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TECHNICAL Thug posted:Those are to last me until 8-1 when the landlord will let us break the lease (remember I sent that certified letter and she has sent one back telling me she ain't fixing it and we sure can move out in 30 days). She's gonna have a hell of a time convincing someone to move in if she's showing it while we're still there-- there's box fans everywhere (3-4 now??) and 3 window units, yet she will try to convince people the house has working central air. lol. My fiance or myself will definitely be there when she's there-- obviously we're not going to tell people not to rent from her, but won't do anything to hide the fact that the house is hot as poo poo. Spruce up a bit, vacate the premises, and allow your landlord to show her property.
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Jun 26, 2012 18:48
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TECHNICAL Thug posted:I have 2 of these: http://www.homedepot.com/Appliances...1&storeId=10051 Try to line up the BTUs with the area you will be cooling - if your unit is too big for the area, you'll just spend more in electricity and the AC won't get rid of all of the humidity.
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Jun 26, 2012 20:36
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goku chewbacca posted:You're being unreasonable. You're landlord was gracious enough to allow you to break your lease without penalty, and you haven't demonstrated that A/C is considered a vital amenity in your jurisdiction. Frankly, the indoor temperature readings you posted before are more than sufficient. Homes don't need to be 70*F year round. Your baby isn't that fragile. I don't see how he's being unreasonable. Just because you're okay with your house being 80 degrees doesn't mean everyone else is okay with that - baby or not. He needs all that stuff while he's there, too. Why should he get rid of his stuff just so the landlord can show it to someone while still in lease?
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Jun 26, 2012 21:35
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glompix posted:I don't see how he's being unreasonable. Just because you're okay with your house being 80 degrees doesn't mean everyone else is okay with that - baby or not. He needs all that stuff while he's there, too. Why should he get rid of his stuff just so the landlord can show it to someone while still in lease? On top of that, he's probably paying extra for a place with "central air" (clearly it influenced his housing decision when he moved in!) & now he's had the expense of buying multiple window AC units, the time it took to buy & install them, the increased electrical bills from running them and the inconvenience of uninstalling & storing them during the winter. Even all those aren't including additional purchases (such as insulating around the unit, or adding an electrical outlet).
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Jun 27, 2012 16:33
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What's the deal with my getting charged so much for an apartment I want to move into in August? I'm in a situation right now where I was quoted $1350-$1460 per month for a 1BR/1BA, but the lease I (willingly and with complete understanding) signed was for $1480/mo. I was told that it was expensive because of supply and demand, but since the apartment isn't one of the upgraded ones and it doesn't have a better view that other similar apartments in the complex, then why is my rent so high? Is "supply and demand" reason enough for them to charge me through the nose? Also, I signed the lease with the understanding that I could switch to a cheaper unit if it becomes available closer to my move-in date (sometime between now and late August/early September). The only thing I'd give up, I was told, was a $100 hold I put down on my current apartment. Is such a thing unheard of? I can definitely afford the current rate if I was stuck with it, but if there's no chance I'll get a cheaper place then I might just pull out now and resume my search.
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Jun 28, 2012 05:42
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Karthe posted:What's the deal with my getting charged so much for an apartment I want to move into in August? I'm in a situation right now where I was quoted $1350-$1460 per month for a 1BR/1BA, but the lease I (willingly and with complete understanding) signed was for $1480/mo. I was told that it was expensive because of supply and demand, but since the apartment isn't one of the upgraded ones and it doesn't have a better view that other similar apartments in the complex, then why is my rent so high? Is "supply and demand" reason enough for them to charge me through the nose?
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Jun 28, 2012 05:45
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ladyweapon posted:Do you live in a college town? Rent being jacked up in August sounds like they get flooded with kids who didn't plan housing ahead and need a place to live ASAP because school starts late august or early september.
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Jun 28, 2012 05:54
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Most cities have one or two 'peak' months where a lot of leases end and change over, and during that time rates tend to jump because everyone is looking for a new place. Often if you wait until one or two months after that, rates tend to drop - because now landlords have an empty unit and would rather take a lower rate than risk having it empty for ages. Of course, this will also mean that you are looking at fewer places, and ones that were passed over in the rush for some reason (not always dumps, though - sometimes these are places that were lined up for the peak but had something fall through). In your case, I suspect that what happened is that the management quoted you a range, and when it came time they just gave you the highest end of that (and then some). Did you negotiate at all? If there are empty units in the building, it's entirely possible they would have dropped it if you had pushed back. The management is always going to try and rent for as much as they can, after all.
