Heavy objects (apartment, lease, tenant, rental)

[htillberg]

I love to read leases. So here is my question, in a new lease, I see "Tenant will not place any heavy articles in property, including water beds, aquariums, safes, pianos, or wood stoves."

Heavy is rather subjective, but these objects are specific. I have none of these pieces of property, but I might have other things that I consider "heavy." For example, sleeper sofas can be heavy. It seems that each of these objects is upwards of 400 lbs. Is that what others would consider "heavy"?

[wisconsin woman]

I might understand if a person was to put these things on a 2nd floor, but at ground level and on a firm foundation, come on!!

[aragx6]

I have read before that waterbeds can weigh upwards of 1600 pounds when they're all filled with water! That's probably a big deal... a sofa bed? That's just normal furniture.

[htillberg]

Well, I'm asking because I'm trying to figure out if it's because they're heavy or because of other concerns. For example, a water bed and aquarium could result in water damage. There is no way a small aquarium is an issue of "heavy." A wood stove might increase fire risk. A piano.....noise issues? A safe...again, there could be a very small safe that poses no weight concern whatsoever. However, it might increase risk of theft? (Which should be a concern to me more than landlord).
As I said, a rhetorical discussion mostly, but I am curious why those specific objects are listed.

[Hollytree]

Unless the place is really rickety or otherwise substandard (is it an apt building form the 1960s???), the landlord probably does not want to be left with any heavy "white elephant" type objects if you move and don't take them with you, i.e. do you know what it costs to move a piano??

[htillberg]

Hollytree: Good point!

[5FLgirls]

Originally Posted by htillberg

I love to read leases. So here is my question, in a new lease, I see "Tenant will not place any heavy articles in property, including water beds, aquariums, safes, pianos, or wood stoves."

Heavy is rather subjective, but these objects are specific. I have none of these pieces of property, but I might have other things that I consider "heavy." For example, sleeper sofas can be heavy. It seems that each of these objects is upwards of 400 lbs. Is that what others would consider "heavy"?

This is in our lease also. We have a 125 gallon fish tank and we had it crated and moved to our rental home and stored in a section of the garage. We also had a piano and had to sell it because there wasn't room in the garage for that also. I thought it was ridiculous that we weren't allowed to move our piano.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by 5FLgirls

I thought it was ridiculous that we weren't allowed to move our piano.

Probably... so what convinced you to sign the lease?

[RowingMunkeyCU]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

Unless the place is really rickety or otherwise substandard (is it an apt building form the 1960s???), the landlord probably does not want to be left with any heavy "white elephant" type objects if you move and don't take them with you, i.e. do you know what it costs to move a piano??

That's what a chainsaw is for!

But seriously, it does suck. I've been stuck with the aquarium situation before, and the big concern is more that it will leak or break and cause $$$$ of damage, especially on a 2nd floor or higher apartment. The weight issue isn't as big of a deal as it's made out to be, but water is heavy, at approximately 8.5lbs per gallon.

[5FLgirls]

Originally Posted by Ultrarunner

Probably... so what convinced you to sign the lease?

First - I didn't sign the lease -- my husband did (which is another can of worms). He was living out here and I was across the country. Second, you've read my other posts--leaving my piano has been the least of my issues