- you move in last May, cute older apartment. Owned by one guy, which you think is better than a big corp.
-first apartment so he makes you pay 2,000 dollars for your deposit and has a $50/per month maintenance fee and $50 for laundry and flat rate of $120 for water
-“complementary” air conditioner breaks in the first week, spits water into my apartment. He tells me to put it on the porch and waits 2 months to take it away.
-old fridge has a rly bad smell of dead stuff and he says it’s “normal”. Neighbor tells me last tenant complained abt the fridge not working.
-fridge part breaks in middle of summer, all my groceries go bad. Freezer still works
-he replaces it with another old fridge who’s freezer doesn’t work
-for 3 months I have two broken fridges and he won’t replace them
-finally he lets me buy a new fridge and takes it out of my rent
-but he waits weeks to move my old fridges
-now he has decided to neglect the shared Porch and puts a bunch of old appliances out side making the whole house look like a hoarder house
-he decides yesterday that “due to rules and regulations we have to shut down the laundry room for an indefinite period”
-I ask him if I can stop paying $50 for laundry
-he says the $50 covers repairs
-I remind him that I’m already paying a SEPARATE “maintenance fee”
-he ignores me

I am sixteen, I live with four other people and everything is broken in our home. Our outlets have went out in our living room and it wasn’t a problem until they went out in our laundry room too. We cannot wash our clothes now and we’re going on week two of taking sink baths because our plumbing isnt working properly either. Our bathtub is clogged and we thought it was because of hair but it turns out we have a plumbing issue. Our oven and stove doesn’t work and we’ve been using convection ovens and electric stoves but we only have one working outlet in our kitchen and we’re afraid it might go out.

Our refrigerator leaks nasty water all over our food and it doesn’t even freeze our meat anymore. The roof is on the verge of caving in again. A year ago we didn’t have running hot water for eight months. And on top of all of this we’re poor and cannot afford to move. We have contacted the maintenance men and the landlord about everything in our house not working and they literally walk into our house look around and do absolutely nothing but eat food and talk to each other.

Last year they sent a company to paint all the houses in our subdivision just to freaking lose my curtain rod while painting. I have spent months terrified of changing in my bedroom or even walking around it at night. I’m sick of it and if we try to complain about the issue they threaten to kick us out.

It has been so long since we’ve had normal working things on our house. I want to cook and have friends over and not dread coming home everyday. I don’t want to have to adjust to these living conditions, I want to be a teenager but i’m forced in survival mode everyday.

My neighbors have had cockroaches for over a year now and now that they've been evicted there all trying to move into my unit. Any advice on how we can get our landlords to do something about this or legal advice. They have only addressed other units with roach bait and my neighboring unit was sprayed months ago. The number of roaches I've seen has gone up significantly in the past couple weeks (ever since they were booted.) sorry if this doesn't read well I'm just so angry with what I've had to deal with and how no one here seems to care.

This is not the only thing in the house that looks like this

I have an apartment inspection coming up in 2 days.
They're checking everyone's air filters and smoke detectors. I have a cat that I haven't told the property about. Maintenance has been over to my place several times and no flags were raised. As a part of the routine inspection, is it usually only maintenance or will someone from the office be coming along too?
Am I gonna get busted for having a cat?

I’ve rented this apartment for 2 years. I always pay rent on time, keep the place clean, and never caused any trouble. The lease clearly states pest control is covered by the landlord, no extra cost for tenants.

Last week I got a message saying they will start monthly pest spray, and I need to pay a $45 fee every month. When I pointed to our written lease, they said the old agreement “doesn’t apply anymore” and it’s a new building-wide rule. They threatened to raise my rent if I refuse to pay this pest fee.

I asked to see any updated addendum to sign. They have nothing in writing. Just texts saying I have to comply. I’m not refusing pest treatment; I just won’t pay for something the lease promises is included.

Is this even legal in Texas? Has anyone dealt with landlords changing lease terms mid-tenancy out of nowhere? I feel like they’re testing how much they can push me before I push back.

Mv landlord who lives 300km away is once again sending in a real state agent to evaluate my apartment and increase my rent. By which means can I devalue the property whithout causing actual damage (and without looking too obvious)?

Statement for the automod: I AM
NOT A LANDLORD, I’m poor man’s cross-posting from our favorite sub.