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Jun 28, 2012 14:50
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Ashcans posted:In your case, I suspect that what happened is that the management quoted you a range, and when it came time they just gave you the highest end of that (and then some). Did you negotiate at all? If there are empty units in the building, it's entirely possible they would have dropped it if you had pushed back. The management is always going to try and rent for as much as they can, after all.  How do you negotiate something like that? Find a cheaper, comparable complex nearby and ask for their rate?And the guy I worked with made it sound like they were pretty full up, and that the lease I signed would guarantee me the only apartment they knew for sure would be available around the time we wanted to move. I don't suppose I have any leg to stand on to renegotiate a better deal?
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Jun 28, 2012 14:54
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You can always try to negotiate, but you're probably out of luck since you already signed the lease. Normally, I'll make a counter offer before I sign anything. I'll say something like how 'It's a little out of my price range - could you do $Rent - $100 instead', or I'll ask them to include parking with the rent price. Worst case is that they'll tell you that their original price is the only offer. And if you are successful, you just saved $1000+ per year.
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Jun 28, 2012 15:22
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Yea, now that you have signed the lease you are sort of stuck - although if they have given you the option to switch to a cheaper unit, you can keep bugging them about that. If you are checking in regularly they're more likely to give you a place if one opens up to get you off their backs. Basically when they gave you the lease, you could have said something like 'Oh, this is above the range I was originally quoted - can we do this for $1380?' A management company isn't going to be offended or anything, worst case scenario is they'll say no. If they don't compromise on price, you can also haggle on any extras or fees. Don't feel bad, haggling is not really common so most people don't think to do it. But, keep it in mind if you decide to renew the lease next year. If the complex tries to raise your rates, you can always push back.
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Jun 28, 2012 15:37
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I have just started moving into my new flat (I can't afford a van at the moment, so I'm sort of transferring possessions by public transport osmosis), and there's a problem I don't know how to fix. When we first got the keys we opened up the flat and it was really grubby so we called the landlord and he got a cleaner to give it a once over. However, there's this gross smell that I just can't place in my room. It's sort of like a cross between sweat and vinegar? Today I opened up the window all the way to get some air in, threw away the gross looking pillows on the bed (possible/most likely stink source) and the valance sheet and even the skanky looking lampshade in case it was that, hoovered and mopped, Febreezed the hell out of the mattress and box spring and put the mattress on its side so it could air out. I even ended up cleaning the chimney breast wall because it sort of smelt like the smell had absorbed into the wall. The smell is not as strong, but it's still there. What else can I do to get rid of the stink? I'm starting to fear that there's a dead mouse in the chimney breast or in the box spring. It's quite hard to locate where the stink is coming from, although throwing the pillows away seemed to help a lot.
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Jun 30, 2012 01:02
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How long was the flat vacant before you moved in? They'd painted mine as part of the renovation before I moved in then closed it up tight and when I moved in the place reeked of old paint and cleaning supplies. Opening every window door and cabinet and just letting it air out for a couple days worked pretty well. I've either gotten used to the smell or it's completely gone now.
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Jun 30, 2012 03:30
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I've been massively hosed over by landlords in the past, and my current one is an rear end in a top hat, so I'm looking for advice on how to get my deposit back when I move this fall. My landlord informed us that he would be selling the condo my roommates and I live in after we found the sales listing online and called him about it. He immediately started showing the property, and when we checked our lease it said that we needed 120 days written notice of sale before we had to let anyone in. When we told that to him, he said that he "could just kick us out if [he] weren't such a nice guy." Seriously. He still doesn't always give us 24 hours notice before he shows up. Understandably, I'm pretty worried about my deposit. Previous landlords have marveled at how sparkling I left the place and then charged $300 for "general cleaning," so I have a feeling that will happen again. What can I do to protect myself? I have pictures of before and will take some more after, but I don't trust this guy at all. I live in Los Angeles, for reference.
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Jun 30, 2012 04:40
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Does anyone have experience with the IKEA Sultan Finnvik (or any other IKEA memory foam) mattress? I'm setting up an apartment over the summer and it looks great so far, but I'd like to hear firsthand experience if possible.
