Overbearing controlling Landlords (Penn: renter, lawyer, new house)

[meganmarie]

Hi, all. We just recently(in the last two months) moved into a new house rental.

My landlord's seemed nice, albeit quiet when we were getting to know them during the lease-signing process. Then we started having random handymen come to our house with no 24 hour notice, as well as a friend of the landlord walking down past our house, about 75 feet into our yard to look at a trailer you pull behind a car because our landlord said he could come to look at it. Our landlord was not with him.

We were planning to tell them about the 24 hour notice law next time when we saw them(their new, NEW landlords). But we didn't get to. This past wednesday morning, I awoke to what i thought was someone pounding on our front door. I awoke my boyfriend, who put on some shorts and ran out. He came back, sighing, and said that Our landlord was here, and under the house(It's a trailer)right UNDER our room. He also said there was some random guy with him that he didn't know that was also painting the house.

My boyfriend went outside to ask him what he was doing, and he said he was winterizing. My boyfriend told him about the 24 hour law, and if he would please let us know next time before he comes. He pretty waved my boyfriend away and blew him off. I then directly wrote up a letter, letting them know it is required by PA state law to give at least 24 hours notice. I went out and handed it to him. He was NOT happy. He said this all is ridiculous, and that he 'tried to knock' to let us know he was there. I explained that it is law, and it also surrounds privacy; giving the example that it is a trailer, and what if we had been having sex, not knowing he was there. He would've heard everything it is a complete lack of privacy. He shook the letter at me and said, 'fine, you'll get your 24 hours notice.'

On friday morning, at about 9:30 a.m., i looked at my phone when i woke up. We got a text message, "we will be over on saturday morning from 8-9 for a home inspection." We have only been living here about a month and a half, but i won't deny a home inspection, especially that it is a first time inspection. I said, 'that's fine, but would you be able to do sunday? we're busy all day saturday.' He typed back, "No. We gave you 24 hours notice.". I said, 'Would you be able to do later on saturday? we really are doing stuff all day saturday.' He said, "we gave you 24 hours notice. I can come down earlier or come in on my own. I have given you 24 hours notice". I said, ' that's fine then, could you be here at 8, then?' He replied, " I can be there between 8 and 9." I said, 'okay...but you just said you could come down earlier?'. and he replied, "I was wrong. between 8 and 9" (these texts are not exaggerations, there actually verbatim. I'm copying them from my phone.)


They came to do the inspection(him and his wife) and he ignored us and stayed outside and his wife came to look for the inspection. She came onto our porch, and saw two 8 inch by two foot tool boxes. She said nastily, "what is this?!" and my boyfriend replied "Toolboxes. I was rotating the tires on the car yesterday." She replied, "Well, they can't be here." He replied, "their not supposed to out here, i'll put them away in the house."(I wasn't sure if she could order us to move stuff on our porch. We're not dirty, it wasn't cluttered; it was just two toolboxes on our 6 foot by 13 foot porch. They were hardly taking up room.) She then did a house inspection, and saw hay we had for our guinea pigs. She said, "you can't have hay in here! it'll attract vermin". I told her it was necessary for guinea pigs diets. She said, "well then move it outside!" I told her it was a delicate hay, and would mold easily when subjected to moisture, hence why i keep it inside(i'd LOVE to be able to keep it outside, it takes up space. But i don't want to feed my animals gross stuff). She huffed and moved on(yes, we have a pet addendum with guinea pigs on it). I feel like the home inspection was borderline punishment because i asked for quiet enjoyment of the property and 24 hours notice. And CAN landlords come in on your property and just ask you to move your stuff? i wouldn't go in their house and be like, I don't like where this couch is. You can't have it there. Move it. I'm stressed and would just like some advice.

[2Q&Lrn&Hlp]

I'm just heading for bed, but first, here's a list of sites with information about renter rights in Pennsylvania:

"Pennsylvania rental inspection renter rights" web search results: http://yippy.com/search/?v%3Aproject=clusty-new&query=pennsylvania+rental+inspection+renter+ri ghts&xtoken=60535946359d09c0551227

[meganmarie]

I can't follow the link it wont let me.

[thecoalman]

Megan, asking for 24 hours notice is certainly reasonable however since both parties need to deal with each other for some period of time getting off on the wrong foot is not going to be very good for either of you. e.g. "No. We gave you 24 hours notice.".

I would suggest sitting down with them and simply say something to the effect "If we can accommodate you before the 24 hours we'll do that and if we can't then you will have to wait. The only thing we are asking is that you let us know ahead of time so we know you are coming and can work out a time that works for both of us." If they are reasonable they should agree with that and there is really no reason they should have to wait 24 hours as long as you know they are coming and can accommodate them.

[maf763]

Giving him a hard time over 23 hour notice makes you seem difficult. Not saying he doesn't have some responsibility for making the relationship work, but it's going to be a lot harder to fix now.

[Wells5]

If you live in a town where lawyers don't charge an arm and a leg, I would seek out legal advice. A warning letter from your lawyer to your landlord threatening legal action if they persist in what amounts to harassment may be sufficient to curb the LL's behavior. You could also file a harassment complaint with the local police.


https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclope...taliation.html