My apartment manager, who so happens to be the director of the HOA although no homeowners actually live in the units…recently adopted a no smoking policy. She mentioned this was going to happen as she handed me a lease. Nothing at all in the new lease about this new policy, but she had apparently mailed a letter the very same day with this new rule. Wouldn’t she legally have to give me the letter BEFORE signing? Don’t leases have to expire and be re-newed to make rule changes? No one has been asked to sign the new rule either.

I should note, I assumed the no smoking was for decks, outside stairs, or by windows as she has mentioned she wanted to do many times. This rule even bans having a cigarette in our cars pulling in or out of the driveway. She also stated there would be a “very nice smoking area with tables and chairs”. Welll..this “very nice area” is ten feet from railroad tracks and a major street. The chairs consists of large cement blocks and raw wood, currently there is snow a foot deep in this area.

My question is, can she legally change a lease without agreeing to it in writing? Is this grounds to get out of my lease? And, isn’t it a conflict of interest to be the sole leasing agent, and owner of the property management with no other employees and the director of an HOA which the managers husband has said has one person..the manager.
I should add details, I have never smoked inside, that is in the original lease which I followed as I hate smoke inside and I have children.

The problem is according to the new rule there is no smoking anywhere at all. She claims it is an HOA rule, therefore not a lease change as we agreed to follow HOA rules. It gets trickier. This so called “HOA” hadn’t filed papers with the state for over two years when this was passed. I mentioned this to her as I was trying to find the HOA director, which so happens to be the sole employee/owner of the property management company.

From what I understand if there is a violation it is against the owner, but I don’t have a clue who owns this place and she refused to tell me. Any tax records are listed under the property manager/HOA director. Building permits are under yet another delinquent company with the same person.

I am asking for knowledgeable opinions on good locations for buying either residential property for immediate income or a small, undeveloped commercial parcel for long term investment.

I know real estate very well where I used to live in a Great Lakes state. The zoning laws and required infrastructure are very stable. I have lived here for almost a year now but the politics and federal involvement in NOLA are confusing and it could be very risky for a private investor.

I can hold off on buying, but then everything goes to insider speculators. Any suggestions?

I can handle about a ten unit apt complex on my own, with an on-site super instead of using a property management company.

I don’t want to be part of a consortium to buy commercial property. I’d rather hold on to a small parcel for years and see what develops around it. Then eirther sell or build.

I moved into my apartment over three years ago. I am leasing a condo from a property management group.

I have a dog, and I was allowed to have the dog at this property because the carpet was already stained. This was not written on my lease, and the woman that I leased from no longer works for the company. This worries me, after reading some of the questions and answers on here. I wonder if they will try and pin the stains on me. I do have photos of the carpet from when I moved in, but they are not dated. Is this a problem?

The company that I am leasing from seems a little shady—I have long hair and have called twice regarding hair clogs and they told me that from now on, if I call about a hair clog that I will have to pay the plumber. My lease says nothing about maintenance being my responsibility.

Currently I am living there without having a signed lease—I signed for the first year, but have not re-signed in the two years additional years I have been there. #1 I don’t want to get stuck with them if I can find a much better deal, or even purchase. And, #2 I don’t want them to be able to raise my rent, which they tried to do when they sent the second year lease—which I didn’t sign.

I am trying to redecorate because I am planning on staying until I can get most of my finances worked out, but this carpet just looks nasty. I have rented and used a carpet cleaner from the grocery twice, but the large stain keeps reappearing and the carpet itself is starting to look frayed in that spot, because it’s taken so much to get that stain out (but it keeps reappearing!)

Here are my questions:

How can I get a greasy/oily stain up— and keep it gone?
Can I ask them to replace the carpet?
Should I worry that they will try and pin the stains and runs on me?
Will I get my security deposit back? If not, can they actually charge me more?
If I can’t get rid of the carpet, how can I cover it effectively? Just rugs?
If they try and argue with me, would my pictures hold up in court?

Thanks for the help!

