[Rain]

Can only laugh right? What use is tears.

I've cleaned up the place now, but it still stinks. And they are increasing rent next month too.

I suspect a concerted ploy to drive me away.

[pclayton]

Did you lose any personal effects?

Been on both sides of this issue, so I understand your plight, but I also understand the landlord's position.

[sceptic]

Tears will only add to the flooding and as for the Landlord, Greed springs to mind, I have met many Landlords and most are motivated by what they can get out of the Tenant, there are exceptions to this, me and a few of my friends usually charge slightly lower than market rent (not maximising the true potential of the property).

This is a good stratedgy, as in 10 years as a landlord, I have never had a bad tenant ( about 50 tenants in 10 years), nor have I ever had to evict anyone, I believe if you treat the tenants decently you will be ok, also, if I get a gut feeling about someone, I just say no thanks, this policy has served me well.

I find I have to question Phil, what exactly do you undersatnd about the Landlord, that leaves a house smelling after a flood? seems rather Rackmanish of you and you do not come across as that type of person.

[pclayton]

Wayne; I don't understand what you are saying. Whats 'Racmanish" mean?

If you are asking me if the landlord is in some kind of advantageous position because of the water damage, I never said (or I hope never implied) that.

My only point is that a property owner can charge whatever he wants for rent. It may be low, it may be high. Unless there's rent control of course, but don't get me started.

If anything, the landlord can create some serious legal problems for himself if he doesn't take care of things like water damage. If the problem persists, Rain would have a likely case for mold and other health-related issues. Mold is the new asbestos for class-action lawsuits, although I don't know how tort claims work other than the states.

If you choose to keep your rents below market, because you think that you'll have a better tenant mix, and less collection and vacancy problems, thats totally up to you.

[sceptic]

my comment is only about the place stinking, the rents are up to the individual Landlord, I was just curious about how you could include that part in the statement

Rackam was a very bad english Landlord and Laws were brought in to prevent people like that taking advantage and it was something I stated " you do not come across as that type of person"

[Gerben42]

Very sorry to hear that Rain, this kind of thing is usually quite a disaster

Agree with others except that landlords can NOT charge whatever they like (at least here), there are legal barriers for that.

If anything I think it should be worthwile to call your tenant organization and let them advise you.

[mike777]

Gerben42, on May 16 2007, 06:52 AM, said:

Very sorry to hear that Rain, this kind of thing is usually quite a disaster

Agree with others except that landlords can NOT charge whatever they like (at least here), there are legal barriers for that.

If anything I think it should be worthwile to call your tenant organization and let them advise you.

Nowhere in your country can a landlord/owner charge a person or company they are renting too what they like? If the landowner does not decide(of course the renter can always say no), who does? A politician? What happens if the landlord says no, that price is crazy and I will not rent?

Tenents organization, what a great idea,

[Gerben42]

In the Netherlands at least, landlords can charge what they like but with a certain maximum price which is derived from different multipliers like area, location and quality factors.

I take it there are no such laws in the US? I checked Google and there ARE tenant organizations there (would have been surprised if there wouldn't be).

[mike777]

Gerben42, on May 16 2007, 07:35 AM, said:

In the Netherlands at least, landlords can charge what they like but with a certain maximum price which is derived from different multipliers like area, location and quality factors.

I take it there are no such laws in the US? I checked Google and there ARE tenant organizations there (would have been surprised if there wouldn't be).

There are a few places with some areas that have rent control. Parts of NYC are under rent control, many other parts of the city are not. In general most or almost all of the USA does not have rent control.

The tenant organizations have almost no power or influence again with NYC and few other huge cities where the have some.

Ok so it sounds like in the Netherlands, politicans decide these other factors and how much they count, location, quality, etc. as far as maximum rents. If the landlord does not like it he just keeps the building vacant or turns the keys over to the city and walks away. This can happen also in the USA, it you raise taxes high enough or impose enough costs, the owner simply gives the keys away. Keep in mind most of the time, he has the property mortgaged and the bank is really at risk, not the owner with no equity in the property. This happens more than people think, with no/negative equity it is often not worth the hassel and you just walk away.

One huge example is the car company Chrsyler. While it is said Mercedes is being paid 7$ billion dollars, other news reports say..bottom line Mercedes is actually paying one billion dollars, bottom line, to have the car company taken off its books.

[pclayton]

I've never owned or rented in a rent control project.

