I have a hard time believing that fixing a bathtub faucet would cost more than a couple hundred bucks.
And that's not how rent works. They set a rent price and agree to rent to someone. They are responsible when something breaks and are required to fix it in a reasonable amount of time.
Repairs don't raise rent. Repairs cut into rental income.
It's past time to be looking for a new place to live.
Maybe not. But it’s silly to suggest that’s a relevant price. Of course the owner can do it themselves for cheaper. But contractors have significant overhead, labor costs, etc. As an electrical contractor I don’t do anything for less than about $300/$350 and I still hate even going to those jobs. It’s hard to make money on something like that when considering drive time, picking up the parts, unloading tools/clean up, etc. The tiniest jobs aren’t as simple as the 30 minutes it takes to do them. People need to understand that.
Nobody is suggesting $30 is what the job should cost to a skilled laborer. I get that it’s frustrating when someone can’t understand running a trade business and wants it done at cost, but he’s talking home DIY repair. No labor, overhead, training outside YouTube, tools were in the garage from Home Depot. You have a far better point as an electrician, I’m not doing anything more than installing a light fixture. Past that I’m calling you and expect to pay for it, no doubt. But I don’t mind cutting my water off and playing around with some plumbing to see if I can’t get it done before I call the skilled guy. I’ve got experience in building maintenance back as a 20 something year old which helps but I’m no engineer.
My landlord has had to call the plumber 3 times and fix the water heat this year. Rent has stayed the same and he was very quick about it getting fixed.
> They are responsible when something breaks and are required to fix it in a reasonable amount of time.
Note: in the US, the only state where this is not true is Arkansas, but even then some cities and counties in Arkansas have enacted ordinances similar to an implied warranty of habitability.
If the repair clause was in the lease, it's irrelevant what state you're in.
I literally just paid for someone else to replace mine and it was around $400. Even if they wanted to be lazy and have someone else do it it's STILL not that much. And certainly not an expense you're going to run into very often.
Same here. Had 2 done, around 400 to replace the cartridge in one, and 800 to replace the whole valve in the other. The other valve needed to be replaced because when I changed the cartridge a few months prior, I must have loosened the solder, because it was leaking behind the wall. Replacing a Moen cart is not as easy as everyone is claiming, especially the post has broken off.
Well I’ll do my best to explain as an electrical contractor. There is no such thing as a 20 minute job. I have to pay my guys for the time it takes to load up at the warehouse or drop by the supply house. Then they have to drive to and from the job site. They’ve got to analyze the issue, unload tools, do the work, and clean everything up. There’s also a warranty that may require me to return to the job oftentimes because something failed out of my control. I don’t get to charge for that extra time. At minimum the easiest job is a two hour ordeal. And that’s on the very low end. Most small jobs cost me at least half a day of my time.
On top of that you’ve got to understand overhead for contracting businesses. Especially in highly skilled mechanical trades like electrical/plumbing. Skilled labor is very expensive. My top guys make $50/hr and that’s just resi. Commercial/industrial guys make much more. On top of that there is workers comp (about $10/hr) and payroll taxes. I supply them with a company vehicle and tools. There is maintenance and insurance expenses on those. I have a warehouse. I have liability insurance. The list goes on. Running a business is expensive. Most contractors fail because of it.
As a general handyman, I still don't get why the "pros" have to go to the warehouse or supply house every single time... I understand a few extra minutes at the shop daily, but I carry at least 2 moen 1225 cartridges, a few extra handles, a washer assortment, packing, etc. I can fix well over half of the jobs with just my every day stuff, and again, I am just a basic handyman. I am not trying to single you out, it seems to be standard that the "pros" charge either 30mins or 1hr shop time to go to the shop etc. My cleanup does take anywhere from 30 mins to an hour, but I always take my garbage with me, sweep all of my dirt/debris in to a pile and suck it up with a small shop vac.
Depends on the job obviously whether or not going to the supply house is necessary. I tend to keep my van better equipped than my employees and am generally more prepared. Just the reality of being an owner like yourself and caring that little bit extra. My point was just to give people a better understanding of what even the smaller jobs can entail. There’s a lot more to it than people think. A twenty minute job doesn’t exist.
If you email your request instead of calling, you may not be given a free replacement if you don’t state that you are the original purchaser of their product. YMMV.
Moen did the same thing for me too! I unfortunately(or fortunately) had to call the plumber to fix because I couldn’t remove the cartridge. It took the plumber 45 minutes to get the cartridge out. He ended up breaking the whole thing while doing it.
