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Old 09-23-2012, 04:08 PM
 
3 posts, read 4,934 times
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Can my landlord restrict my access to the laundry room?

I am renting an apartment in a multifamiy owner occupied home and had a verbal agreement that I could use the the owners washer & dryer and I said I would pay bet $25 and $50 a month extra. I have never paid the extra money and my landlord never requested, now my landlord states that I cannot use washer and dryer, can they do that? I have a verbal agreement.
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Old 09-23-2012, 04:15 PM
 
19,056 posts, read 25,182,447 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nefer View Post
Can my landlord restrict my access to the laundry room?

I am renting an apartment in a multifamiy owner occupied home and had a verbal agreement that I could use the the owners washer & dryer and I said I would pay bet $25 and $50 a month extra. I have never paid the extra money and my landlord never requested, now my landlord states that I cannot use washer and dryer, can they do that? I have a verbal agreement.
I am assuming that you signed a lease for this apartment, and that the lease did not include any details regarding the use of the owner's washer & dryer.
Is that correct?

If that is the case, then verbal agreements cannot modify or supercede the written contract (your lease).
Like it or not, this is one of the most basic aspects of contract law.
The conditions that legally bind both you and the landlord are contained within the four corners of your lease. Anything verbal is legally non-existent if there is lease that was signed by both parties.

So...yes, he can restrict your access to that room.
Sorry for the bad news!

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Old 09-23-2012, 04:23 PM
 
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no lease, it is a month to month. Also I have withheld rent because the landlord did not fix wet wall, landlord states that the wall was damaged by my airconditioner (unfortunately he is right, but I did say that to him), can he force me to leave or increase my rent? Isn't that retaliatory?
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Old 09-23-2012, 04:39 PM
 
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Without a lease, I believe that you are at the mercy of the landlord as to increases in fees. And, yes, he can evict you...as long as he follows the correct legal procedures.

And, if you step back and examine the actual facts (as you have related them to us) in a mature manner, you should come to the conclusion that you are far from blameless.

You stated that you had agreed to pay $25-50 extra per month for the use of the laundry facilities, but that you never actually paid the extra fee. If you can't imagine that this might have been the impetus for being banned from that room, then I would suggest that you are not looking at the situation objectively.
The old saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch", might be applicable here.

You admit that your A/C caused damage to a wall, but you expect the landlord to pay for the repair of this damage himself? Is that a mature or responsible way of looking at the situation?

And, then you have decided to withhold rent because the landlord did not pay to repair the damage that you caused?



Situations like this are a perfect illustration of why I decided long ago that I did not want to be a landlord.
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Old 09-23-2012, 04:55 PM
 
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what are the correct and legal procedures for evictions? is there a link?

I like the place and don't want to leave, but I don't think the landlord wants to work things out.
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Old 09-23-2012, 05:05 PM
 
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Take a look at:
Landlord/Tenant Section Frequently Asked Questions

And, I have to add that...based on your admitted actions and inactions...why would the landlord want to "work things out" with you?

If I was the landlord, I would use every legal means at my disposal to get you out of that apartment.
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Old 09-23-2012, 05:48 PM
 
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You sound lazy. Mow the lawn is that too much to ask? Sounds like the landlord cares about his property. Clearly, you do not.
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Old 09-30-2012, 12:13 AM
 
1,595 posts, read 2,757,379 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nefer View Post
Can my landlord restrict my access to the laundry room?

I am renting an apartment in a multifamiy owner occupied home and had a verbal agreement that I could use the the owners washer & dryer and I said I would pay bet $25 and $50 a month extra. I have never paid the extra money and my landlord never requested, now my landlord states that I cannot use washer and dryer, can they do that? I have a verbal agreement.
''


Ok since you have never paid the extra money, which should have been, your responsibility to automatically, add/included with the rent each month, it's only fair the LL would stop allowing you access to the use of the washer & dryer. You should have expected to eventually be denied the use of it when you don't pay as you verbally agreed to. You can't do anything legally too because, as pointed out to you from previous posters, it has to be on the lease not a verbal agreement. But since you did make the verbal agreement you should have kept your word which you didn't. Now the LL should never trust you because you lied, didn't keep your end of the agreement, and showed your word means nothing.


to Kaijapa. Although your post is 7 months old I will still answer. Sorry but you degrade yourself by staying I would check with town and see if the apt. you are renting is a legal apt. If you are renting an apt. in a private home it's possible it's not legal and LL doesn't want to tell you so instead of going through the hassle of trying evict you he/she insulst you to make you move. Or you could check online tax records to see how the house is listed that way it's more annonymous and there's no threat of the LL finding out before you have a chance to decide what you want to do.

To the original poster. Where on earth do you live that it cost's $300.00 a month for lawn maintenance? That is insane to charge that much. Geez what is it 2 acres to charge that much, I would back out of that deal real fast and let the LL pay a landscaper to do the job. Then I would look into moving somewhere else because having people watch the house and everything you do is just too creepy and close to stalking. This is not just loking out for their property this is creepy. When did people become so screwed up that they have this creepy desire to watch what everyone else is doing, I swear society/people are becoming more and more mental worrying about what everyone else is doing.
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Old 03-18-2014, 05:56 AM
 
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MY Tenants have not paid there rent in 6 months now. We signed an agreement for on 2/18 For Judgment entered- tenant remains. I gave the tenants 10 days to get assistance from Social Services 2/28. With the added clause that if they were unable to secure funding they would have to vacate on 3/18. a full month after our court date. Needless to say they did not secure funds. I filed for the warrant of Removal on 3/17. On 3/17 I get a message from Judges chambers saying the F.....rocks(tenants) have filed a order to show cause? I feel I have been more than fair to these tenants... By the way she texted me on Thursday saying she has no hot water.... I refuse to fix it based on the premise she is suppose to be out on the 18th... why would I make it comfortable to stay....HOW DO I GET THEM OUT!!!
COCO70
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Old 03-18-2014, 06:23 AM
 
19,056 posts, read 25,182,447 times
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You really should have started your own thread on this topic, rather than reviving someone else's thread that is well over a year old, but I am going to give you a bit of unofficial legal advice on your situation.

I understand that you want these people out of your house, and I would probably be just as frustrated as you are, but you apparently don't understand the legal principle of "clean hands". I am referring to your statement, "I refuse to fix it based on the premise she is supposed to be out on the 18th... Why would I make it comfortable to stay?".

Once you are refusing the fix a basic amenity, such as a broken water heater, you are putting yourself in a bad situation for your next court appearance. By neglecting something like hot water service, you will be entering court with "dirty hands", and that automatically puts you in a bad light. You want to be able to enter court with "clean hands", as a landlord who is doing everything correctly, but who is suffering with a recalcitrant tenant.

So, as distasteful as it may be to you, I suggest that you restore hot water service and then proceed through proper legal channels in order to have the tenant removed. Otherwise, once the current tenant makes the court aware of your failure to provide hot water (and possibly other services), there will be a record of your actions that could come back to haunt you in future legal proceedings with other tenants.

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