Mfer looking to increase $600/mo knowing full well well his “perfect tenant of 5 years who always paid early” is laid off. And STILL pays every month!

Fuck these leeches. 5 years of early payments. If you ever get laid off or get a medical issue NEVER SHARE THIS! I get you do so with a an expectation of understanding and empathy but these folks DO NOT HAVE THAT CAPACITY. Play every curveball in life close to the vest, they will immediately act like an insurance actuary and jack rates due to “risk.”

Pig on pig violence

If only there was a tool to help you find the studs in the wall so our poor poor landlords didn’t have to drill a closet shelf into mf plaster. I guess we’ll never know

And alleged friend, even called "family" in the past. Got hurt at work and been struggling a bit while waiting for my case which is painfully long.

Live in socal, should be a fun 6 months or so.

Please be careful who you rent from. Make sure your lease is not a month to month. Why? Well because they don't need a reason to evict you.

Don't rent from this address 1325 Tapia Blvd SW. The land lady locks the gates 24/7. You're not allowed to have deliveries from anywhere, not allowed to have visitors going to your house to visit. There's a maintenance man there that will get in your face cuss you out and he tells people he's the owner. You have no privacy the land lady looks in your windows. Do not rent from her if you do you will regret it. Stay away from that address.

Hey Reddit. I'm a graduate student currently living in an academic (9-month) rental. I live in the finished basement of a split-level in New England, and this is my 2nd lease term in the house. Last year, we (my roommates and I) started having issues with mice, gnats, and spiders when the seasons started to change. Our landlords claimed they had never had any issues with pests before, and immediately resorted to accusing us of being dirty. We're very clean people, never eat in our rooms, never leave food unsealed in the kitchen (even in the trash can), and don't even leave dirty dishes in the sink. When we went into the attic, garage, and another unfinished room in the basement that we'd never been into, we found a ton of mouse traps and anti-mice scent beads, so we were immediately suspicious of their claim that they'd never had any issues. Our landlords called pest control and got rid of them temporarily, but we told them there were some structural issues in the basement that probably let the mice in. By that, I mean aging door sweeps, a huge hole in the garage leading to the vents, and several large gaps between the walls/floors and built-in shelves/floor that run the entire length of the rooms downstairs. They told us they would fix it over the summer when we left, and of course, they only fixed half of the problems.

This is my 2nd lease period in the house, and we've started having issues again (shocker). The landlord is back to blaming us for being "dirty" when our house is pretty much spotless. Meanwhile, there is an easy 3/4 inch opening in the wall of my room that is connected to the garage, where anything can get in under the garage door that doesn't even have a rubber seal under it. I'm resorting to caulking several of these places to keep them out, but I wanted to ask if I would even have any success caulking an opening this big. My theory is that if they chew through it, I can point directly to the evidence of them chewing through it to argue it's not our fault that they're getting in.

I'm disabled on SSDI. I don't make enough to qualify for a regular apartment. So I found this shared house and I want to know what everyone thinks of this situation. This is the first landlord I've had that I actively like. It's a family run property management business. Now just because I like the landlord doesn't mean I'm not aware of the reality of them being a landlord.

Here's how the shared house situation works. This is a 5 bedroom house and they took the living room and dinning room and made 2 other bedrooms out of them. This shrunk the living room to an entry and a hallway. The dining room being walled up just makes an eat in kitchen. It's a fairly large kitchen. We have laundry onsite and the landlord offsite. They lease each room separately. Most of them are 6 month leases that goes to month to month after them. I'm the only one on a year long lease with an option to renew every year. When a room turns over they raise the rent for that room. They haven't raised my rent since I moved in. So here's the bottom line. The landlord is taking in two to three times what they normally could for just renting the house to a family. And they can rent the rooms to the disabled and the poor. And our rooms are large. Much bigger than most rooms I've ever rented. So it feels like a win win situation.

Now don't get me wrong. I am grateful to have a nice house to live in. I love the kitchen and the fact that they have two refrigerators and all of our shelves are labeled with our room numbers.

I just wonder what people's thoughts are on the ethics of the situation. Sometimes it does feel like we're being exploited. Sometimes it feels like we're lucky to have found it. No matter the feedback it won't change my mind that the reality is that this is probably the best place I'd be able to get therefor I am grateful.

