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Dear all,
I'm in a difficult situation and was hoping to get some advice. I thought I'd found the perfect apartment on CL, the landlord was super-friendly, the place was humongous and the price seemed right. Two days after I agreed to rent the place, the landlord gave me a lease, which I said I needed to read over before signing. But I gave him a check for the security deposit to secure the place, and told him I expect the receipt when I hand him the signed lease next time. Well, fast forward two days, I gave him the signed lease, but he left the dates blank, saying we need to confirm with the management office about specific move date first. No mention of the deposit receipt, so I stressed at the end of our meeting that next time we meet I need both a copy of the complete lease and the receipt.
Now 2 weeks have passed, and I've been biting my nails wondering if this guy just ran off with my deposit. I called him on Saturday, and he said he was sorry, been crazy busy, and will call me as soon as he gets home...which he never did. I called him the next day and again the same "busy" excuses, but he said he just wrote in his notebook and will call me first thing Monday when he talks to the management about my proposed move-in date. I also told him about my concerns, and first he said I should just "trust him", but went ahead and agreed to meet on Tues to give me my paperwork. It is now late Monday night, and no calls. Honestly at this point I'm really starting to get cold feet. If it takes this much arm-twisting to get legal documents from this guy, what's it gonna take for him to fix a clogged toilet? Isn't he required by law to provide a deposit receipt within 14 days? Can I use that against him? What are my options?
Thanks in advance! (and sorry for the long post...it's a complicated situation.)
Why you signed a lease with no dates and didn't get a receipt for the "security" deposit is beyond me but I guess you're going to have to wait and see if this "meeting" today takes place. Did he give you a copy of the lease you signed?
Do you have any verifiable physical address for this guy or just a cell phone number?
I would be worried, too, if I knew there was no way to definitely get hold of him.
Call the management for the location and see if they even know who this person is.
If he actually had an apt there, he may just be very disorganized.
If he doesn't, you have your answer.
Why you signed a lease with no dates and didn't get a receipt for the "security" deposit is beyond me but I guess you're going to have to wait and see if this "meeting" today takes place. Did he give you a copy of the lease you signed?
I know...I've been kicking myself for the past 2 wks. I guess at that very moment I was more concerned about securing the apt, and this guy put up a good show so I *thought* he was a decent human being. I now know better. I'm supposed to get a copy of the lease and receipt today...though honestly I don't really want to deal with this guy anymore.
Do you have any verifiable physical address for this guy or just a cell phone number?
I would be worried, too, if I knew there was no way to definitely get hold of him.
Call the management for the location and see if they even know who this person is.
If he actually had an apt there, he may just be very disorganized.
If he doesn't, you have your answer.
I scanned a copy of the incomplete lease before giving it back to him 2 wks ago, and he listed an address on it. Mighty Google showed it's a rental apartment building and he never provided the unit number. I was able to find a number for the management office online though I have no idea if it's the most recent information. Will give it a try today. What a nightmare!
Have you moved in yet? I had my lease sign dated & in Hadn before I moved in. But each renewal wasnt dated or sign til day was to start. Not sure I helped but I do hope things work out for you.
When did YOU say You wanted to move in? If you said the 1st then maybe he waiting to get everything sign then. I am just guessing but it is something to think about.
..though honestly I don't really want to deal with this guy anymore.
You might, just might, have an "out". I was curious as to the validity of a lease with no start or end date and found this on a MA legal site (emphasis mine):
Both you and your landlord must sign your lease. Within 30 days of signing it, the landlord must give you a copy.The lease must include the following information:
The amount of rent, The date on which your tenancy ends,
The amount of your security deposit, if you paid one,
All your rights concerning the security deposit,and
The names, addresses, and phone numbers of your landlord, any other person responsible for maintaining the property, and the person authorized to receive notices and court papers. If a lease does not include an ending date or a rent amount, the lease will not be valid.
Since your lease doesn't have a begin and end date and you have a scanned copy of it as proof you may well (if this LL isn't a scammer) be in the clear. I would doubt that this requirement is applicable to only MA or a few other states and is likely a general standard for leases throughout the US.
katie1: this is for moving in end of Feb. He said he wanted to wait 'til his current tenant moves out, which was last week. But I don't understand why he couldn't confirm with the management office about my move-in and also give me specifics about move-in fees, procedures etc. I've rented condos before so I expected a few hoops to jump through with the office, but his reluctance to give me solid information is suspicious (as much as I'd like to believe he's just lazy, which is not very desirable for landlords).
wireyourworld: unfortunately it was cashed 3 days after I gave it to him (he certainly wasn't busy enough to NOT cash the check, yet he's too busy to call the management office for specific details. Go figure...)
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