uncooperative landlady?

Question

so my family and i have been living in this apartment for a little over the month. the carpet is sticky, smelly, and attracts bugs. my parents have already been bitten by ticks and needed to go to the hospital to get it checked. they also refuse to sleep upstairs anymore because of them. we have told our landlady about this ever since weve moved in but she just ignores us. she tells us that shes old and sick. but she has children that helps her run the apartments. our neighbors have also been having trouble with her because it took the landlady over three months to fix the leak in her bathroom. she didnt not get it fixed only until she wrote a letter somewhere did the landlady fix it. my mom doesnt remember who our neighbor wrote to. so i was just wondering... how can i make my landlady take action?

Answer 1

Call your city's code compliance department and file a complaint and they will send out an investigator to take a look at the conditions. They then file paperwork with the city which is given to your landlord and she is given a certain amount of time to fix it or she will be fined or they can close the apartments if she does not comply.

Answer 2

Here is what you need to do:
1)Send a CERTIFIED LETTER to your landlord outlining the issues and that she has 7 days from receipt of the letter to comply and fix the problems. Also in the letter you should indicate that IF she fails to fix the problems,she will be in breach of contract and the city compliance officer will be informed of the problems. Also state in the meantime ALL rent monies will be paid into an escrow account which will be held by the County Courts office- civil division until she fulfills her obligations to repair the problems with the dwelling or else she will have to allow you to break the lease with no penalties and return any security deposits etc she is holding for you.
2) If she fails to comply within that period, just go straight to your local county courthouse to the Civil division and ask what papers you needed to file in order for an account to be opened and the landlord will be served by the courts. This is to prevent her from saying you did not pay rent and therefore will have to evict you. You will cut that avenue off
If anyone tells you not to pay the rent until she fixes to problems DON'T DO IT. you CANNOT withhold rent. Do what I suggested above. The courts will ensure that the landlady and/or her representatives will pay your filing fees etc once the problems are resolved.

Answer 3

It's your landlady's legal responsibility to promptly repair any problems with the plumbing that a tenant did not cause, and that carpet is clearly a health hazard that's also her job to clean because it was like that before you moved in. I can understand if your landlady is having hard times, but she has no right to make her problems your own. If she can't meet her responsibilities as a landlady or arrange somebody else to properly do it for her, then she cannot legally run a business that involves renting out property, period. And she can't just lay the blame on her kids, either, unless she transfers the deed to the property over to them. I wouldn't recommend withholding rent unless you're certain its legal in your state, but you can get somebody to professionally clean and de-louse the carpet and then present your landlady with the bill. If she doesn't pay it or reduce your rent accordingly to compensate you, then sue for it in court.

Answer 4

Write her a letter. I move around and the terminax bug guy goes and kill everything before I move in. I keep the receipt. I also notify by writing that the carpets need professional clearing. Or I will have it done and remove the cost from the rent. You live in filth and bugs and then wait for management to fix things. If you move you better have a good reason for giving 30 days notice to vacate and write that on the letter... She has been doin the old and sick thing for centuries. And you feel sorry for her--as she collects next month rent...

Answer 5

If you live in California you actually have the right to pay for the repairs that are needed to make your house livable. Im not talking about designer paint colors or anything, but if your carpet is that bad it should be fixed. You have the right to pay for repairs that are equal to or less than the amount of rent you pay for one month. For example if you pay $1000 a month you can use it to replace the carpet instead of paying your landlord that month. You have to be sure that you have every request documented that you made to the landlord. For example write her a letter and have it sent registered mail so she has to sign for it.
You may want to consult an attorney.

Answer 6

Write her a letter and tell her all the problems....also tell her you are with holding the rent until such time as she makes the necessary repairs.
You then make out money orders each month and hold onto them. When the landlord takes you to court you deposit the money with the court. The court then will NORMALLY force the landlord to make the repairs OR allow you to keep the money to move to a place where the problems don't exist...it is called a Marini Defense

Answer 7

offer to get the carpet and change it yourself. this way you get what carpet type and color you like, get a couple of months rent free(for your labor) and you get the receipts knocked off your rent too! plus she might feel embarrased about not being able to do what she could in her younger days, and about having to have her kids help. this could take some pressure off her, and save you some money in the process

Answer 8

Instead of paying a hospital bill, wouldn't it have been simpler to get a bug bomb and treat for ticks yourself? You may also want to consider cleaning the carpet. But from where I sit for $5 your problem is solved.