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Jun 30, 2012 06:34
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Zaftig posted:I've been massively hosed over by landlords in the past, and my current one is an rear end in a top hat, so I'm looking for advice on how to get my deposit back when I move this fall. My landlord informed us that he would be selling the condo my roommates and I live in after we found the sales listing online and called him about it. He immediately started showing the property, and when we checked our lease it said that we needed 120 days written notice of sale before we had to let anyone in. When we told that to him, he said that he "could just kick us out if [he] weren't such a nice guy." Seriously. He still doesn't always give us 24 hours notice before he shows up. This is not unusual. Take timestamped photos when you bet ready to vacate and send them to him certified mail. Make him do a walk through with you before you return the keys and have him initial on a list the rooms etc with no fault. If he refuses do this yourself and once again certify mail it along with a letter outlining the timeframe he is legally allowed to provide you with either receipts or your deposit as well as a list of fees for the losing party in la small claims court.
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Jun 30, 2012 07:57
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Trilineatus posted:This is not unusual. Take timestamped photos when you bet ready to vacate and send them to him certified mail. Make him do a walk through with you before you return the keys and have him initial on a list the rooms etc with no fault. If he refuses do this yourself and once again certify mail it along with a letter outlining the timeframe he is legally allowed to provide you with either receipts or your deposit as well as a list of fees for the losing party in la small claims court. Id say its pretty unusual considering his landlord is explicitly violating the terms of the lease.
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Jun 30, 2012 11:04
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Aquatic Giraffe posted:How long was the flat vacant before you moved in? They'd painted mine as part of the renovation before I moved in then closed it up tight and when I moved in the place reeked of old paint and cleaning supplies. Opening every window door and cabinet and just letting it air out for a couple days worked pretty well. I've either gotten used to the smell or it's completely gone now. I don't think it was vacant for that long, the last tenant apparently moved out in a hurry (no indication why, but we're still getting packages addressed to her. I opened them so I could return them and she ordered the last of them only a week ago). I'm hoping it was just those gross pillows and that having removed the source, the rest of the smell will dissipate. Power of Pecota posted:Does anyone have experience with the IKEA Sultan Finnvik (or any other IKEA memory foam) mattress? I'm setting up an apartment over the summer and it looks great so far, but I'd like to hear firsthand experience if possible. I've got a Sultan Tafjord memory foam topper on my single bed at my parents' house and it's gorgeous. The mattress it's covering got bought in 1997 and was starting to have horrible points where you could feel the springs cupping your body but with the topper on I sleep incredibly well and no longer wake up feeling like I slept in a ditch. I sleep in very weird positions and tend to overheat at night and have still slept really well on this thing. The pro with buying the topper rather than the whole mattress is that it's cheaper, and (in the case of the single at least) easier to transport.
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Jun 30, 2012 11:48
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Zaftig posted:Understandably, I'm pretty worried about my deposit. Previous landlords have marveled at how sparkling I left the place and then charged $300 for "general cleaning," so I have a feeling that will happen again. What can I do to protect myself? I have pictures of before and will take some more after, but I don't trust this guy at all. I live in Los Angeles, for reference. The above poster is right, you should document your move out exhaustively. One thing to do is take pictures of every possible thing you can think of to show that it was cleaned, and include some sort of date indicator (like a newspaper) in the pictures - that way he can't claim those pictures were from when you moved in and you left it in a mess. Definitely, definitely, ask him to do a walkthrough with you and tell you what needs to be done. If he says it's fine, get it in writing. If he refuses to do a walkthrough with you - or makes any threat to withhold your deposit before you've moved out - try and document that. Like if he tells you he won't do a walkthrough, try and get him to repeat it in an email or something similar. That way when you go to court you can say 'Look, we specifically asked for this and he refused'. The last thing is to check your local laws closely for how the deposit needs to be handled. In a lot of places there are surprisely strict and precise laws about how it needs to be treated and returned, and if the landlord doesn't follow those he might have no recourse to keep any of the deposit. Ultimately you may need to decide how much this means to you. I have had landlords hold back a couple hundred bucks improperly, but its not worth my time to chase some shithead for months legally for that much.
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Jun 30, 2012 13:22
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Ashcans posted:The above poster is right, you should document your move out exhaustively. One thing to do is take pictures of every possible thing you can think of to show that it was cleaned, and include some sort of date indicator (like a newspaper) in the pictures - that way he can't claim those pictures were from when you moved in and you left it in a mess. Definitely, definitely, ask him to do a walkthrough with you and tell you what needs to be done. If he says it's fine, get it in writing. This. Do your best to convince your landlord that you will pursue that deposit to the end of the universe even if you wont - some scum bags count on young people not having the time or resources to fight being wronged. Disabuse him of this notion.
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Jun 30, 2012 16:33
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I'm pretty new to moving and applying for apartments and moved here across the country about a year ago. When they ask for personal references on your application, would it be better to list friends I've known forever but live in a bunch of different cities across the continent now, or people I've only known for a year but live here?