If an investor bought a rent control project, presumably he did so with the ordinance in place so the rents were already artificially deflated, so I don't have sympathy for him. In many communities with rent control, the ordinance has been on the books for years. Rent control, while it flies against every economic belief I have, can help make it possible for service workers in an urban area to afford basic housing.

I greatly sympathize with a property owner that gets rent control imposed during the course of his ownership. As far as I'm concerned, this contitutes a form of a taking, and he should be paid.

From what I've seen, much of rent control can be something of a scam. Frequently, rents are supposed to reset to market when the existing tenant moves out, unless the tenant assigns their lease to a friend or relative. There is a service in NYC that allows a renter to add their apartment to a list and get paid for assigning their lease to a total stranger.

In California it is now law for any new residential project built within a redevelopment area to sell or rent 15% of the units as affordable housing. Redevelopment areas within cities are areas determined by 'blight', but are generally in older, dilapidated urban neighborhoods. Some cities will allow developers the option to construct in-tract housing, or to pay a mitigation fee per unit constructed into an affordable housing fund. This can be a case where everybody wins. New (not run-down) housing gets built, the developer gets his project approved (frequently a land-use change) and low-income renters and buyers have a new product to live in.

[mike777]

So many types of real estate scams hard to keep up with them all.
In my smallish town a bunch of low priced single family homes were built. Think around 100,000$ for single family home with a back and front yard. This development was financed in such a way many put down zero or close to zero as a downpayment.

Now after a couple of years the houses are falling apart from poor construction and the owners simply walking away.

[Rain]

I'm a renter, but perhaps oddly, I don't support rent control.

One studies the theory of how it distorts markets in economics. Then experiences the reality of mostly undesirable neighbourhoods that is the result of price controls.

---------------------
I don't have renters insurance, since my personal effects are pretty much worthless. I have:

A mattress
A bookcase with lots of books
A big table <-- flooded, but it's a very resiliant table
A super computer for work (belongs to work ) <-- flooded, but oddly, unaffected. Maybe Dell doesn't suck as much as I thought.
2 small tables
A tv
A super vacuum cleaner (http://www.dyson.com/) <-- flooded and stinks, clean now after urgent rescue operations
A suitcase with clothes <-- flooded and stinks, clean now
A toaster oven <-- flooded and stinks, considering throwing away
A microwave
Some bowls and utensil type things <--flooded and stinks, throwing away

Such is life.

[jtfanclub]

It wasn't the landlord's pump, right? So I would expect him to need to raise the rent in order to pay to fix the apartment. Maybe you could make a deal with him...you pay 1/2 the cost of getting the apartment fixed up, he doesn't raise the rent for the next 2 years, or something. He'd probably rather have the cash now.

At least nobody was hurt! I hope everything gets better for you.

[mike777]

jtfanclub, on May 16 2007, 04:51 PM, said:

It wasn't the landlord's pump, right?  So I would expect him to need to raise the rent in order to pay to fix the apartment.  Maybe you could make a deal with him...you pay 1/2 the cost of getting the apartment fixed up, he doesn't raise the rent for the next 2 years, or something.  He'd probably rather have the cash now.

At least nobody was hurt!  I hope everything gets better for you.

Bit confused, why would a renter have their own water pump in an apartment, whatever the heck that is?
I rent and I got to own a water pump?

[jtfanclub]

mike777, on May 16 2007, 05:12 PM, said:

Bit confused, why would a renter have their own water pump in an apartment, whatever the heck that is?
I rent and I got to pump my own water?

I guess I was assuming it was a city pump.

[mike777]

jtfanclub, on May 16 2007, 05:15 PM, said:

mike777, on May 16 2007, 05:12 PM, said:

Bit confused, why would a renter have their own water pump in an apartment, whatever the heck that is?
I rent and I got to pump my own water?

I guess I was assuming it was a city pump.

You can sue and win thousands and thousand if not much more if you slip on a city sidewalk, a city pump breaks and no recourse?

[Rain]

The pump below the sink or something burst. I was out, didn't get home till late, and whole place was flooded. The pump, the sink, all belonged to landlord (management company). It's a managed apartment complex.

This has nothing to do with the rent increase next month, which was decided last month lol.

But anyways, this is the last straw - time to move. Time to start throwing stuff out so I have less to move.

[Winstonm]

Why don't you sublet as "condo with pool"?