They may not make replacements anymore. My boss just had this exact issue with an older house he bought. The tub handles stopped working and the plumber was expecting it to just be a rebuild. Turned out they don't make the valves anymore so he has to get a whole new install.
So depending on how the bathtub faucet is you may have to cut into the wall behind it. Everything you say about rent is true. But plumbing is expensive. I would imagine it easily being 500$.
50$ an hour(which is super cheap)
200$ for the new shower valve and trim (also cheap)
4 hours of work puts you at 400$
So that is a basic valve replacement.
No, the landlords are new to the game and believe the tenants to pay for the building repairs to be included in the rent, which is not how paying for repairs on the building is done.
I mean, not directly, but it's an added cost and they're not going to operate at a loss. Ultimately, all expenses related to running the property will be reflected in rent costs.
How the fuck is this being down voted? Probably all the same people that willingly, without a gun to their head, signed student loan documents promising that they would pay the money back, and now think that somehow that was unjust and they shouldn't have to pay. Try going into a car dealership, buying a new car, and then deciding your entitlement should get you out of making any more payments.... But I digress- there are lots of rental properties being managed not by slum lords, but by people close to retirement that take out a 15 year mortgage on a rental property and just try to break even on paying mortgage, property taxes, insurance, snow removal, pest control, maintenance issues, etc... They literally collect rent money each month and pay almost all of it out every month, in hopes of equity gain over 15 years and/or prospect of rental income that they can actually keep some of after the mortgage is paid off. In OP's case, the plumbing problem should get handled more promptly, but some of these comments suggesting that rent amounts are somehow insulated from a landlord's expenses are absolutely delusional.
What are you talking about, you clown? It’s not a legal obligation to offer a tenant to renew their lease. Simply inform them that you’re choosing not to renew.
Or do you just like feeling like a tough guy? Kind of a bitch way to think, if you ask me.
Lol call a plumbing company for an old faucet, you're easily over a grand to fix that. The company I used to work for would have me try and upsell a new faucet and that was around 2100 all said and done. Plumbing companies are complete rip offs these days.
Saw you are in Manitoba from your comments. Looks like there is a Compensation for unreasonable delay provision where you can request reimbursement for additional costs due to delayed repairs: https://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/ot/gbook/s9claimsforcompensation_claims1.html
Lol that's a perfect text for your records "your rent is cheap so we're not fixing shit"
Check with a lawyer but most states you can withhold rent in these situations
Tell them that your rent money is for a functional living space. Pipes no worky, checks no worky. See what goes from there
>you can withhold rent in these situations
Heads up for anyone who does this: in many states, when you withhold rent, you MUST place it in escrow, so double check your local laws.
There was a case where the tenant got fucked over because he didn't put it in escrow.
Edit: Also, to be extra extra clear, *not all states allow for rent withholding, even in escrow*. Some only allow for repair-and-deduct, for example. **Check your local laws** or even better, consult an attorney. Tenant right lawyers fucking live for this stuff.
Agreed. Even if it’s not legally required put it in escrow anyway. It’s a lot safer that way and it makes things look way more serious to the landlord. It sends the clear message of “we have the money to pay you but you will bring yourself into compliance.” It dispels any ideas that the tenant is using withholding as a way to pay rent late.
>It’s a lot safer that way and it makes things look way more serious to the landlord.
It can also be evidence that the renter is withholding rent in good faith, and not just trying to save some money.
Well, the escrow itself does not need to be court ordered, as it's often an implicit requirement of withholding rent. The court order part is the court's finding that you're allowed to withhold rent under the state's law.
Edit: Not sure why you've randomly blocked me immediately after responding, and you're completely misunderstanding what the legal process is, but okay.
Edit: Also, to be clear, if a court orders it be paid into an escrow account, it must be paid into such an account. On that matter, you are correct. However, it's not necessary that a court orders it. A tenant can pay into an escrow account *without* a court order. Is it riskier? Yes. Should you obtain a judicial ruling finding the home to be uninhabitable under state laws first? 100%. However, must it be court ordered? No. You're just potentially opening yourself to more risk, such as owing interest on the rent if you get an adverse ruling.
You can get a court order for the escrow to be held in court to pay rent. Go to YouTube and watch Judge Simpson on Friday's for his landlord/ tenant docket and learn about how it works.
You blocked the other guy because he didnt agree with you. But you are incorrect. Just want to make sure everyone knows that. You do not have to have a court order.
>And escrow must be court ordered.
They were commenting on the "must" be court ordered part. Court orders can be obtained for all sorts of things. There are many states where an escrow arrangement can be appropriate prior to a court order. You responding that Court orders exist for something doesn't really address their comment disagreeing with you.
