Landlord issues?

Question

I desperately need a place in this apartment complex for job purposes, and everything has cleared in my application - except for a review from my last landlord. This last landlord was not only a jerk but is one of the slowest people getting things done that I've ever met. The apartment complex won't finish my application without this letter from him, and I've tried e-mailing and calling my landlord to get him to write it, and he keeps saying he will but it's been almost a month and no letter yet. I'm about to lose the place, and I'd have someone else just write it and forge it but I'm afraid that as soon as I did that the landlord would send his. Help!

Answer 1

How about.....typing the necessary letter yourself....driving to your old landlord's office, and have him sign it directly....

In the alternative, can you prove via receipts or cancelled checks that you paid on time, including electric/phone bills...If so, you should provide a letter demonstrating that on paper you are reliable and shouldn't be penalized because a previous landlord has proven unreliable - in fact - I would push the point that you are proving your reliability by providing everything they need to make a decision.

Further, landlords can only answer facts...Reference questions that illicit "opinions" from previous landlords are not legal.

Legal question?: Did he pay rent on time each month?

Illegal question?: Did you find him uncooperative and rude?

Im very curious what the new landlord is trying to obtain from an old landlord that requires a "review" letter.

Answer 2

Don't forge one, because if the new place finds out you will really be in trouble!

You must have been fine as a tenant, because otherwise the old landlord would enjoy telling all the bad stuff about you and he'd have gotten it done quicker.

I'd guess that the new place is afraid that you aren't telling the truth, and think you won't give them the old info because it would hurt you.

You could check with a lawyer to see if the law requires him to give you a letter. Or check your library for a book on Tenant's Rights. (I don't know where you live, the law is different from state to state, so you would want a book made for your state.)

If he isn't required to by law, then explain what he's doing to the new place, and give them his phone number. Maybe even take your cell phone and call him, then hand it to them.

Otherwise, you're just going to have to give up on this apartment. Which would be a shame for you to have to suffer for him being such a jerk. If that happens, make sure you have all your papers, especially if you lose a deposit on the new place, save all your receipts and everything and afterwards take the guy to small claims court. You can't sue just because the guy annoys you, but if you can prove he caused you to lose something, especially money, then the court can do something about it. (If he's so slow he probably wouldn't even show up and you'd win by default!)

Answer 3

Say that your landlord is uncooperative or unavailable, but show proof that you have made an earnest effort to to obtain his review. (Copies of written requests)

Show copies of your rent checks for the last two years that prove that you have paid in a timely manner. In a pinch, you can also offer statements from your neighbors or mail carrier or other members from that community that you would have interacted with.

Answer 4

Why not you write a letter for him, fax it to him to sign and tell him to fax it back. Or can your have your new apartment complex call him and get a verbal answer. That sucks that you're having problems - hope everything works out OK.

Answer 5

Well - there are landlord / tenant laws for every state, if he is holding up your application maybe you could do the letter and get him to sign it, thus making his part easy.

Answer 6

Have you called the attorney general in your state? Usually if you call the attorney general in your state and tell them the problem they can give you the best advice on what to do in your sittuation. The number is in the phone book i think under the gov. section. Good luck! And i hope they can help

Answer 7

you have little possibility convincing a small claims choose that the owner misled you, so it particularly is uncertain you would be waiting to get out of your hire. i've got on no account heard of a properly suited floor magically staying cool. would not warmth upward push and the roof soak up the solar's warmth? We even have properly suited-floor leases without AC and we don't enable window ACs. in spite of the indisputable fact that, we do enable or maybe grant portable room air conditioners. in case you have 8 followers working, then your unit will in all likelihood be waiting to shelter the electric load of portable room air conditioners. Ask the owner to circulate to the apartment in the afternoon. you're in all likelihood no longer the 1st tenant who has complained and the owner will in all likelihood be unwilling to make it easier to out of hire on account that s/he would be no longer able to re-lease the unit throughout the summer season. Ask if the owner would be keen to split the expenditures of portable ACs with you. needless to say, grant your circulate-out observe on the earliest possibility and get the heck out of there.

Answer 8

could you explain this to the new apartment complex manager the situation?

you could explain that you could provide additional references from other sources, because this particular reference is lazy.