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I am a landlord who has made a concerted effort to understand the landlord-tenant laws and I believe that you landlord is being entirely unreasonable. He generally does not have the right to make up "additional rules" which restrict the areas of the property which you can use. First verify that the existing lease does not make mention of any of these new requirements the landlord is trying to impose upon you.
You have two options,
1. If you want to continue leasing the property after your lease expires, you may have to humor the landlord on somethings, otherwise they may refuse to renew the lease.
or 2. Ignore the new rules and expect a more hostile relationship with the landlord, and plan on moving out when your lease ends. Depending on how hostile the landlord may get as a result, you might anticipate additional arguments with them during your tenancy and they may make extra efforts to keep some of your damage deposit after you move out.
To defend yourself in any case, you should read up on your state landlord tenant laws. Especially any parts on how and when to give proper written notice to end a lease. How to properly clean the place and document its condition when you move out, to protect yourself against unreasonable charges against your deposit. Is there a time limit in how long the landlord has to provide you with an itemized list of deductions against the deposit? In many states the landlord looses all rights to the deposit if they do not follow the correct procedures.
You can find links to most of the state laws in the sticky thread at the top of the renting forum.
Edit to add: If it were me, I'd advise the landlord in writing that you do not believe any of the uses you are putting it to are hazardous, that you are renting the entire house, and that you expect to be able to use the entire house in a reasonable manner. If he wants to renegotiate the lease to exclude using certain portions of it you might be willing to do that if he reduces the rent substantially to your satisfaction. Also advise him in writing again of the areas that need repair and that you expect to see some action on that in 30 days or you will look into your rights to repair and deduct the cost of those repairs from your rent (verify your state law allows this and how to give proper notice, some do not allow it).
Ugh, these people are continuing to push my buttons!
Me and my husband just got a group text from LL asking us to put the rent in our mailbox. It's due tomorrow. They did this to us last month too, first time since we moved in that they did so I didn't think anything of it. Now they are doing it again this month.
Edit to add: Since Aug 2012 our rent was never late. From day 1 we always just dropped it off at their house in their mail slot. I don't think they need to be digging around in OUR mailbox. What if something personal was in there?
Last edited by ilovelabs; 11-14-2013 at 07:38 AM..
Me and my husband just got a group text from LL asking us to put the rent in our mailbox.
In YOUR mailbox? How do they have access to your mailbox and, if it's a regular USPS mailbox on the property isn't this maybe against USPS rules? As long as your rent is in their hands by the due date you're not obliged to cater to their whims in how it's delivered to them. I'd be inclined to ignore the "demand" and get the rent to them the way it best suits you - unless your lease specifically addresses the issue.
In YOUR mailbox? How do they have access to your mailbox and, if it's a regular USPS mailbox on the property isn't this maybe against USPS rules? As long as your rent is in their hands by the due date you're not obliged to cater to their whims in how it's delivered to them. I'd be inclined to ignore the "demand" and get the rent to them the way it best suits you - unless your lease specifically addresses the issue.
Our mailbox is not locked. It's just a black metal mailbox which is on the porch wall right next to the front door. (But regardless, they don't need in it!)
I checked the lease on this and it just states the due date and not how the payment has to be delivered.
Our mailbox is not locked. It's just a black metal mailbox which is on the porch wall right next to the front door. (But regardless, they don't need in it!)
I checked the lease on this and it just states the due date and not how the payment has to be delivered.
So they have to come onto your leased property to get to YOUR mailbox. I would briefly respond and tell them that this isn't acceptable. I suggest you drop off your cheque today by hand and in future make arrangements to mail it to them or drop it off to them personally.
Our mailbox is not locked. It's just a black metal mailbox which is on the porch wall right next to the front door. (But regardless, they don't need in it!)
I checked the lease on this and it just states the due date and not how the payment has to be delivered.
Your mailbox is used to receive and send mail thru the USPS..it's not a payment drop box. Nicely tell them no, you will drop at their house or if they prefer, you will mail it to them.
I will tell them this. I can't let them think we are ok with being pushed around. They are brand spaking new landlords, we are their 1st tenants and I am beginning to wonder if either one of them were ever tenants in their lives. I highly doubt that they even looked at the PA landlord/tenant law before renting to us, as I am reading over it and finding out a lot of information!
Since they are new LL it sounds to me that they think that they can make up the rules as they please and you must obey their every whim. Print out all the rules and laws of your state pertaining to what they are violating. If they keep doing it then slap them with a cease letter. If they flat out refuse then contact a lawyer and let them speak for you. Just like yo have to abide by the rules and the lease so do they
You don't want to risk putting the rent check in your mailbox. The postal worker might take that as outgoing mail to then it gets put into the mail system with no stamp.
You should be mailing the check via US Mail going forward. Send it out a few days early to allow time for mail deliver.
I had someone hand deliver a wedding invitation and drop it in my mailbox. I guess the postman picked it up as outgoing mail. I never got it ever. When I didn't show up at the wedding I was asked why. I said I wasn't invited. The bride said she put the invitation in my mailbox. Not even sure if it was addressed properly or just had the name on the front. Regardless, it was lost forever.
**As far as your landlords. I wouldn't even reply to them about the rent check request. I would just deliver it the way you normally do. Why debate with them over this nonsense.
About washing your car in your driveway and parking in your driveway. I would ignore their comments but I would not say anything to them about it. I would continue parking there and washing my car as usual. They cannot evict you over that unless it is a written rule in the lease that you already signed. If they continue to bug you over parking in the driveway, you can tell them your lease doesn't exclude it and one of the reasons you rented that home was to use the driveway. If they want to change the lease then they will have to wait until the lease expiration date. Or if they want to allow you out of the lease early, tell them you can start searching for a home to buy asap and maybe you can be out before the lease end date if they give you something in writing/signed by them that says you are allowed to break your lease early with NO penalty of any kind whatsoever.
They cannot evict you for using the driveway and they cannot force you to park in the street. Same with the furniture storage in the basement. Unless it was written in the lease one way or another, they cannot change the rules in the middle of the lease unless you sign an agreement stating to a lease amendment with new rules. But you don't have to sign this and why would you.
These jerks weren't fair to you when you wanted to go month-to-month in order to buy a home. So now they are stuck with a lease on terms they aren't happy with (they forgot to put exclusions about parking in driveway, car washing, furniture in basement). Had they allowed you on a month to month lease, they could have changed the rules with 30 day notice. But they cannot do this when in an annual lease until the lease expires.
I bet you cannot wait to move out. I would be house shopping now if I was in your shoes.
I would ignore their texts and not get into debates with them. My only discussion with them would be that they need to give 24 hour notice before entering the property. Then ONLY if they continue to bother you about parking in the driveway, etc...Then I would tell them if they want a new renter that doesn't park in the driveway/wash cars or store furniture in the basement, then they need to let you out of your lease early with no penalty because your current lease doesn't exclude those things and they cannot change the rules mid-lease. But don't agree to any new lease end date until you have something in writing from them about allowing you out early with no penalty and all you need to do is give 30 day notice. Then they can rewrite their lease for the new renters.
Last edited by sware2cod; 11-14-2013 at 09:48 AM..
You are being taken for a ride...
Can't park in driveway? Can't wash cars? Using your garbage space? Can't use basement?
I'd continue doing everything acceptable as per the lease terms and next time they complain, just call the city board.
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