What can I do about my landlord?

Question

My window started leaking shortly after I moved into my apartment in August. It's an odd leak, and actually leaks through the wood molding at the top part of the bay window, where it attaches to the rest of the wall, and not actually near the window. It usually starts AFTER the rain stops. They came to fix it twice in autumn, and I thought it was fixed, but we got rain last week and it leaked again. I reported the problem again, took down my curtains, etc. They came to fix my closet yesterday (unsuccessfully) and told my roommate that they would fix my window when it was warmer. It's JANUARY. It isn't going to get warmer for a few months, but is warm enough to rain. I had to take my curtains down because it leaks gross rusty-brown water onto them and there is a light directly outside my window, which means that without curtains I get very little sleep. This situation has been going on for months now, is there anything I can do?

Answer 1

In fairness, it may be that your leak is not on YOUR window but if there are more floors above you it may be there. I suggest this because you say the leak starts AFTER the rain ends. THis means that the water is collecting somewhere and traveling to the point of least resistance. (If the water is actually RUST then it suggests that a drain pipe somewhere has a leak if the water is simply brown then that is prob. tanin from the redwood used in many buildings.

These types of leaks are sometimes VERY hard to find.

So.. having said that does not excuse the landlord from solving the problem but simply means that maybe you have to cut him some slack.

It sounds like it is a nuiscence but not anywhere close to life threatening or severly impacting on your quality of life.

Talk to the landlord... get him to provide you with a basic temporary shade for light/privacy issues and perhaps suggest and negotiate a rental reduction while the problem remains unaddressed. If you need to do the shade yourself you can deduct it from the rent and send the receipt and explaination to the landlord and see if he buys into it.

If you have a lease, you may have legal recourse based on the contract otherwise your ultimate decision is to find new housing if this really bothers you.

.. good luck

Answer 2

Did you sign a lease? It is the landlords responsibility to make sure that the living conditions are up to code. Being a landlord means that codes have to be met. If you don't have a lease I would start looking for another place. However you can go down to the courts and file a complaint against the landlord. What state do you live in?

Answer 3

I say get it fixed yourself and make them take it off the rent. Call Marvin Zindler!