Your Landlord, Your Headache

The landlord claimed he needed to demolish the apartment flooring, the kitchen, and the bathroom for upgrades and structural damage. Of course, it also happened to be a rent-controlled apartment that, if the current tenants were to leave, would likely net the owners thousands of dollars more a year from a pricier lease.

Lawsuits have ensued over such shenanigans in New York.

Management that once allowed pets might change their minds and demand the vanquishing of your beloved pet. In many places, landlords can’t just change their minds after agreeing to allow a tenant’s beloved terrier, any more than they can rip out the faucets and call the unit an undefined renovation project.

Some stories are hilarious and fairly innocuous. This writer once lived in a Washington, DC, rental building popular with medical students where the landlady charged $25 for lock-outs-unless the tenants without a key were young, male, medical students. They never paid. They were also the only residents she listened to when asked to quiet her squawking pet parrot.

Other landlords are more reckless. Too cheap to cover an exterminator for bugs scuttling out of the bathroom drain, one landlord unleashed toxic bug bombs bought at a local hardware store without telling the unsuspecting tenant-leaving the renter to clean up and to take on the risks of entering a poisoned apartment.

There are stories of misfiring built-in fire alarms, which violate the law in addition to disturbing the slumber of responsible tenants. Also illegal: landlords who waltz in at any time of day like they own the place. They do own the place, but renters have rights too.

And some landlords are just unreasonable, like when they create schedules for water usage or insist that hanging pictures is tantamount to damaging the wall (and reason enough to refuse the return of a security deposit).

What Can You Do?

Listen to your instincts: If something a landlord tells you doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. A landlord should respect your space, and not try to nickle-and-dime you. Doing otherwise is the source of many a soured rental relationship. In fact, the best landlord-tenant relationship often leads to barely any contact at all-in a good way.

Remember, you have rights: Read your lease. A landlord can't surprise you with new rules on the fly. Nor can they kick you out on a whim. Check with your local housing agency, municipal government or even a lawyer to give yourself a legal foot to stand on. Use the realtor.com® guide for standing up for your tenant rights.

Just move: Maybe it's not the best solution to break your lease, especially in certain areas. Maybe your landlord had an evil plan and wants to push you out, like some bad B movie. Ultimately, the power and the choice can lie with you. Renting has one benefit over owning-you can always find another place with relatively little hassle. And if the landlord wants you gone bad enough, you could always ask him to buy out your lease. As long as it's on your terms, of course.

Source : realtor.com