what to do with a lazy landlord?

Question

i moved into an apartment with my husband and a few friends a little more than three months ago and some of our things in our house are still not fixed from the "fixing up" process. we still do not have cabinets in our kitchen, however he recieved the cabinets about 2 months ago and just has not installed him. he would tell my husband and i that he would come on a certain date, only to go downstairs and find him not doing anything. also, the back yard is completely overgrown with grass up to my knees. he said that he has called a gardner, but a month later, he says the gardner hasn't called him back(fishy). the county even came to clean the side lot like we requested before he has. it's not even as though he is not here, he works on the bottom floor and is here 5 days a week. he even had the front of the business pruned and gardened. what can i do in order to get him to change things but keep things friendly? my husband and i remind him of these things, but to no avail. Help!

Answer 1

The are many options,
dependent on where you are, the law of the area you are in will offer a number of options, and obviously, you may want to seek some legal council to make sure you are taking the corract action.

Easiest solution is to move out with the proper notice, but that may not be an option for you.

Review your rental agreement and confirm that every you expected to fixed and or maintained is in fact part of the written agreement you entered into (in real life, verbal agreements do not mean much) or as I like to say, if in doubt write it out.

Which brings me to your next action, write out exactly what your expectations where at the time of moving in, and maintain a journal of anything and everything you and the landlord have discussed over the duration of the relationship.

Once you have a complete "written record" of everything that has occurred todate, write a formal request to the landlord to rectify everything that needs fixing and or maintaining with some form of time line by which you expect it to be corrected.

Deliver this letter with a witness, or by registered mail to the landlord and then allow the landlord to complete the work you have outlined.

In your letter you may want to offer some suggestions and or methods by which you can assist in correcting the current situation. For example, you order the work to be done and deduct it from future rent payments, do the work yourself and get a reduction in rent, etc etc, be creative and offering solutions is a good thing when it comes to work with anybody you have a long term relationship with.

If the Land lord fails or falls short of completing the expected work, you now have documented evidence that will be able to be used in all possible ways to receive a legal solution.

Again dependent on the location you are in you may have access to residential tenancy advocacy groups, state or provincial legislation, tenants associations etc etc.

Good Luck

Answer 2

Do not stop paying your rent.

Is the garden part of the tenancy agreement? If so, you are responsible for it's upkeep.

The Landlord only has obligations to maintain certain things in the property which is covered by Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985. This only covers pipes and plumbing, water heating, drains and guttering, etc.

Unless you have written confirmation that the Landlord will install the cabinets, etc, you have little ground to stand on.

I would suggest moving as it sounds like a nightmare.

Answer 3

First of all don't just stop paying him, it will give him immediate cause to terminate your lease. You need to write him a dated letter outlining the things that need repair and give him a timeline, i.e. 30 days to complete them. Also tell him in the letter that after 30 days you will then begin witholding rent until the list has been completed and you will also contact the local housing authorities about the situation. You can also give him an alternative, if your handy, and suggest that you will install them if he agrees to a reduction in rent for a month. The same could be done for lawncare. (My husband did that with our old landlord and it worked out well) The time for being amicable seems to have come and gone and now you must be direct, he is the landlord an as such has the responsibility to maintain a livable environment for his tenants.

Answer 4

Witholding or escrowing rent may not be legal in your area. You need to find that out.

Write him a certified letter asking when the cabinets will be installed, and say that you will use part of the rent money to pay for a professional installer if he cannot manage to get it done within the next two weeks. You are paying for full use of your kitchen. Short and sweet. No need to go on and on.

If the backyard is leased to you also, do the same thing. Ask when the garderer is coming, and if he doesn't show up within two weeks of the date of the letter, you will pay someone to do it and deduct it from the rent.

Answer 5

If your manager is not doing his job you can contact the property management company of your building and put in a complaint.

You can also call the Tenant's Union in your area to get more info on your rights as a Tenant. If you do not have a Tenant' Union then contact the Attorney Generals Office to get info that you need.

Answer 6

give him a written request

Answer 7

hold back the money.