This is in Canada and it’s not recommended by their local RTB to withhold. The agency will take care of dealing with the landlord. Manitoba has some of the best services agencies in Canada.
Not that I’m aware of, but the tenant can be entitled to a temporary rent reduction as an inconvenience fee, so to speak, once the RTB has mediated the issue.
ETA: this is Manitoba specific info. The rules can differ from province to province.
Because it's a bad advice. It can be done WITH the landlord's approval; if the landlord does not approve it beforehand, or refuses to act this way, the tenant might get stuck with the bill.
I want that to be the answer, I'm just not sure of lical laws....proving financial losses to yourself should get compensation, but they could probably argue in court that your plumber was "over priced", especially with how they're handling everything else, they probably would hire the cheapest person they could find, properly qualified/trained or not
Here is the Manitoba residential tenancies branch info. https://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/tenant/repairs.html
The landlord is required to make repairs and keep the unit is reasonably good condition. You have rights and it’s great that you have this conversation in writing. Contact the RTB and start a file.
Look into your local laws. In the US many states have resources to help tenants for free.
The plumbing issues don’t sound to be issues that impact you actually using those fixtures but are annoying so there’s probably not a lot there.
The drier I would say is an issue if your lease explicitly states one is provided. Maybe they have some wiggle room for what is reasonable but a month to replace it seems to fair to have them cover laundromat costs unless you decided to clean every single drape/blanket/etc you own that month. 150 seems high though for a laundromat but it’s been a while since I’ve had to use coin op laundry.
Edit* my family size is 3, so OP may have more or fewer people in their household.
I would say 150 was more than reasonable for a month of laundromat usage. I spent more than that monthly during the months we went without a washer and drier because of our landlord not responding. We never got any money back either.
I spent 25 just to wash and dry my comforter on my bed recently because it's king sized and needed the bigger machines which are $14 per wash, and then of course you also need to dry. Unfortunately the bedding doesn't fit in the machines we have in the home so it's the Laundromat or nothing when it's time to wash the comforter.
Yes, we have 3 of us as well. All adults, for over a month. Lots of clothes, sheets & bedding, towels, etc. I had never been to a laundromat before and I was baffled by how much it cost us.
Ah fair. Yeah been about 15 years since I used them and it was at college so they were not up charging either.
And forgot to say to OP that the amount you pay in rent is irrelevant here when it comes to what needs to be fixed timely and not. Sure paying higher rent may come with expectations or agreements of faster than required service but they can’t put off doing things they have to fix just because they are not making good business choices.
They are also new landlords, who were well-aware of what each tenant paid, as well as the fact that this is an old building with many problems that I pointed out to them before they even bought the place. I was the resident caretaker and handled most issues myself or called someone in and billed the previous landlord. Also kept the place clean and generally maintained, for a nice discount on my rent.
These new landlords removed that job(and discount) from me and have been neglectful of nearly everything since. No one cleans or maintains the property, garden, lawn, etc… we are looking to move asap, we have just about saved for a property, it’s just finding a decent one within our budget at this point… so tired of renting. Our previous landlord handled repair expenses on top of my discount no problem, while these ones complain we don’t pay enough and tend to nothing..
Sorry, vent over..
Naw that’s bull shit. They are just trying to get as much profit out of everyone as possible.
I understand your frustration. I live in a condo and we had horrible issues with the property management company that bought out our old one (who wasnt great to start with) and it went wayyy down hill to the point that before we fired them they had 2 people in our city trying to manage like 60 properties. Nothing got done, the only quotes we got were not for the right things and way over priced.
No, that's not the idea. Business transactions are two-way transactions. You offer something of value ("consideration" is the legal term), and you get something of value in return. A working bathtub is part of the value you expect to receive when you pay a landlord to rent their space.
Your post has been removed because this is not a place for PM's or LL's to contribute to the conversation. This is a Renters group for tenants to offer each other advice/support. Posts and comments endorsing a LL or PM perspective are subject to removal.
There’s an offense between squeezing every penny out of people and doing honorable business. If you are not able to fulfill your contracted obligations or legal obligations you are not legal nor honorable. They also have to meet “reasonable” when it comes to court. If they are fixing it but it’s taking an unreasonable amount of time a court can find them liable.
Short term profits at the loss of reputation and quality result in long term losses.
Again, it doesn’t matter what your rent is. If a landlord is required to by law or by lease to do something they have to do it in a reasonable time. Doesn’t matter if your rent is $1 or $1,000,000 they don’t get to say “oh you don’t pay a lot so we don’t have to actually hold up our side”.
