Who knows Renters Rights?…legally speaking

[TexasLine]

I’m not big into “Rights”…not into having my hand out and saying “gimmee”. I say that a bit tongue and cheek(no need to lecture) 😉

Seriously though…we moved into a rental last summer with 2100 sq feet, that sits on 1/3 acre, has fruit trees and a great view. Many great aspects to it. It was a wonderful upgrade from our tiny 1100 sq ft., postage stamp garden in Coronado.

The yard was over grown with 10+ years of neglect…I have put so many hours into I can’t count. I did enjoy it, so it wasn’t all bad.

However,…the house is another issue all together. Everything is falling apart ie holes in doors-under thresholds, cracks in walls, unfinished cabinets, old inefficient windows, broken/missing rain gutters…the house is like a tent really. We get water under the back door at every rain(even drizzle), mostly due to the missing rain gutter above, and with that come slugs, spiders and other bugs into that room. I have plastic covering the outside of that door and that helps…and I could continue…

Yes the landlord knows…and says he will fix things…and doesn’t. I believe he doesn’t care. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a nice guy, but doesn’t do much and what he does is always halfa**.

I’ve played the nice guy role thus far, but I’m just about done with that.

Now to the “legal question”.

The latest issue was a broken sewer line under the house that the plumber said had been going on a long time, but we only discovered it because we found mold on a wall downhill from the leak….he paid to have that section replaced, but would not replace another section that was leaking so the plumber duct taped it. In the process of fixing the original pipe break, the plumber took down a heating duct(to get to the break) but would not replace it(“not me job”)…it took the landlord 5 weeks to replace the moldy wall, put the carpet back and put spackle on it….his tools sat there for 5 weeks and we did not have access to this area….and the baseboards are still not in, and it’s unpainted.

OK, I ramble too much. The question is, do I have any way of making him repair the detached/leaking/missing heating duct…so I am not heating under the house and paying for warming the dirt? and yes he knows the problem exists.

Sorry for the ramble, I just like to give as much pertinent detail as possible.

[PCinSD]

Tough situation. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml

Tons of good info at the consumer affairs website. Best of luck.

[PCinSD]

Tough situation. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml

Tons of good info at the consumer affairs website. Best of luck.

[PCinSD]

Tough situation. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml

Tons of good info at the consumer affairs website. Best of luck.

[PCinSD]

Tough situation. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml

Tons of good info at the consumer affairs website. Best of luck.

[PCinSD]

Tough situation. Here’s a good place to start:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml

Tons of good info at the consumer affairs website. Best of luck.

[DataAgent]

If you want to speak with a tenant lawyer, try this place: http://www.tenantslegalcenter.com/

I used them in the past. They do good work at reasonable prices.

Good luck.

[DataAgent]

If you want to speak with a tenant lawyer, try this place: http://www.tenantslegalcenter.com/

I used them in the past. They do good work at reasonable prices.

Good luck.

[DataAgent]

If you want to speak with a tenant lawyer, try this place: http://www.tenantslegalcenter.com/

I used them in the past. They do good work at reasonable prices.

Good luck.

[DataAgent]

If you want to speak with a tenant lawyer, try this place: http://www.tenantslegalcenter.com/

I used them in the past. They do good work at reasonable prices.

Good luck.

[DataAgent]

If you want to speak with a tenant lawyer, try this place: http://www.tenantslegalcenter.com/

I used them in the past. They do good work at reasonable prices.

Good luck.

[EconProf]

You have a crappy landlord who will always be a crappy landlord. He is the type that gives all of us landlords a bad reputation.
I’d suggest you go one of two routes:
1. Since he will always be a pain in the ass to you, or any future tenant, fully enforce your legal rights and become a pain in HIS ass. It sounds like you have so many rights being violated already, you can start giving him written demands immediately to provide you with a safe, habitable place to live for your rent checks. First, read thoroughly your rental agreement.
Or,
2. Move out. You took over a place with certain advantages, which you mention. You perhaps got an extra good rent in that voluntary transaction. Many crappy landlords offer lower rent and hope minor faults are thereby accepted by the tenant. Many tenants actually prefer the lower rent along with the faults. So its your choice. BTW, didn’t you see a lot of these problems and red flags before you moved in?

[EconProf]

You have a crappy landlord who will always be a crappy landlord. He is the type that gives all of us landlords a bad reputation.
I’d suggest you go one of two routes:
1. Since he will always be a pain in the ass to you, or any future tenant, fully enforce your legal rights and become a pain in HIS ass. It sounds like you have so many rights being violated already, you can start giving him written demands immediately to provide you with a safe, habitable place to live for your rent checks. First, read thoroughly your rental agreement.
Or,
2. Move out. You took over a place with certain advantages, which you mention. You perhaps got an extra good rent in that voluntary transaction. Many crappy landlords offer lower rent and hope minor faults are thereby accepted by the tenant. Many tenants actually prefer the lower rent along with the faults. So its your choice. BTW, didn’t you see a lot of these problems and red flags before you moved in?

[EconProf]

You have a crappy landlord who will always be a crappy landlord. He is the type that gives all of us landlords a bad reputation.
I’d suggest you go one of two routes:
1. Since he will always be a pain in the ass to you, or any future tenant, fully enforce your legal rights and become a pain in HIS ass. It sounds like you have so many rights being violated already, you can start giving him written demands immediately to provide you with a safe, habitable place to live for your rent checks. First, read thoroughly your rental agreement.
Or,
2. Move out. You took over a place with certain advantages, which you mention. You perhaps got an extra good rent in that voluntary transaction. Many crappy landlords offer lower rent and hope minor faults are thereby accepted by the tenant. Many tenants actually prefer the lower rent along with the faults. So its your choice. BTW, didn’t you see a lot of these problems and red flags before you moved in?

[EconProf]

You have a crappy landlord who will always be a crappy landlord. He is the type that gives all of us landlords a bad reputation.
I’d suggest you go one of two routes:
1. Since he will always be a pain in the ass to you, or any future tenant, fully enforce your legal rights and become a pain in HIS ass. It sounds like you have so many rights being violated already, you can start giving him written demands immediately to provide you with a safe, habitable place to live for your rent checks. First, read thoroughly your rental agreement.
Or,
2. Move out. You took over a place with certain advantages, which you mention. You perhaps got an extra good rent in that voluntary transaction. Many crappy landlords offer lower rent and hope minor faults are thereby accepted by the tenant. Many tenants actually prefer the lower rent along with the faults. So its your choice. BTW, didn’t you see a lot of these problems and red flags before you moved in?

[Author]

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