Slum Lords
@lafredricktaylor (256)
United States
June 22, 2012 12:58pm CST
We are going to say you live in an apartment complex right. And you have a landlord that is not very professional anyway. You pay your rent on time and you have no problems. Well you have somethings wrong with your apartment that you bring to the Landlords attention. They respond by saying maintenance will be by tomorrow. Well a couple weeks go by and nothing has been done. So when rent time comes, you Landlord comes to collect rent and you tell him I will have it tomorrow, but you remind him of the issues you are STILL having with the apartment. So again they say, maintenance will be by tomorrow. So maintenance never comes but your Landlord shows up and ask you for rent again. And you ask what happened to the maintenance guy to fix this place that you are requiring payment for. He gives you some excuse about he thought he came and he will check on it. So you still havent paid your rent, because in your mind, you shouldnt have to continue to pay for a place that is not being fixed. So a few days later, you get a letter on your door saying you need to leave. Well you contact your slumlord and you advise that if the issues are fixed, you would be glad to pay your rent. So in this situation should this person gone pay their rent, see if the things will get fixed, or go to court on the issue..I know there are probably no lawyers here, but this is just a question.
1 person likes this
5 responses
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
22 Jun 12
That is really complicated. There is no one answer. Defers from person to person. But I believe in my principles, never support something that is basically wrong, and if possible, try to correct it. So if I was in this situation, I would go to court and refuse to pay rent until everything was fixed. There are laws regarding renting and I would like to be treated fairly. So there it is.
Some might believe that why make an issue, either pay the rent, or go find some place else to live. But why should the landlord get away by doing something wrong, cheating people of their hard-earned money, because after all, if I leave, he will just rent the place out to someone else, at the same rent, and still not fix the problems.
I am saying this now, but I am hopeless at negotiating and maybe even gullible. Hopefully, I will have the courage to behave according to my principles if the situation ever comes.
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
22 Jun 12
Good for you, set an example and don't let them take advantage of you or intimidate you.
@lafredricktaylor (256)
• United States
22 Jun 12
i agree on this one. it is easy for me to just move and be done with the issue. But if i leave now. I will lose my deposit, have to move ALL of my things, transfer ALL my services, Pay a NEW Deposit and get settled somewhere else. Who wants to go through all that again! Ive only been there for a couple of months. So either I am going to do something about it or he will keep doing it.
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
22 Jun 12
I'm a qualified lawyer because I watch Judge Judy on TV. Ok, seriously I'm not a lawyer but my understanding is this. It is your obligation to pay your rent. Pay it. Your obligation is now complete.
It is the landlords obligation to maintain the rental unit. Contact your local authority to insure the work gets done if it is not getting done to your satisfaction. The authority varies from region to region but usually it is an advocate.
The only alternative is to move.
Dealing with slum lords. Non legal advice. Describe briefly the problem with the unit. Don't talk to them. Princes and princesses do not have to talk to the gutter trash on their level.
@lafredricktaylor (256)
• United States
22 Jun 12
well i was with you up until that last part you said. I dont understand that part..
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
25 Jun 12
Sorry to take so long to get back to you. In the last part I was saying that dealing with slum lords would be different than dealing with good landlords. You need to inform them of problems with the residence however there is a big difference with slum lords because they are not considerate. Other than giving simple information (the tap leaks water) it is better not to talk to them because they are unreasonable. Talk to some interested third party instead such as an advocate. That is what I meant.
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
23 Jun 12
Personally this could be an issue worth finding out the proper channels and fighting about. Maybe go to your Local landlord tenant place and place a complaint about the issue, and find out your rights. Most areas at least around here you can file a complaint demanding what you need fixed, and then refuse to pay rent until it is done, or fix it yourself and take out the amount what it cost you to get it done from the rent owed and have receipts of proof for any questions asked.
Seriously it does sound like it is time to take matters further from here, before he places a complaint against you for refusing to pay rent and tries to get you evicted.
@twconroy (11)
• United States
23 Jun 12
Anytime a tenant fails to pay rent money a new problem is created on top of the original one. If you can't afford a lawyer most communities in the United States have some type of tenant advocate that can become involved and can provide great information on what rights both you and the landlord have. Check the phone book or online for your county and I'll bet there's an office that can assist you and resolve the issue in a few days.
@LovingMyBabies (85288)
• Valdosta, Georgia
22 Jun 12
Ha! Were dealing with this issue right now. Wow, you and I are going through a lot of the same concerns.
Our landlord would not fix our AC unit. We were sweating for over a month. We told him about it and he told us to sweat it out. Now keep in mind we have 3 young children (6, 4 & 3 yrs old) and in our house it's 90 degrees!
Now our stove went out recently too and he probably won't fix that either I am guessing...But of course he wants his rent payment!
Completely wrong and unfair in my opinion...
I am not sure what to do about it but he sent a guy out to fix the ac last week. We felt good and 3 days later the damn thing broke AGAIN! This is a used unit and the 3rd time someone has been out to "try" to fix this unit! Now we are using a hot plate to cook everything on, and no oven so we cannot bake anything. And we are sweating with 90 degrees in our frieken house right now! Horrible...