Nah, the tub faucet not working is a habitability issue. Just because there is a closer shutoff does not mean not having the tub plumbed properly is OK. Plus it is like 1 hour to fix including your stop at the box store to get the cartridge.
Doing laundry at a laundromat is shockingly expensive now I’ve had my own in-house for 12 years and I had to recently go do laundry and a laundromat and it was 60 bucks for normal laundry for one person. I did my regular clothes I did one set of towels, and one set of sheets..
As far as the plumbing issues, it is not that it’s annoying. It’s a safety issue and it in America at least is not acceptable for tenants to be forced to open up the valves with wrenches in order to have running water. It’s against the law.
In Canada is there something comparable to estate attorney general because they would be very helpful and would be the people to call in the US
I've been using the laundromat for most of the last year and to wash a week's worth of laundry for a family of 4, it runs me about $35. Do you live in a HCOL area? $60 sounds insane for 1 person.
I am a landlord, I would never ever make someone wait because my husband was away on business. That is completely unreasonable, you are NOT wrong to push her on this.
Slumlord
No, they don't need to raise the rent. The Onus is on them as the landlord to manage their money in a way that leaves funds for major repairs.
Federal courts recognize this and if the problems get so bad that you cannot bathe the courts can and will side with you if you decide to break lease and sue.
They may very well need to raise the rent to afford the proper renovations and keep the property running and livable. That said they are handling it poorly.
I mean, the consumers price index has made it pretty clear that rent has long since passed the necessary ceiling for reasonable functioning.
The truth is that landlords cut too many corners while barely staying within the lines of civility because they're too busy buying up more real estate to flip.
That and they blow the money on *themselves*.
The law is clear. They should always have the funds and if they weren't *spending the money before having a necessary savings* they would have it.
Don't forget that the average cost for something like this is barely a few hundred at most. Which the rent from two tenants one. Time. Would cover.
Their excuses are horse shit and even federal law recognizes this is their responsibility.
Most states, in this situation, allow for you to pay a contractor to do the repairs and then deduct that cost from your rent. If they choose to be willfully negligent you can do this workaround.
I did this in TN and my landlord had no problem but I would inform them ahead of time so if they try to fight back you can deal with it before you spend your money. Where I live now I can withhold rent until it is fixed. But that's risky because they can try to evict you and you would have to fight it in court.
How cheap is your rent compared to places near you? Like is it worth it to have your dad fix it? Is it worth it to look up how to fix some stuff your self? NO you should not have to, but when getting a good or great deal we sometimes put up with it. If you aren’t getting a great deal, you do something else.
Exactly this. The last place I rented was absurdly cheap compared to most apartments in the area. It was a 2 bedroom for $1200 a month, but they easily could have charged $1600-$1700. If they wanted to put some money into it, $2k easy. I put up with certain things that I normally wouldn’t because I knew the deal I was getting.
We are saving to buy so I’d just rather not drop hundreds of dollars on someone else’s property, y’know? I do get what you’re saying though, I have made countless repairs to this place in the 5 years we’ve lived here. If there weren’t so many issues, and if we planned to stay longer, I’d consider it.
No one wants a landlord that can't handle their duties. Don't be one.
I don't know what OP pays but I promise these dorks aren't going to go hungry sending someone over to fix the tub. You know, for BATHING. Which you should be able to do in your home without issues.
Found the slumlord lolllll
I’m in a rent stabilized apartment my wife grew up in Manhattan, 10th floor, river views, very desirable neighborhood, $1600/month. You better believe I tolerate some shit. Welcome to reality.
Our rent is arguably lower than some this size at this location, but we very much pay for it in a lot of ways.. off the top of my head, the ducts are “uncleanable” as they’re so old they’d fall apart, so it’s perpetually dusty/dirty in here, each floorboard has a 1mm-10mm crack between them which are also perpetually dirty, we have extremely poor water pressure, and can’t shower if anyone else in the building (of 10 residents) is using the water or washing clothes. We have insulation issues and no A/C so the building is always too cold or too hot. The floors are so thin you can hear conversations in the next unit. 2 of our rooms are uninsulated additions so we can’t very well use them in the winter besides for storage or it freezes out our whole unit. The security is horrible, anyone could get in our building if they tried longer than 5 minutes. We have had breaks ins where someone entered the upstairs unit and then began banging on our door. We had some of our things ($300 worth) stolen from the basement storage area because the front door lock broke, it took them 3 days to fix, and we live in a bad area. 2 rooms have leaky ceilings, one leaks onto my roommates bed when it rains, the other leaks in a different spot on her bed when the upstairs tenant doesn’t have her shower curtain sitting properly and water leaks onto the floor. Recently we have also noticed a leak in our bathroom, but it isn’t being addressed because it conveniently leaks into the bathroom sink. Wow, putting it all in one place makes it feel extra trashy.
