lease about changing locks, but there is a provision that it is a violation of the lease if alterations are made to the apartment without the landlords' approval.

Property Manager Griswold replies: more...

Roommate chaos erupts when job loss hits household
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, August 31, 2005.

Question: My roommate has become a flake. She lost her job a few months ago and basically moved her boyfriend into our rental without my permission. But he isn't working either and has no money. Each month we would typically pay our respective 50 percent share of the rent directly to the landlord, but some months I covered a portion of her share. Since we moved in two years ago, I have consistently paid my share of the rent but my roommate is now only paying a portion of her share. Apparently, she lied to me and didn't pay any of her portion of the rent last month. more...

Renter struggles to find housing after bankruptcy
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, August 17, 2005.

Question: Why is it so difficult to obtain a rental after bankruptcy? I have been discharged for a little over a year and have had the hardest time renting. I am well over the income requirements and feel that I'm being punished for filing bankruptcy. I have a stable job and have worked at the same company for almost 14 years. I am a single mother of three with stable employment and am financially able and willing to pay rent. What can I do?

Landlords' attorney Smith replies: more...

Does tenant have to pay full rent during construction?
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, August 3, 2005.

Question: My landlord started some major work on our building's roof and deck. We were only notified of the starting date of the demolition in writing a week before they started. The landlord has not told us the duration of the construction or when somebody will come into our unit. It is in the second week already and currently we have all the deck furniture and BBQ in our apartment, no use of the deck and limited use of the garage. Do we have to pay full amount of the rent for these periods?

Tenants' attorney Kellman replies: more...

When is mold considered a health-and-safety issue?
By Robert Griswold, Wednesday, July 20, 2005.

Question: I have been renting my apartment for nearly three years now. My kitchen floor under the stove is coming up and there is mildew forming on the kitchen walls and bathroom, including the bathroom window inside the shower. While I have certainly seen it in my life, I am not a fan of mold, mildew or any other type mold or fungus. I am at a point to where I want to move just because of the disgust. I like the apartment though, but I cannot stand the mildew. I don't know who to call on this issue. The apartments are very old and I don't know my rights as a tenant. more...

Tenant seeks payment for property repairs
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, February 17, 2005.

Question: We have been renting a home for many years on a month-to-month basis. Over the past few years we have had situations where repairs were needed that were either a safety or health risk to our family. Some of the repairs were approved and completed by our landlord, while many other requests for repairs were ignored. The repairs that were ignored by the landlord were completed by us. The landlord has been told about all the repairs prior to us making them. We were never reimbursed for these repairs nor did we deduct the cost from any of these repairs from our rent payments. more...

Flood damage reinforces value of renter's insurance
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, February 3, 2005.

Question: I came home after work Sunday night to find firemen in my rental condominium removing my belongings. A hot water pipe from the unit above me had broken and 500-700 gallons of water were inside my unit and soaking my belongings. Ceilings and walls were coming down, and a restoration person had already started working on the upstairs unit when I arrived. He worked on my unit until 3 a.m. the first night and several days thereafter. I am still in a motel and will be at least until the end of next week. more...

Tenant suspicious of utility bills that withhold usage details
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, January 20, 2005.

Question: I live in a large apartment complex where the tenants have to pay water, sewage and garbage. I receive a bill every month from a private company that acts as a billing service for the landlord. Unlike an electric/gas bill where they show you your usage, these bills just have an amount. I have been told by the apartment manager that they take the complete water usage of the complex and divide it by how many tenants live in each apartment. more...

Apartment tenants succumb to weeklong elevator breakdown
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, January 6, 2005.

Question: I live in a Section 8 apartment community for seniors. I live on the fourth floor and cannot walk. I use a wheelchair to get around, as most others do in my building. A few weeks ago the elevator in our building broke down and it was not fixed for more than seven days, stranding all second-, third- and fourth-floor tenants who were in their apartments. Those residents who happened to be out of their apartment the day the elevator stopped working couldn't return for a week. more...

Family accused of exceeding apartment occupancy limit
By Robert Griswold, Thursday, December 23, 2004.

Question: What can be done about neighbors who are living in a one-bedroom apartment with two small children? I have reported it to the management and they will not ask them to move. The regulations state that only two people can live in a one-bedroom apartment. They are also extremely noisy.

Landlord's attorney Smith replies: more...

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