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I'm going to preface this by saying that I'm not only computer-challenged but technology-challenged. I may be using some terminology incorrectly. So, we have wifi throughout the entire building (well, we're supposed to. It doesn't really work all that well), that is paid for by the apartment complex. If you want faster wifi, it's something like $35/month but you don't get to choose the company. It's something called SolSource. We have ethernet ports in the bedrooms and living rooms of the apartments so what we're supposed to do is plug in an ethernet cable and connect it to our laptop so our laptop is hardwired in to the Internet. What most people are doing, which is apparently commonplace for most other apartment type settings is buying a wireless router and plugging it into that port. This way, they have their own little wifi hotspot with better signal than they'd be getting otherwise, and it's password protected. Our Internet wasn't password protected for months.
I also do not live in subsidized housing.
Oh, I completely see what you're saying now! It's not standard for there to be Ethernet ports in the walls so I didn't even think of that. That's so strange though. I'm not sure why they even bother. I lived somewhere with free internet once and it was so slow I ended up buying my own anyway. Not to mention, you said it wasn't password protected for a long time. I'd be nervous about their security even now. All of your personal info is flying around on their network and it wouldn't take much to get ahold of it with the right know-how. This is also why people say not to log into your mobile banking app from a store or restaurant's wifi.
And sorry, I wasn't implying you lived in subsidized housing. I meant that subsidized housing is the only place I've ever heard of doing inspections like that which makes sense in that circumstance because the government requires them to do so.
The goat head is really gross! LOL! You should be used to gross humor being in med school though. I'm sure you've seen worse...
This is true, I am! Unfortunately, I also know all the risks and nastiness that comes along with not only leaving a goat head in the elevator but a decomposing one at that. Plus, it's just not fair to expose other people to it who may not have the stomach for it.
This is true, I am! Unfortunately, I also know all the risks and nastiness that comes along with not only leaving a goat head in the elevator but a decomposing one at that. Plus, it's just not fair to expose other people to it who may not have the stomach for it.
Oh, I completely see what you're saying now! It's not standard for there to be Ethernet ports in the walls so I didn't even think of that. That's so strange though. I'm not sure why they even bother. I lived somewhere with free internet once and it was so slow I ended up buying my own anyway. Not to mention, you said it wasn't password protected for a long time. I'd be nervous about their security even now. All of your personal info is flying around on their network and it wouldn't take much to get ahold of it with the right know-how. This is also why people say not to log into your mobile banking app from a store or restaurant's wifi.
And sorry, I wasn't implying you lived in subsidized housing. I meant that subsidized housing is the only place I've ever heard of doing inspections like that which makes sense in that circumstance because the government requires them to do so.
No, no, not a problem! I'd love to live in subsidized housing but my loans make me ineligible because they're classed as income.
What you're saying is a big reason a lot of people have routers, even with ignoring the awful speed. That was my first complaint when I moved in, and I asked management if they were putting a password on the wifi and they said they had no plans to. Thankfully, they have, but I wasn't going to be checking any personal information without using a password-protected network.
Alright guys, I'm sorry, I have another question. I didn't want to start a brand new thread and clutter the forum but I will if necessary
This complex recently doled out notices saying that if we renew our lease by December 19, we get some kind of discount. For me it was $300 off of my apartment's listed price. This notice has my name, old price, new price, savings, and the manager's sign off. All it says is to sign a new lease by December 19, to get this discount.
Today, there was notification that this was a sliding scale of sorts and that it's first come first serve. The first people get that $300 discount, next is $150 and then after that is the same price as they're increasing the rent next year for new tenants. Now, with all the problems going on here, I obviously hadn't decided if I'd stay but I was considering it since I'll be traveling so much next year and $300 is a significant reduction for a place I won't be spending much time in. In addition, this "notification" is actually just word of mouth from other tenants on Facebook.
How binding (if that's the right tem) is this piece of paper I've been given with the date and $300 off? Are they obligated to stick to that? I feel like what they did is a little misleading, but I don't know if I really have a leg to stand on to argue for my $300. I thought maybe it could be considered false advertising, which is a violation of the Civil Code that they've gotten in trouble and fined for before, but since it was a personalized notice to each resident, I wasn't sure. Some residents also did not even get these notices, so they were SOL from the beginning if they wanted a discount.
Thanks for all the help!