I rent a condo from a property management company. My one-year lease expired on January 1, 2010. I contacted my landlord in November 2009, advising him I would like to renew my lease for an additional term. My lease indicated (hand-written into the lease by the landlord at time of signing) that a further one-year lease term was an option at the end of the first term. My landlord did not respond to my email in November 2009. I called him a week after I sent him the email. He said that would be fine and he would send the lease documents over. In January, I still had not received the renewed lease documents. I emailed and called him again. He said that he was on vacation for 4 weeks and would do the lease when he got back into town. I called him 2 weeks ago. He said he had not been in touch with the owners, but would call them. I called him 1 week ago - he said he had spoken with the condo owners and they needed some time to think about it; he said he would let me know in a couple of days.

The owners of the condo have a daughter. In September 2009 the owners (with their daughter) came to look at the unit. They said that the mother and daughter had not seen the unit and simply wanted to see it finally. They said they were in town because their daughter is attending university (a 30 minute drive from the condo). They said the daughter would be residing on campus.

I really want to stay living where I am. I have been a perfect tenant. He has never had to speak to me once, rent is always paid in advance. I have a feeling the daughter may want to live in this condo come this September - as she is continuing her studies.

What should I do? Should I just start looking for a place now?

Thanks!

I have two large signs on the window which reads forclosure which i have been instructed not to move ,I am renting from a property management company so i never met the owner she lives in a copmpletly diffrent state. the house is scheduled to be auctioned April 15TH 2010. I made a offer on a house because im tired of renting and the owner not paying the mortgag second time for me and my kids in the past five years. My closing for the house is March 28th 2010 I payed a 850 deposit on this rental house which is now forclosed I need it to go to closing on my house so I wont be homeless should they give me my deposit back now since they are unable to contact the owner? they keep saying we will call you back if we find out anything this is three times in a month and still nothing no calls back they cant tell me whats going on.I just want my deposit asap so I CAN MAKE THIS CLOSING and not be homelss with my children
the deposit is to be sure I dont tear up the house where they need to repair it but thats none of there business now she lost the house to her bank so shouldnt they be obligated to just give me my deposit back?

I rent a condo from a property management company. My one-year lease expired on January 1, 2010. I contacted my landlord in November 2009, advising him I would like to renew my lease for an additional term. My lease indicated (hand-written into the lease by the landlord at time of signing) that a further one-year lease term was an option at the end of the first term. My landlord did not respond to my email in November 2009. I called him a week after I sent him the email. He said that would be fine and he would send the lease documents over. In January, I still had not received the renewed lease documents. I emailed and called him again. He said that he was on vacation for 4 weeks and would do the lease when he got back into town. I called him 2 weeks ago. He said he had not been in touch with the owners, but would call them. I called him 1 week ago - he said he had spoken with the condo owners and they needed some time to think about it; he said he would let me know in a couple of days.

The owners of the condo have a daughter. In September 2009 the owners (with their daughter) came to look at the unit. They said that the mother and daughter had not seen the unit and simply wanted to see it finally. They said they were in town because their daughter is attending university (a 30 minute drive from the condo). They said the daughter would be residing on campus.

I really want to stay living where I am. I have been a perfect tenant. He has never had to speak to me once, rent is always paid in advance. I have a feeling the daughter may want to live in this condo come this September - as she is continuing her studies.

What should I do? Should I just start looking for a place now?

Thanks!

I am exploring the possibility of seeking employment with a property management company in New York City. I currently work for a large public housing agency and I have years of experience dealing with rentals, administrative and legal work, as well as court appearances.

I rent a condo. I like living here and don’t want to move. I signed a 1 year lease, which expired January 1, 2010. I let my landlord know I want to renew the lease in November 2009 - 2 months before the end of the lease. The landlord is an agent for a property management company. The owner of the condo lives out of town. The owner, with his 18-year-old daughter, came to look at the place in August of last year. They said the daughter and the mom had never seen the condo, so they wanted to see it. They were in town because the daughter is attending university in the city now - about a 30-minute-drive away from the condo. They said the daughter will be residing in student housing on campus. In November, the landlord said he would renew the lease - that he would prepare the documents and send them over. No documents were sent, so I called him in January. He said he would be out of town and would send the documents soon. Again, no documents arrived. I called him about 3 weeks ago and was very up-front with him. I told him I want the lease renewed and I feel he is avoiding renewing the lease and that I feel that the owner’s daughter may want to move into the unit. He said he had not contacted the owners at all yet and that he would do so. Called him last week and he said the owners are not opposed to signing a lease, however they want to increase the rent. He said he will come up with a “number” and let me know. Again, no call back.

