issue with landlord, seeking advice (appointed, lease, house)

[jlopez12]

I have been renting from the same landlord for over 2 years. The initial 2 year lease was up in early May. The landlord began telling me I had to make a decision in mid February. I knew, per the lease, I actually had 60 days, but I went ahead and renewed for 1 year because I both work and go to school and didn't have time to move. It would be easy, but I have two dogs and it is very hard to find a house to rent with a yard. My experiences with the landlord had not be great, namely to do with repairs. An example was that one night my back door was stuck and would not open. She said it would be 4 days before she could send her husband to repair it. As that relates to the old lease, it's not really relevant now but is just an example of my dealings with her. She was also very rude and unprofessional via text message on the subject. I paid to have it fixed myself and learned to do the same with things that needed repairing. About a month ago she had the doors changed and built a deck. The doors had been problematic, but I'd fixed things as they happened. She wanted to see the doors before she paid for them so I re arranged my schedule one day to meet her early at the house and she canceled. She sent her husband that night to look instead. Last night at 3am she sent a text to tell me people were coming to work on the chimney and the front stoop. I asked for none of these repairs and am still not sure about the chimney, as in what was done. I saw it at 730 am and texted back to ask what time they were coming. She never responded. They began to show up at 930 am to work, including scaffolding for the chimney work. It went on until 530pm. She also let me know at that time I can't use the front steps for 2 days. I have to go in and out of the back gate and tie it closed so I can let my dogs out, since I can't lock it from inside the back yard. She also came in to use my bathroom and look at my doors twice. She yelled about the doors and told me she hasn't had a chance to see it because I kept locking the screen in the back. The screen is always locked, but after she told me she'd come by, I left it unlocked for 2 weeks. I don't know if she ever came or not, but eventually sent her husband to see all the doors a few weeks later as I previously said. She finally left at 630pm after taking the wood and old doors from the work on the deck and doors several weeks ago. I feel her failure to contact me in advance, 3am is insufficient, is enough for me to say she is in violation of the lease. I wanted to see what advice anyone had? She owns several properties but doesn't use a property manager and had her husband make repairs to save money. She also texted me tonight to tell me she wasn't mad at me about the doors, that she knows I told her about a few issues with the installment in my texts. Per her request, I texted her pictures of each installment and told her how it looked, etc. I felt her text was an effort to be intimidating. The installment of the doors is not my responsibility and if she wanted to see the work she should have come to see it when she said she would, or stayed while the work was done. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I apologize for any tips, I'm using my phone.

[HokieFan]

Originally Posted by jlopez12

I have been renting from the same landlord for over 2 years. The initial 2 year lease was up in early May. The landlord began telling me I had to make a decision in mid February. I knew, per the lease, I actually had 60 days, but I went ahead and renewed for 1 year because I both work and go to school and didn't have time to move. It would be easy, but I have two dogs and it is very hard to find a house to rent with a yard. My experiences with the landlord had not be great, namely to do with repairs. An example was that one night my back door was stuck and would not open. She said it would be 4 days before she could send her husband to repair it. As that relates to the old lease, it's not really relevant now but is just an example of my dealings with her. She was also very rude and unprofessional via text message on the subject. I paid to have it fixed myself and learned to do the same with things that needed repairing. About a month ago she had the doors changed and built a deck. The doors had been problematic, but I'd fixed things as they happened. She wanted to see the doors before she paid for them so I re arranged my schedule one day to meet her early at the house and she canceled. She sent her husband that night to look instead. Last night at 3am she sent a text to tell me people were coming to work on the chimney and the front stoop. I asked for none of these repairs and am still not sure about the chimney, as in what was done. I saw it at 730 am and texted back to ask what time they were coming. She never responded. They began to show up at 930 am to work, including scaffolding for the chimney work. It went on until 530pm. She also let me know at that time I can't use the front steps for 2 days. I have to go in and out of the back gate and tie it closed so I can let my dogs out, since I can't lock it from inside the back yard. She also came in to use my bathroom and look at my doors twice. She yelled about the doors and told me she hasn't had a chance to see it because I kept locking the screen in the back. The screen is always locked, but after she told me she'd come by, I left it unlocked for 2 weeks. I don't know if she ever came or not, but eventually sent her husband to see all the doors a few weeks later as I previously said. She finally left at 630pm after taking the wood and old doors from the work on the deck and doors several weeks ago. I feel her failure to contact me in advance, 3am is insufficient, is enough for me to say she is in violation of the lease. I wanted to see what advice anyone had? She owns several properties but doesn't use a property manager and had her husband make repairs to save money. She also texted me tonight to tell me she wasn't mad at me about the doors, that she knows I told her about a few issues with the installment in my texts. Per her request, I texted her pictures of each installment and told her how it looked, etc. I felt her text was an effort to be intimidating. The installment of the doors is not my responsibility and if she wanted to see the work she should have come to see it when she said she would, or stayed while the work was done. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! I apologize for any tips, I'm using my phone.

Out of all you typed, the bold is the only thing that matters. What does your lease say about notification? Most require a 24 hour notice that landlord and/or repairmen will be on site.

What is your end game? Are you trying to terminate your lease early?

P.S. Unless the door is the only way in/out of your place, four days to fix a stuck door is reasonable. It's an inconvenience, not an emergency.

[Yankeesfan]

What is the issue here? What are you trying to accomplish?

[leavingwash]

I have read your post several times and still am not able to understand exactly what you are asking for in advice? Are you asking if you have grounds to terminate your lease?

With regards to the short notice of the workers, if the time was not convenient for you - you could have responded that you need more notice and ask if it could be rescheduled.

With regards to her planning work that you didn't ask for - although you rent it, it is her property and if she believed that there was work that needed to be done and decided to do it, it would seem to me that she is perfectly in the right to do so.

And last, I clearly missed what part of her texting you to say that she wasn't mad about the doors since she knows you told her - how is that text intimidating? I would read that as she felt you were upset and was reaching out to let you know that she knows why you did it. Also not sure if she was "rude" or not in her first texts because like email, it is open to interpretation. And on text a lot of people write the least words possible and could always be intrepreted as being short or rude.

[austindoxie1972]

The 3 a.m. notification of workers stopping by at 9:30 a.m. is odd and a bit unprofessional -- but it may not be a violation of the lease and/or a reason for you to walk out. She could claim, "Wow! I sent that text 12 hours before that. Can't believe you didn't get it until 3 a.m." Also, the chimney work could be an emergency, if there is structural damage or leaking.

I agree you've been inconvenienced but it is not enough to break a lease.

[PK12]

First things first,

ENTER key> ENTER key> ENTER key> ENTER key>

I applaud the patience of the posters above me who actually took the pain of reading your post.

[Yankeesfan]

Originally Posted by PK12

First things first,

ENTER key> ENTER key> ENTER key> ENTER key>

I applaud the patience of the posters above me who actually took the pain of reading your post.

Indeed! I kept reading thinking that there must be something at least vaguely dramatic buried in there, in order for this person to seek out this board, register, and spill out the whole thing. Unfortunately I was disappointed .