Renting a house - It has a funny smell to it - Landlords responsibility?

Question

Hello,
I have started renting a house, and there is a pretty bad smell in the lounge room. It sort of smells like a pet smell. I don't know how to get rid of it - i mean the carpet is pretty old, and i believe that is where the smell is coming from. It's really quite strong, and i just want to get rid of it. I know the previous tennants had pets.

There's another smell problem with the Stove top/Oven as well - the other night when i was using a hot plate, it started to absolutely reek - i smelt the hot plate, and it stunk really badly of a pet smell/mice. I cleaned it with bleach.

I was told by the new neighbours that the previous tennants also had a mouse problem..... I'm starting to get worried that the smell is from mice....

Who's responsibility to clean the carpet/oven is it?

Any ideas? I would greatly appreciate any comments!!

Thank you.

Answer 1

It would depend on several things. How long have you been in the house? What are the Landlord/Tenant laws in your state/city? I see a lot of legal advise being given here & I suspect it's being given by folks who do not hold a bar license. That's not good!

My OPINION is that both issues are probably the Landlords concern, but you're going to have to deal w/ them. If you have no pets, you've lived there a short time & there is a pet smell, it surely came from the previous occupants. But, your option may be to move.

I had to deal w/ this once. I moved into an apt (as manager of the building) & the Landlord (my father) wouldn't replace the carpet. The previous tenant had 3 cats & it was the 6 yr old girls job to clean the box. You can imagine what the place looked like! I shampooed the carpet really well. Then I got a case of baking soda & spread it thru the apartment. I put news paper over the floors. I vacumed, every day & put new baking soda for a week, then dropped the vacuming to every 2 days. After about 2 weeks, the smell was gone. I lived in that apt on that carpet (with a son who was deathly alergic to cats) for 5 yrs, until I bought my own building & moved into it.
As to the rats, get rat traps & bait them w/ peanut butter or candy corn. PLEASE.... don't use poison. Cats catch the poisoned rats & die! Don't do that to your neighbors little girl! She loves her cat! You can also get electronic rodent repellors. they really do work. I have a large house & if I don't keep the repellors pluged in, I'll have rats w/in a week. W/ them I have no rats.

Answer 2

Since you must have already signed a Rental Agreement it's going to be up to your Landlord to help get through this one. I would contact him and tell him that"shortly after moving in you became aware of these 2 problems, Nicely indicate that when you previewed the property you weren't inside long enough to become aware of the problem") You are only bringing it up now because you just became aware of it. I'll bet you that if your landlord says no he won't help you, a Judge will be in your favor! A couple of questions you might want to get strait are: If you were using a hot plate, what makes you think the oven is nasty? If the past tenants had pets, dogs, or esp. cats, would they have mice running around?

Answer 3

something to do with plumbing, shape,electric powered that's interior the form which you probably did no longer flow in is the land lords duty so some distance as filtration something you purchase and deploy is your duty what ever grow to be lined with the unit is the landlords concern what ever you upload to the unit is yours verify with your interior of sight housing rules some cities are stricter then others and the properly would have been tainted interior the floor proving that the owner knew of that's the question and did he lease the unit to you understanding the water has been tainted ? you're able to have criminal reason for a regulation greater healthful specifically if the priority damages your wellness or assets you may inquire around to locate the former tenant only ask the mail guy and ask them if that they had water high quality matters some landlords are slumlord and easy care approximately money and not you returned you may desire to study interior of sight housing rules and characteristic the water examined by ability of a properly tester if its contaminated its the landlords duty to repair. Do your place artwork and locate out your rights in the previous taking action wish that enables Lr

Answer 4

The legal standard is whether or not the house is "habitable," which just means livable. The smell would have to be really bad to rise to that level. The rodent issue is another matter. Mice/rats spread disease--that renders a place uninhabitable. You have the right to withhold rent if it's not addressed. Tell your landlord and I suspect it will be dealt with.

There's plenty of commercial products that can zap pet smells in carpet.

Answer 5

I would say at this point cleaning the oven is yours. The carpet, try some odor-ban and wet the carpet and see if that helps.maybe spray the odor-ban throughout the house.(it aslo sanitizes)
Set out some mouse traps and see what happens there.
I do-not know what the landlord-tenant laws are in your area is but maybe you should check into them and the lease agreement.

Answer 6

Tell the landlord ASAP and make sure it is also in writing signed by both of you. if the smell is there when you move you will be responsible. He may help you on this. Really it is your responsibility to discover these things before you move in. Speaking court wise.
Tell him asap though...and maybe you guys can work somethng out.