Even if he signs another lease with me, he can give me 60 days notice to vacate the suite if the owner (or his daughter in this case) want to move into the suite.

So, I guess I just want to see what other people think. Is he just stalling? Is he just dumb and lazy? Should I probably just give notice and move.

Also, the strata just passed a “no-renting” by-law. Which means that if I move out of this suite, the strata would not allow him to rent it out again.

Also, student housing is MUCH cheaper than my rent right now. Student housing is about $700/month. I am paying $2000/month. So he would be in a financial disadvantage if his daughter were to move into here - unless she got room-mates. And please don’t make any comments about finding a cheaper place and not wasting money… I have heard it all before - thanks!
I am renting in British Columbia, Canada. The LAW here allows EVERY legal lease to be ended (with a 60 day notice to tenant) if the owner or their family want to move into the unit. It’s the law - I have checked with the rental board. I have also been a victim to this ridiculous rule before.
Because I need to be in BC, Canada right now. And the only decent condos you will find here will cost you at least $800,000… so even if I pay $2,000 - $2,500 a month in rent, I am still saving by not having to pay a $4,000 mortgage, $600/month maintenance fees, property taxes, down deposit, etc. It works out in the end. But thanks.

Seven years ago, I paid only $350 for a security deposit on a 2-bedroom apartment here in WA state. This year, I am planning on moving out, and I would like to know what the likelihood will be of actually getting that security deposit back. The property management has changed three times since moving in, and I’m not sure if that could be a factor in this.

Of course, I have caused some wear and tear on the apartment. I’m sure a few doors have a couple minor scrapes. There is a trim piece that came off the edge of the kitchen counter also.

If I fix everything that may have received wear and tear while I’ve lived here, should I get the entire deposit back or is the landlord likely to make up some excuse or reason why they shouldn’t return the deposit to me?

I rent a condo. I like living here and don’t want to move. I signed a 1 year lease, which expired January 1, 2010. I let my landlord know I want to renew the lease in November 2009 - 2 months before the end of the lease. The landlord is an agent for a property management company. The owner of the condo lives out of town. The owner, with his 18-year-old daughter, came to look at the place in August of last year. They said the daughter and the mom had never seen the condo, so they wanted to see it. They were in town because the daughter is attending university in the city now - about a 30-minute-drive away from the condo. They said the daughter will be residing in student housing on campus. In November, the landlord said he would renew the lease - that he would prepare the documents and send them over. No documents were sent, so I called him in January. He said he would be out of town and would send the documents soon. Again, no documents arrived. I called him about 3 weeks ago and was very up-front with him. I told him I want the lease renewed and I feel he is avoiding renewing the lease and that I feel that the owner’s daughter may want to move into the unit. He said he had not contacted the owners at all yet and that he would do so. Called him last week and he said the owners are not opposed to signing a lease, however they want to increase the rent. He said he will come up with a “number” and let me know. Again, no call back.

Even if he signs another lease with me, he can give me 60 days notice to vacate the suite if the owner (or his daughter in this case) want to move into the suite.

So, I guess I just want to see what other people think. Is he just stalling? Is he just dumb and lazy? Should I probably just give notice and move.

Also, the strata just passed a “no-renting” by-law. Which means that if I move out of this suite, the strata would not allow him to rent it out again.

Also, student housing is MUCH cheaper than my rent right now. Student housing is about $700/month. I am paying $2000/month. So he would be in a financial disadvantage if his daughter were to move into here - unless she got room-mates. And please don’t make any comments about finding a cheaper place and not wasting money… I have heard it all before - thanks!