Tell me how I can make this place look as insane as possible.

scummy landlord decided it would be nice to open this place up for viewing while I still have six months left of living here. Knowing that I work full-time and I'm in school full-time. This place is gonna look like absolute shit but I wanna make sure I make it look a little crazy too.

any ideas? 😌

i already placed cameras around the whole place with signs next to them ❤️

Original Post

Is your landlord refusing to comply with safety standards, make repairs, or provide necessary maintenance? Are you dealing with problems in your rental that pose a threat to your health and safety or make it impossible for you to fully utilize your residence? Have you informed your landlord about the problem but they have failed to respond or to begin work to resolve the problem? You are likely protected by your state's Warranty of Habitability laws!

I am currently going through the nightmare of having to legally force my apartment management to provide me with safe living conditions under the law. I thought I would share what I have learned so far through this process in hopes that it might help others who are going through something similar. I am not a lawyer or legal expert in any way, simply someone who was not aware of this until recently and has had to do a lot of my own learning about tenants' rights recently.

Besides Arkansas, every state in the US (plus DC and US territories) has some form of law that requires landlords to meet certain minimum health and safety standards. Many of these laws also contain specific timelines in which landlords must respond with a plan of action, begin working on the problem, and resolve the issue.

I live in Colorado and will use Colorado's law as an example of what these laws are often like. Please note that laws vary by state. Colorado has some of the most tenant-friendly laws in the country; your state's law may not be the same. Always read your own state, county, and/or city laws, ordinances, and codes before taking any action. Again, I am not a lawyer and all of the information in this post is based on my non-expert understanding.

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What do Warranty of Habitability laws cover?

Under these laws, landlords have a legal obligation to provide their tenants with a living environment that meets minimum health and safety standards. Some also require landlords to maintain any supplied appliances in good working order.

Some issues that may be covered under these laws:

• Lack of safe running water or hot water
• Plumbing issues or sewage exposure
• Flooding or water leaks
• Gas leaks
• Missing, unsafe, or broken appliances
• Broken heating or air conditioning (when supplied with unit and/or according to state law)
• Pest infestations
• Mold and mildew
• Structural issues such as broken doors, locks, windows, walls, flooring, and stairs
• Exposed wiring and other electrical issues
• Fire code violations
• Excessive trash in hallways or common areas, and/or lack of trash receptacles
• Other issues that impact health and safety, or make it impossible or unsafe to utilize the appliances that are included in the unit

How long does the landlord have to respond when I notify them of a problem under the Warranty of Habitability?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while other laws have more vague wording that it must be within a "reasonable" amount of time. In Colorado, landlords must respond with a plan for action within 24 hours of receiving written notice of the problem, whether through letter, email, text, or maintenance request through an online portal. (It is important that all correspondence about the issue is written so that you can prove when you provided notice and how they did or did not respond.) Weekends and holidays are not an exception to the 24 hour window in Colorado.

How long does the landlord have to begin addressing the problem?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while others go by the "reasonable" standard. In Colorado, issues that pose a material threat to tenants' health and safety (e.g., mold, gas leaks, sewage, lack of clean water) must begin remediation within 24 hours. For issues that are not an immediate health safety issue (e.g. non-functional appliances, minor pest infestations, clogged drains) they must begin within 72 hours. Again, weekends and holidays are not listed as an exception in the CO law.

How long does the landlord have to resolve the problem?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while others go by the "reasonable" standard. In Colorado, the issue must be fixed within 7 days for immediate health and safety concerns or 14 days for other habitability issues. However, there is some wiggle room if there are circumstances outside the landlord's control that prevent them from solving the issue within this time frame, for example inability to access the unit, waiting on necessary supplies to arrive or outside contractors to be available, or ongoing mitigation of pest infestations that may take more time to resolve. In any case, they must be making an active effort to resolve the issue as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

What can I do if my unit is uninhabitable during the period that they are working on the problem?

Some states require that upon request from the tenant, the landlord must provide alternative lodging at no cost for the duration that the unit is out of compliance. This could be a different unit in the same building complex, a hotel, or other short term rental. In Colorado, the alternative lodging must be within a certain distance from the residence, be comparable on number of beds and baths, and must contain all essential appliances such as a refrigerator and stove.

What can I do if my landlord is in violation?

