Legal Help for Renters, Legal Help for Renters Options

[bernbomb914]

A good carpet cleaner should be able to help if he knows what he is doing. Make sure you make a list of your complaints and send it to the owners or property mgr. before you move in and send it regestered so you have a signed reciept that they recieved it. It will help when it comes time to move and you ask for your security deposit. note all the work you have preformed before you move in.

Bernie (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pissoff.gif)

[Mueller]

Did you and the manager/landlord do a walk thru first to sign off any damage or issues?

I'd take it higher up in the chain of command.


When I do a walk thru with my tenants, I tend to pick out flaws or damage before they do just 'cause I don't want to have to deal with little cr@p....I also video tape the property and offer them a copy to help prevent arguments down the road.

Good luck.........

[Lyressa Roberts]

I actually asked the guy who his superior was and he said he was the top guy. Somehow, I doubt that, but he wouldn't budge. I definitely need to look into government regulations as I do know California has some pretty strict laws, but I haven't done it yet.

[Lyressa Roberts]

A good carpet cleaner should be able to help if he knows what he is doing. Make sure you make a list of your complaints and send it to the owners or property mgr. before you move in and send it regestered so you have a signed reciept that they recieved it. It will help when it comes time to move and you ask for your security deposit. note all the work you have preformed before you move in.

Bernie (IMG:style_emoticons/default/pissoff.gif)

Unfortunately, we've already moved in.

[Lyressa Roberts]

Did you and the manager/landlord do a walk thru first to sign off any damage or issues?

I'd take it higher up in the chain of command.


When I do a walk thru with my tenants, I tend to pick out flaws or damage before they do just 'cause I don't want to have to deal with little cr@p....I also video tape the property and offer them a copy to help prevent arguments down the road.

Good luck.........

There was no walk through with them...they just give the key to whoever wants to look and the perspective tenant goes on their own. This is why I think someone took their dog in the house and they had their way.

[bernbomb914]

do what you have to do to make it a home. enjoy the benefits of being closer to work and forget the rest.
life is to short

Bernie

[jonwatts]

Have Brad go by the property manager's office and pee on the jerks car door. Or do it yourself if you're so inclined (and talented).

Learned that one from someone on this list (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[EdwardBlume]

Sorry, its aweful to move in to a piss infested home. When I bought my last 914, I left the window open to get rid of "cat smell" and every cat in my neighborhood thought it was a new porto-potty. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ar15.gif)

[Red-Beard]

Sorry to hear about your situation.

There is an "implied warranty" of habitability. I do not know if an odor is enough. I don't think the laws state that a landlord must clean the carpets or paint wall before you move in. But then I don't know how bd the situation is.

When I was a Landlord in NY, I actually went out of my way to make my places very nice, so I could set the rents high enough to get the tenants I wanted. I regularly improved appliances and carpets, painted walls and the outside of the building. I had to replace carpets in one unit because it smelled like dog. Not urine, but just a dog smell.

But that was me...

I suggest you get a professional carpet cleaner to come over and look at the situation, pay extra if necessary get it documented and reccomendations. Explain to the landlord this is what you are doing. Discuss getting a credit against your next rental payment. Since he's the head honcho, he can make these decisions.

James

[Red-Beard]

http://rental-housing.com/rental/woh.htm

[Carl]

Lyressa,
Here is a web site that gives a summary of renter's rights. The Tri County Apartment Assn. that sponsors the site primarily represents property owners but they understand that renters are the customers.

http://www.tcaa.org/TCAA/Tcaa.nsf/GenericD...ts?OpenDocument

It may be worthwhile to contact them as a way of pressuring the property owner.

Carl

[ArtechnikA]

do what you can, do what you have to, clean it yourself and try to withhold the amount from the rent (probably covered in your rental contract.

when that's done, go buy a Sharper Image Ionic Breeze, set it on 'high' and let it live in that room. i've got one in our downstairs 'family room' and it's done a great job of knocking down the smoke smell (fireplace) that was fairly overpowering when we moved in. i've got another one upstairs in the room where the cat box lives.

IME, they work.

we've been really lucky with our property manager here, t'was a real crapshoot since we rented the place sight-unseen from across the country. we've also been screwed by evil people right in our own town, so ya just can't tell.

[rhodyguy]

ms. roberts, a basic/ cheapo carpet cleanning doesn't get deep enough. you might try a product called "Simple Solution", an odor specific enzyme product. took the sour milk smell out of a car when i spilled a latte. the are a few other/similar products available at petco, petsmart, etc. if it is from a previous tennent and it was a pet's favorite spot it may be into the sub-flooring. the carpet would have to be pulled back to treat it correctly, ie the pad and some of the product on the sub-floor. were the windows open when you looked at the apartment? that's a old trick for smelly apartments.

kevin

[larryp]

State laws vary but in general, Red-Beard is correct. You rented an apartment and it has to be fit as such. Go hire a carpet cleaner (the service, not the machine - you have an obligation to mitigate damages but you do not have to do the work yourself) and have the place cleaned as necessary. Pay for the work. Staple a copy of your receipt marked "paid" to your next rent check and deduct the amount.

[Bruce Allert]

Hi Lyressa, My wife & I have 3 dogs in the house and when they have accidents we use a product called Natures Miracle, an enzyme similar to what Rhodyguy (Kevin) mentioned. It worked good for old smell too. They now have a specific product for removing skunk oder. Just pour it on the spot full strength & let dry. Pour enough to get into the pad also. Worth a cheap try. Most any pet store carries it.

[seanery]

I've tried the regular one (non-skunk). I even bleached the floor and then cleaned it with that stuff before the carpet guys came to do the basement. I didn't want any old smells the dog felt that he needed replacing with his own mark. It seemed to work well, but it's kinda pricey for a bottle/jug of it.

[rhodyguy]

pricey?? i'd pay lots not to live in a house that smells like piss. sometimes those products need a few applications to do the job. i bet the urine is into the plywood subfloor. then you treat and apply kils.

kevin

[Joe Bob]

We had two Siamese cats that we rescued from the pound....they immediately pissed behind MY bed. I had to pull up the carpet and replace the pad and I soaked the carpet and the plywood underneath with odor begone.....

Needless to say...de cats begone too.....

[Mark Henry]

Document and photograph everything, find out your legal options and follow through. Tell the PM that "you would hate for this to end up in small claims court", often just the threat of legal action will get their ass in gear.

Is the carpet glued or held in with nail strips? Feel along the edge, if it's held down with nail strips you can lift the carpet and the backside will tell the tale.

[Lyressa Roberts]

Hi Lyressa, My wife & I have 3 dogs in the house and when they have accidents we use a product called Natures Miracle, an enzyme similar to what Rhodyguy (Kevin) mentioned. It worked good for old smell too. They now have a specific product for removing skunk oder. Just pour it on the spot full strength & let dry. Pour enough to get into the pad also. Worth a cheap try. Most any pet store carries it.

Cool...I'll give that a try...