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Jul 1, 2012 16:52
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Giant Boy Detective posted:I'm pretty new to moving and applying for apartments and moved here across the country about a year ago. When they ask for personal references on your application, would it be better to list friends I've known forever but live in a bunch of different cities across the continent now, or people I've only known for a year but live here? Whoever won't tell them you're a meth head.
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Jul 1, 2012 18:04
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Trilineatus posted:This. Do your best to convince your landlord that you will pursue that deposit to the end of the universe even if you wont - some scum bags count on young people not having the time or resources to fight being wronged. Disabuse him of this notion. Just as a side warning to this, it really helps if you can gauge what sort of person your landlord is. If he's just uninformed, letting him know the law is often enough to set him straight. If he's just a slumlord or lovely landlord who relies on strongarming tenants, showing that your serious is usually enough for him to back down - basically, he'll know that it's not worth the trouble of dragging it through court. But, some landlords are basically crazy and will get super emotional about their rental. Think carefully before you engage these people. I was prepared to take a previous landlord to court until I did some digging and found out that she had been to court dozens of times with basically everyone in the world - including her bank and all sorts of other companies. Basically she would get livid and insist on fighting every issue even if she was a clear loser. I decided it wasn't worth spending months in court with a crazy person over the money.
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Jul 1, 2012 21:16
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Trilineatus posted:This. Do your best to convince your landlord that you will pursue that deposit to the end of the universe even if you wont - some scum bags count on young people not having the time or resources to fight being wronged. Disabuse him of this notion. I'll look into my local laws. I was thinking about doing a checklist that he signed, so I'm glad to know that other people think that's a good idea, too.
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Jul 2, 2012 07:20
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ladyweapon posted:Id say its pretty unusual considering his landlord is explicitly violating the terms of the lease. They're really more like suggestions than terms...
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Jul 2, 2012 21:54
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Zaftig posted:Yeah, this is what I'm worried about. I'm 24 and live with four other people my age, and we've been pretty drat accommodating for this guy, so I'm sure he thinks we're naive and he can take all our money. We actually paid a higher deposit because five people in their early 20s moving in together does seem like a red flag for landlords, and we were prepared for that, so with that and the pet deposit in hold we'd be out $4K if he tries to gently caress us over. The last place that kept my deposit was only about $400 and it wasn't worth the stress, but this is different. drat, you put down $4k in deposits? What is your monthly rent? Definitely take a look at your local laws, because many places I have rented a landlord is flat out not allowed to take more than a month's rent as a deposit, and frequently breaking that rule prevents them from withholding anything at all. A lot of states also require landlords to place the deposit in its own interest-bearing account for the duration of the tenancy, which most people gently caress up.
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Jul 3, 2012 01:15
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Ashcans posted:drat, you put down $4k in deposits? What is your monthly rent? Definitely take a look at your local laws, because many places I have rented a landlord is flat out not allowed to take more than a month's rent as a deposit, and frequently breaking that rule prevents them from withholding anything at all. A lot of states also require landlords to place the deposit in its own interest-bearing account for the duration of the tenancy, which most people gently caress up. On the plus side, the new apartment we have lined up for the end of the summer is $2K total in deposits because they don't care that we're no-good hooligans. 
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Jul 3, 2012 01:49
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Zaftig posted:$2800 a month, plus $500 pet deposit, plus additional $100 per resident because we are all in our early 20s and clearly will wreck the place with our raging keggers, so technically $3800. Wait, so your deposit was a whole month's rent, plus 100 bucks a person? That's not good. In fact, that's awful. Is that much of a deposit typical for your area?
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Jul 3, 2012 02:52
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Zaftig posted:Yeah, this is what I'm worried about. I'm 24 and live with four other people my age, and we've been pretty drat accommodating for this guy, so I'm sure he thinks we're naive and he can take all our money. We actually paid a higher deposit because five people in their early 20s moving in together does seem like a red flag for landlords, and we were prepared for that, so with that and the pet deposit in hold we'd be out $4K if he tries to gently caress us over. The last place that kept my deposit was only about $400 and it wasn't worth the stress, but this is different. He broke the terms of the lease. Take him to court and see what you can get out of him. You know damned well he'd do the same thing to you.
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Jul 3, 2012 14:20
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How often are you supposed to replace your mattress (as in, every 1yr, 2yr, etc)? Is it worth getting a tempurpedic mattress (etc)?