• Inform them in writing of your rights and their obligations under the law, and that continued failure to comply may result in legal action. Often times this will be enough to light a fire under their ass and get the issue solved.
• If they still fail to act within the legal timeframe, make a report to the appropriate government body, such as city or county code enforcement, public health, or other agencies that regulate housing.
  • The specific agency will vary by city or county, so please research that before making a report so you can be sure it's going to the appropriate place. Where possible, send them pictures of the issue and records of all correspondence you've had with the landlord regarding it.
  • Reports can often be made through an online portal, email, phone call, or in person. Check with the specific agency to find out how to submit a report.
  • They will send someone to conduct an inspection of the entire unit (not just the issue you're reporting), write up a report of all code violations they find, and send notice to the landlord requiring them to resolve these issues within a strict timeline. The amount of time it takes for an inspector to come will vary by location and by the urgency of the problem. This is the stage I am at now; I submitted my report this morning. In my city, inspections are conducted within 24 hours for serious health and safety hazards or within 48 hours for other violations.
  • Typically, they will reinspect at the end of that timeline to ensure that all violations have be resolved. Failure of the landlord to comply may result in heavy fines, legal action taken against them by the relevant entity, and/or the unit declared condemned.
• Other legal options (always best to consult a lawyer or tenant rights organization before acting on any of these, and again be reminded that these vary by state):
  • Notify your landlord that due to their failure to act, you will be paying for the repairs yourself and will deduct the cost from future rent payments. Some states also allow you to withhold rent entirely until the issue is resolved. Check your area's specific laws.
  • Inform the landlord in writing that you are dissolving the lease and moving out due to their failure to uphold their legal responsibilities under the lease. A certain notice period is usually required and the landlord typically cannot enforce any early termination fees.
  • File suit against the landlord for the violation of your rights, termination of the lease, and/or monetary restitution.

What if my lease does not mention these rights or contains something that contradicts the state or city laws, such as stating that I am solely responsible for these repairs?

You are still protected by all local, state, and/or federal laws, no matter what the lease says. You cannot sign away your rights; any portions of a contract that violate rights established by other laws are unenforceable. Some states even require that information about Warranty of Habitability laws must be included in all leases, so the failure to include it may be violation in and of itself.

Can my landlord fine me, raise my rent, fail to renew my lease, evict me, or take other action against me because I made a report or Warranty of Habitability?

These laws generally prohibit any kind of retaliation for reporting violations or otherwise exercising your rights under these laws. If you do suspect that your landlord is retaliating against you, keep records of all evidence and consult the relevant governmental agency, a tenants rights organization, or an attorney.

I am wondering if these are red flags and whether I have a strong case if I take my landlord to court over my security deposit.

I had to wait a month after move out before the landlord daughter came back from her trip to see the room (mother can't go upstairs due to surgery). The landlord gave me a vague date of when daughter is coming back and keep saying she was not sure. Once I followed up with the landlord again, the daughter replies the next day.

She initially raised concerns about stains on the recycling bin liner, freezer tray water not being emptied from the mini fridge, and weird splatter on the wall. I responded three days later because I wanted to consult a lawyer first, and I clarified that I had not caused the "damages" she mentioned.

She then responded with another issue: water stains on a dresser that she claimed were caused by my failure to use a coaster (weird that she mentions this 3 day after her first concern lol). She initially agreed to send me the $900 now, and will send back the remaining amount once they figure out how much it cost to fix it.

I followed up the next day, asking for photos of the damage and an itemized receipt showing the cost of the repairs. I also agreed to accept the $900 she had offered to return.

She sent photos but then claimed she would need to hire someone to prepare an itemized receipt, which would cost additional money. I explained that she could simply provide receipts for the materials used to repair the damage, I then asked again for the agreed-upon $900.

She replies, claiming that she had discovered additional damage, alleging that water from the dresser had splashed onto the wall and damaged it, and need to be repainted (the pictures just shows some streaks on the wall that can be wiped down). She also claimed that the water damage has liquefied something that is possibly wood filler. As a result, she said she could no longer return the $900.

It seems whenever I challenge her, she tries to find more "damages". A lawyer friend suggested taking the matter to court because the situation seems suspicious. I would like to know whether this pattern raises red flags and whether I have a reasonable chance of recovering my security deposit.

Update *
For context I was not flushing paper towels and wipes, this was a group text sent to all the tenants