Protect yourself against unprofessional owners

Bad landlords are an unfortunate part of many tenants’ lives, but there are ways to protect yourself from their bad manners, unethics, rudeness, and lame excuses. An unpleasant or difficult landlord makes you really appreciate finding a better place to live with highly professional rental staff. It pays to be careful when you find an apartment that you like. Interview the landlord and see if this person is someone you can negotiate with, ask for repairs, and generally expect a good deal. If the person is brusque, rude, or unfriendly, it’s better to walk away than commit to doing business with this person every month. Sometimes it is better to rent an apartment with a higher price than to go for a bargain, where maintenance can be non-existent. A cheap apartment can cost you more money in the end in repairs, if your landlord is shady.

Fortunately, most of my apartment living days have been positive experiences. After living for almost twenty years in the same reputable apartment complex, I moved to Florida and took a chance on a new rental in a strange new city. My duplex was really nice, with windows everywhere, nature and privacy. It was close to the center of St. Petersburg, in a posh neighborhood. My landlady’s backyard was a fence away and she and her daughters weren’t home much. It seemed perfect. Sara, recently divorced, was a nurse and, at first glance, seemed like a good fit for a landlady. Her husband left her for another woman and to pay the bills she had this duplex. Little did I know, she had no interest in caring for him, ever.

A year passed and the bathroom worked every time. Fixed it once and tried to blame me for the malfunction. He was old and shabby inside, yet he felt the need to blame me. She said, “I’ll pay for it this time. What did you hit him?” The truth is, he was trying to get me to pay for a new toilet to replace this old one. I told him it was old and needed to be replaced, which was not my fault. I did not add, that many other things like plugs, window screens and various other problems had never been addressed or fixed either. The place looked good at first, but underneath there was a disaster waiting to happen. It was a shame, because the place was nice. It had great hardwood floors and a sunny office. She had overlooked everything because it was so cute and she had to have it. Big mistake. Sara became more cruel and accusing as time went on. I hated being called in to repair or fix something and took the opportunity to hit me with any repair personnel who showed up. Then he would let her own it and tell her that the place is falling apart, and it was her negligence, nothing else, that led to every problem needing to be fixed. Another nice touch to shut her up was a working security camera, to record her bad behavior and prove it later, in case it ended up in court.

After two years, I had grown tired of the drama and rented a high-quality place away from this difficult woman. It was a good place and he would miss it, but not the stress that accompanied it.

I gave my thirty day notice and breathed a happy sigh of relief when my drivers pulled their truck out of the driveway for the last time. Then I walked around my old house, taking pictures of everything with my camera. The landlady slipped in, as predicted, seeing that she was done with the move, to do her last dig. “The bathroom still needs work,” he complained. I said, “It’s your responsibility, not mine.” and she told me she wanted more money. I chuckled at his shameless attempts to get money from me. I had photos and witnesses to back up that this place was treated well, and I told him so. With that, I left. I sent him the keys by certified mail with return receipt requested. That way he couldn’t say that the key was never given to him. He knew better not to hand over the key without witnesses around to see it.

If you’re dealing with an owner who wants to kill you a nickel and a dime, fight back by documenting everything. Bad landlords can resort to lying and blaming when you move out, so it’s worth having proof that you left the place in pristine condition. The bad guys don’t want to refund your deposit and will find any little mistakes, just so they can justify keeping it. Take pictures of doors, windows, faucets, and anything else that a greedy landlord might try to collect from you. I took photos of the peeling paint on the exterior and the uncleaned exterior hallways, buried under large piles of ficus leaves. Be firm, polite and do not accept any intimidation from anyone. Bad landlords have had practice with previous tenants most of the time, and they know what works and what to charge tenants. Be smart about it, so you don’t get fooled. Find out by reading online about rental rights in your state. Don’t just turn around and write a check. If you go to court, go there with photographs and any other evidence and just prove your case. This situation did not come to that, but she knew that I was not afraid to go further. She was a tough talking braggart and I knew it.

The smarter you are, the less abusive landlords will abuse you. If things get really ugly, before you move, you can always request an inspection by the city inspector. Doing this will anger the owner, so have a place to go before doing this. The inspector will write citations to the owner for any inappropriate problems with the unit itself. If you have errors, that is something to point out. There are health standards that rental property owners must follow. If you see ants and the superintendent will not take care of the problem, photograph them and show the inspector their exit. These are major flaws that can cause a bad landlord to have a lot of financial trouble, paying penalties.

A lovely apartment with a terrible landlord is not really worth dealing with. It’s best to find a place that treats you with respect, allows you to live a life of quiet enjoyment, and fixes things without blaming or charging you for it. Be proactive when renting by asking questions, observing, and interviewing other tenants. Know your rights and be professional in dealing with the new administration. Very soon, you will have a new apartment, free of stress and problems. Take a deep breath and be proud of yourself for being picky and taking the time to find the right place for your needs.

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