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Jul 3, 2012 14:24
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ladyweapon posted:How often are you supposed to replace your mattress (as in, every 1yr, 2yr, etc)? Woah nowhere near this often. I don't know the actual answer but I would think a mattress should last like 10 years.
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Jul 3, 2012 14:26
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Eggplant Wizard posted:Woah nowhere near this often. I don't know the actual answer but I would think a mattress should last like 10 years. I figured as much, but asking and being told 'hey should have 8 years!' is better than not knowing  I would be interested in any actual studies regarding the whole box spring vs no box spring crowd as far as sleep and comfort (relatively) goes, if there is any. eta: That may be good for the OP? That you only really need to replace a (good?) mattress every 10 years? Also, that you need to steam clean your carpets, at least annually. Buying couch/chair covers isnt a bad idea either if you plan on taking your furniture apartment-to-apartment or have animals. e: You should really steam clean your carpets at least twice per year. Its 25$ to rent a steam cleaner and 150$ to buy a vacuum-like steam cleaner. Its a good investment overall. ladyweapon fucked around with this message at 14:39 on Jul 3, 2012 |
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Jul 3, 2012 14:30
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You should turn your mattress a couple times a year though.
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Jul 3, 2012 14:51
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Er, forgive my ignorance, but you mean turn it, as in flip it like a pancake? Or turn it so the side that was at the headboard is now at the foot? This is my first tempurpedic mattress, so I've no idea how to care for it. What does turning it do?Eggplant Wizard posted:Whoever won't tell them you're a meth head.  Though I worry we may have rushed our decision without considering a lot of important details. We haven't signed a lease or placed a deposit down yet, so I think we still have time to check things out. 1) Forgot to ask about internet options available for the place. 1a) Forgot to check for a TV cable or whatever's necessary to hook up the TV. Though all we really use the TV for is to connect to the PS3 for games and Netflix. 2) Should've checked out the neighbors. Both to get their opinions on the building, neighborhood, and landlord as well as to gauge how annoying it'll be sharing a wall with them. 3) Do each of the units have their own gas, water, and electric meters? Earlier in the thread someone mentioned that his gas was calculated by just taking the total gas usage from the entire building and dividing that by the number of units. I didn't even know that kind of situation was possible. In retrospect, these seem like pretty big things to overlook before filing an application. Had no idea about renters' insurance before, so we'll check if our car insurance offers a package. This thread's been really informative (and really horrifying in the case of Zaftig's landlord).
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Jul 3, 2012 20:07
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Depends on the mattress. If it's double side, then do something like flip it over in summer and rotate it 180 degrees in winter. A lot of the newer ones (pillowtops) only have one usable side, so just rotate it 180 degrees.
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Jul 3, 2012 20:13
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I moved into a new place, and I somehow miss that all the electrical outlets (minus the kitchen one for the fridge) are two-pronged outlets. My brother-in-law told me not to worry, and to just get cheater plugs. Am I going to kill myself/cause an electrical fire by using these for things like my computer/tv? It also makes me nervous that the sockets are all very loose, and don't hold anything firmly.
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Jul 3, 2012 22:00
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Giant Boy Detective posted:Earlier in the thread someone mentioned that his gas was calculated by just taking the total gas usage from the entire building and dividing that by the number of units. I didn't even know that kind of situation was possible. Incidentally, not only is that really sketchy, it is straight up illegal in every state I have ever rented. Usually if a landlord cannot provide individually metered utilities, they have to simply account for it in the rent. So check on that.
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Jul 4, 2012 01:03
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Ashcans posted:Incidentally, not only is that really sketchy, it is straight up illegal in every state I have ever rented. Usually if a landlord cannot provide individually metered utilities, they have to simply account for it in the rent. So check on that. Or you end up like me, with a water heater for every one bedroom apartment. I sure do enjoy that gas bill and running my shower for 5 minutes every morning to bring in the hot water! Also where I am month and a half is a normal deposit on an apartment, so to me Zaftig doesn't seem to have it that bad for for a bunch of 20-somethings with (I assume) no rental history and a pet.
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Jul 4, 2012 06:58
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Ashcans posted:Incidentally, not only is that really sketchy, it is straight up illegal in every state I have ever rented. Usually if a landlord cannot provide individually metered utilities, they have to simply account for it in the rent. So check on that. It's called RUBS (ratio utility billing system) and it's legal in lots of states.
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Jul 4, 2012 14:30
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For mattress flipping, there should be a guide on a label somewhere on how to flip it. My last one, not a pillow top, wanted me to flip it every 3 months and told me how to flip it each time (to rotate through the 4 ways it could be.
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Jul 5, 2012 02:11
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