Looks Like We May Be Moving Again...Dam*it...

I don't think that is legal. They can't change the rules in the middle of a lease. You should call them and find out if you are grandfathered in and excluded from that lease during this lease term. Also, I would be asking why they are charging this exorbitant amount of money additionally when it's clearly a discriminatory practice that they are pushing on you. They have to repaint and steam clean the carpets before another tenant moves in. Normally they will just replace the carpets. This sounds very fishy. I would do some checking in and maybe do some research on the internet for your state and the laws that abide for rentals. In fact call another company and see if that is legal or not. You would be surprised that they will give you all kinds of information. This is totally unfair and I believe that it falls under discrimination.

Wow that doesn't sound fair to me either - and it just really adds to the frustration that smokers already have to deal with - I do see the landlord's point - on some part - and I guess it really comes down to having to rent a place rather than own one. With renting - you really have to follow all kinds of rules and sometimes it can make you feel like you are paying out the wazoo just to live somewhere - where you don't have much control over what you can & can't do. I hope you guys are able to find another place to move where there isn't so much control over everything!! And I agree with you - having to move when you are comfortable where you are is such a pain in the a..

Leagally they can't change the lease until the lease goes up. Therefore they can't charge you more or make your husband go outside to smoke. Personally, I think those rules are not fair. You are already paying to live there plus the deposits you have already done. Smoking doesn't ruin a house bad enough for there to be that much of a cost. If they push the issue you might want to contact a lawyer and see what your rights are.

It doesn't sound legal. Call the Legal Aid Society or any Attorney in town and find out if it is discrimination on their part. Good Luck as moving is no fun!

thats outragous! omg:( i am so sorry that you have to mvoe again... I am just a new non smoker so i know how it is. i wouldnt mind walking outside to smoke and im sure your husbands wouldnt either if he was not disabled. mabey you can work somthing out with the landlord because your husband is diabled...whatever happend i wish you the best in luck!

No, I don't think it is fair. It is ridiculous that you cannot smoke in your own apartment. What will be next? I feel bad for you. Moving is not fun to put it lightly. Hopefully you will find a great place, one that you like even better. Have a good weekend anyway!

I didn't think they could change rules that strict if you have already signed a lease? I don't think it's fair to you, but I can see it from their perspective, too. It takes a LOT to clean an apartment after smokers move out. I've actually seen places that were stained yellow from all the nicotine and smoke. Carpets HAVE to be replaced, all walls scrubbed and repainted, all window coverings replaced, and even the duct work needs to be professionally vaccuumed out. Why should the apartment complext take on those extra expenses? It's not cool to let you move in knowing that you smoke and then lay the fines and fees on you. You should CLOSELY read your rental agreement, maybe even have a lawyer look at it and see if what they are doing is legal. They can certainly apply that to any new tenants, but sometimes current tenants get the old rules grandfathered in. YOu should really consider quitting. If your husband is already disabled, why is he choosing to do something that is even more harmful to his health? I never will understand smokers. There is so much help out there for you to quit, I know it's hard, but there's no excuse anymore.

Well, I don't think it's fair to change the lease on current tenants like that. But, that said, I understand the no smoking rule. I own my home and I live in a neighborhood of relatively new homes. NO ONE smokes in their house. Everyone stands out in their driveway. That's because they all know that if they ever want to sell their house, that smoky smell is hard to get rid of. I know it must be difficult for your husband if he's been a long time smoker, but honestly, it would probably be easier for him to quit smoking than it would be to move. Moving is such a pain! Good luck with whatver you do, twoey!

I don't see how they can all of a sudden decide they want a non smoking apartments and what do they expect the people that are there to do just move or pay the extra. Seems to me that it is discrimation, they knew you smoked when you moved in. There are non smoking apartments around town where we live. It appears to me they think that you will pay the extra deposit rather than pick up and move. I know both of us smoke and when we come inside that is all you smell. It gets on the paint and in the curtains and on the computer, yes it does and I tried to get hubby to go out side when we moved in but he wouldn't. A deposit covers every day living and you smoked when you moved in so I would get some legal advice but you know what it is their place and I guess they can do what they want with them, you either pay or get out. I don't think it fair and would probably be moving too. Isn't it a shame, the non smokers have all the rights, where are our rights, just all of a sudden we have none. I hate smoking but I have done it for a longggggggg time and probably will never quit so I was just wondering why I now have no rights in this, they just say it is illegal to do here or there and we except it. Someone need to stand up for us for a change.

I hate moving too, I hate landlords too for that matter. Well not all landlords but...The last two places that we moved in to said don't worry it is long term. The first guy redeveloped the property in under 2 years and now our new landlord is selling the place and off we go again. We have lucked out though as a friend is building a basement suite and we can go live there. I just hate the way landlords hold us captive, at least it seems that way. We have a really low vacancy rate here and they make all sorts of rules so much so that it doesn't seem like home is home. My friend and his brother had lived at an apartment for over 10 years then new owners took over and made it a non smoking building for any new tenants. They became the only smokers and although they couldn't tell them to stop smoking they hassled them on everything else until it became unbearable to live there. They moved. I think they were forced out but it was all done legally. So even though you love the place and all maybe it is for the best to get out before the owners become nasty. Life sucks sometimes doesn't it?

When is you lease up? I wouldn't think they'd be able to do that till it's up..... I understand not being able to quit. It took me a long time to do so myself and it HAS to be your idea or it won't work. It doesn't seem fair but I don't know that there's anything you can do about it. :(

Honestly, you can't blame the landlord. Smoking DOES damage things. And if the apartment smells like smoke, the enxt renter may not like it. And they may not be able to rent it for as much. Just remember, the landlords have invested in that property. They are just trying to look out for their investment.