Well, all that really matters, IMO, is that if you want that deal, you go tell them you do and see if they will produce an actual contract with that rate on it.
If they don't, it doesn't seem worth fighting over to me. I have a vague memory from a law class about how advertisers can get away with advertising offers that don't materialize, and it's not illegal. Kind of like when you get the advertisements in the mail that say you are APPROVED for a credit card, then you read the fine print and it says you are approved to apply for their credit card, and based on your credit you may actually get a different rate or get denied, yatta yatta.
So, if you want that deal, tell them you do and that you will sign a contract if they provide one with those terms. If they don't, then continue with your plans to move out.
Well, all that really matters, IMO, is that if you want that deal, you go tell them you do and see if they will produce an actual contract with that rate on it.
If they don't, it doesn't seem worth fighting over to me. I have a vague memory from a law class about how advertisers can get away with advertising offers that don't materialize, and it's not illegal. Kind of like when you get the advertisements in the mail that say you are APPROVED for a credit card, then you read the fine print and it says you are approved to apply for their credit card, and based on your credit you may actually get a different rate or get denied, yatta yatta.
So, if you want that deal, tell them you do and that you will sign a contract if they provide one with those terms. If they don't, then continue with your plans to move out.
My problem is that I did do that. I asked, this morning, if the manager could send me the lease with the new price to sign. I have yet to get a response but now there's some word of mouth thing going around about how there are no discounted spaces left -- and yet we weren't informed that there were a set amount of spaces, we were just informed that we had to make a decision before December 19.
My problem is that I did do that. I asked, this morning, if the manager could send me the lease with the new price to sign. I have yet to get a response but now there's some word of mouth thing going around about how there are no discounted spaces left -- and yet we weren't informed that there were a set amount of spaces, we were just informed that we had to make a decision before December 19.
Well, like I said, if they don't produce a contract with the new price, then it's just another reason to get out of there. You can leave feeling really sure you don't want to live there anymore.
You would have had to rely on their advertising and been hurt by it, among other things, I think.
Did they address a note to you personally? Deliver one to you personally? I suppose you could sign a copy of it and say "I accept," and that may be considered an enforceable contract. They sent you a written offer, and you just need to accept it in writing (real estate contracts for 1 year or longer must be in writing) But, the contract doesn't have to have both signatures on the same piece of paper.
If you want to pursue this, write them a letter saying, "As you know I came by the office to accept your written offer to sign a new contract by Dec 19th for rent in the amount of $___________. As no one was available to produce a contract for me to sign when I came to the office on ___________(date and time), please consider this as my written acceptance of your offer, which should create a binding contract. I will assume the terms will otherwise remain the same as my existing contract, since your offer did not mention any different terms other than the rent amount."
You could try it and see what happens. I believe it would be legal.
BTW, to create a binding contract this way, you can't change any of the terms of the offer. If you do, it's a counter-offer that they can turn down.
And if you do this, do it immediately, before they can renege the offer.
Last edited by NoMoreSnowForMe; 12-11-2014 at 10:30 PM..
Regarding your possible lease renweal, if they balk at giving you the "discount", remind them of the cost of turning an apartment. They can keep you as a tenant or spend a week painting and cleaning and who-knows-how-long finding a new tenant to accept a $300 higher rent amount. On the chance you get someone with a good ear, let them know about your concerns and unhappiness and try to negotiate an even lower rate. I know I'd much rather rent to a Med student than a law student.
As far as the OP goes, you obviously had your 48 hours notice since this thread went on for 2 days before reporting on any entry. Also, keep in mind the inspections aren't personal. They are about the good of the whole property and reducing or eliminating costs and inconveniences of further entries for pest control or other repairs.
Further, I would see a repair request as a waiver of a 48-hour notice to enter seeing as how you requested a repair. You've essentially asked a repairman to enter your apartment to, well, do repairman things.
Going back to the discount thing, I would compare it to Black Friday loss-leaders. We all know about those 55" LED TVs being sold for $199. What we don't get to see, presumably because we don't have a 55" TV, is the fine print saying there are only so many per store and if you don't show up wearing a Tickle Me Elmo fetish suit you don't get the discount. Is it deceptive? Probably. Illegal? No. Not yet. Give it enough time and a mispelllindg will open the door for a million dollar lawsuit. You see what I did there? So sue me.
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