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renter9245

What to do with a landlord like this.....

renter9245
16 years ago

I mean he must know these things.... for example I just moved in 3 months ago, and was not told that the woman next store would be moving and the apt renovated. Much noise and water being turned off with no warning ( at first he did, but that stopped)

The walls are allready so thin I can hear my upstairs neighbor belching ( he must be very loud I think? - gross) but now I have found out that the medicine cabinet in my bathroom is BACK TO BACK with the one directly next store..... AND they have removed the old one next store AND there is ONLY THE THIN CHEAP PIECE OF PLASTIC OF THE BACK OF MY CABINET BETWEEN the apts!

I can almost see thru to the other apt and can see shadows and light, and the sound affords no privacy at all. I am pissed. I can hear everything when they are working , and I am sure they can hear me as well.

My landlord has not installed a new cabinet over there yet.... but I am pretty sure he plans on just slapping a second cheapo plastic unit in there without any insulation... which makes even getting your toothbrush out a huge loud echoing performance.

I mean can't the guy figure out the concept of INSULATION????

Also he owes me a refund which he said was in the mail 4 days ago, and has not come yet.

I hate this place, and he is an idiot.

Comments (6)

  • lucy
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Then move out. BTW, it's 'next door', not next store.

  • renter9245
    Original Author
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Well... lucy, and thanks ever so for your thoughtful advice!

    Yes... I am aware of the spelling.. I was in a hurry, but your comment was petty unhelpful and rude btw...

    I would be more than happy to move out...... lucy- I don't know what the Canadian laws are, but here in California I have what is called 'a one year lease' which is difficult to break, but I am working on it.

    Thanks for the lame advice. I would have never have thought of it on my own.

  • moonshadow
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi renter,
    I don't have answers, and understand your annoyance, but I see things from the other side so might offer some perspective hopefully?

    I mean he must know these things.... for example I just moved in 3 months ago, and was not told that the woman next store would be moving and the apt renovated. Much noise and water being turned off with no warning ( at first he did, but that stopped) This could well be a case of that tenant moving unexpectedly (or being evicted) and he's either forced to renovate or taking the opportunity to do so while it's vacant. In that situation he wouldn't have known too far ahead, especially if that tenant bolted.

    Do agree, however, that advance notice of water shut off would be the right thing to do. (I think it's a law in my State, but not sure as I've not encountered a shut off during occupancy but once, and that was when a storm burst a pipe, so it was an emergency shut off till the town got their pipe repaired. I did provide jugs of distilled water for them as a backup, although it turned out it didn't take long for town to do repair.)

    My landlord has not installed a new cabinet over there yet.... but I am pretty sure he plans on just slapping a second cheapo plastic unit in there without any insulation... which makes even getting your toothbrush out a huge loud echoing performance. I'm having a hard time picturing how yours is installed. The ones we've installed are screwed to studs through the back. Unless they are secured via the interior sides? If you look in there, do you see the screws holding it to the wall?

    You could approach him about it. Landlords sometimes aren't aware of day to day nuisances like that because they don't experience it first hand. It would be quite inexpensive and easy to tuck some insulation between the two cabinets. If he doesn't insulate for some reason, about the only solution I can think of off the top of my head that you could use is to secure Duck padded shelf liner to the interior rear of the medicine cabinet with those double sided sticky foam pieces. It would absorb noise and cleans easily. Looks like this (scroll down and you'll see patterns, click around and you'll find other styles, some less 'poufy' but still padded. Handy stuff, I use it for shelf liners, padding eliminates clanging and banging and protects dishes, etc., I layer pieces between teflon coated pans, too, prevents scratches.

    In houses there is not always insulation between interior walls (unless it's for sound), just studs and drywall. It would be beneficial in an apartment as a sound buffer, for sure. Our lower level bathroom was an 'add on' when finishing the basement and whoever did it back in the day basically just put up studs and drywall, so I'm not crazy about the lack of sound buffer. :/

    Also he owes me a refund which he said was in the mail 4 days ago, and has not come yet.
    If he's near you, with the renovation and all, maybe allow till Monday (weekend, no mail on Sun, etc.). Then approach him again? If he's going to be at the apartment next to you maybe you could suggest he drop it off for convenience?

    Sorry, that's about all I have.

  • lucy
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You know, I realize I was not responsive to your post, and I suppose I could have done a better job there, but the tone of your note was offensive itself, so I just quickly replied and that's what came out.

  • fredwolf
    16 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    move out at the end of your lease, and in the future inspect potential apartments more carefully

    and remember, you get what you pay for...

  • organic_farmer_bob
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Rip Lucy up or not California rental laws are pretty standard. Your 1 year lease has the expectation of certain things. 1 would be water, hot water and privacy. If they've opened your wall up, cut your hot water, cut any water, they are in breech of your lease. You move out and if they take you to court you bring documents with the dates when the water was turned off without your PERMISSION (no they don't have the right to ever turn off your water, they can turn off the water for the other unit, not yours). If you truly can see "shadows etc" take a few photos, if it goes to court a judge will take one look and say "NO damages" and you are out a few hours of your time....At worse, and this would be the ABSOLUTE worst, you forfeit your deposit and call it a lesson learned.

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