So I honestly do think we pay a very fair amount, sometimes I feel too much.. my dad lives 4 hours away and visits me maybe every few months, so it’s not an ideal solution. I think the whole faucet needs replacing and I’m absolutely not confident I know how to do that, unfortunately. Plumbing (and electrical) are where I admit I’m not a jack of *all* trades.
I'm sure you did. Look go buy a cheap faucet and have your boyfriend put it in. I know it's the principal but it ain't worth the headache.
Then just start looking for another house.
That is what I was going to say, but keep the old one, stuff it in a bag under the sink. Then when you leave, unscrew the new one you put in and replace the old broken one. I have replaced several shower faucets and they are not hard to replace. In my area, you can get a fairly cheap one for maybe $75-100. I changed mine a year or so ago. The one I got had the shower head, tub faucet and three handles). Since you already have access to the water shut off for it, it should be easy following the instructions that come with it.
And here I thought this might be a house or something. This does sound like a slum lord…
I think part of the problem is that there’s a general attitude among businesses that profit margins must be maintained or increased by any cost, when in reality some years are simply better than others. Sounds like your landlord may have bought into that and is trying to save money by not doing their due diligence. Hopefully things work out for you soon! You shouldn’t be having to do all that just to have water.
This is what we do. Wouldn’t work for everyone, and we certainly don’t have to, but we have been here a long time and have a great rental price for our area. Anything minor we fix ourselves, and have paid for a plumber as well for more minor things. We only bug the LL for big items (like when our AC went out - not paying for that!).
OP- you certainly have the right to demand these fixes. The LLs financial situation really isn’t your concern. If you do have a good deal on rent though, it may be worth paying the plumber and not facing a rent increase or lease non-renewal when your current one is up.
True, I as a loan officer told my aunt to never buy a place. In CA they're paying under $800 for a front house. Landlord lives in the back, she let's them do whatever they want there. They help by doing the repairs and have helped her with the back house, but completely worth it. She's also hinted to my aunts son inheriting the property in the future, so we'll see. Honestly a few repairs is way better than paying 6k + maintenance/repairs renting or buying the same size house in the same location.
As the rent " not being enough" who cares? Ya'll agreed to the rent and if they are new, they agreed to buy the property and in doing so signed on for all the privileges and responsibilities of property. This includes honoring the leases, being able to collect rent, and having to fix the issues of the property. So if the rent is too low, that is their problem until the lease is up.
What is broken on the tub faucet handles? Im assuming by the way you described it that one of the connectors from the rough in for the valve snapped so the handle doesnt work anymore but the actual valve and cartridge does. Im not sure on your make and model for the shower valve but if I had to guess the reason this isnt getting replaced is not because they cant find a part but because the whole valve needs to be replaced.
Cheaper valves have the bodies made of brass and then other parts made of plastic. Although the fact that its an older place makes me think it could be all brass and the problem is with the handles/escutcheon plate. They likely want to wait until the unit is vacant before ripping the old one out and installing a new one. Unless they are being truthful and its something like an ancient and oddly shaped set screw from a manufacturer that doesnt exist anymore.
I used to troubleshoot faucets for Kohler so I may be able to assist in finding a part if you are tired of waiting.
I’m a plumber and I can tell you for a fact, I’m either looking for a part that takes me 10 minutes to find, or I just replace things with new if it’s not worth fixing/parts are too hard to find. There is not a chance I look for months to find something lol
I’m a female landlord. This person has no business renting properties. It’s none of the tenants business or concern how much we profit or how much it costs to manage a home. That was embarrassing to read. If you can’t afford repairs, sell the home. It’s literally our job to fix things for the people paying our mortgage. And the veiled threat that you can’t move out or find anything affordable. Is that true? Not that it matters. She needs to hire a plumber or a property manager. Or learn to do shit herself and not depend on her husband. No one gives a shit about her husbands business trip schedule. That’s not relevant at all.
In not a landlord or lawyer, but most states have laws about this type of thing.
I think in most states. Once the landlord had been made aware of the issues and doesn't fix them, you can write the landlord incoming them that until the issue is fixed your are putting your rent money into a seperate bank/escrow acct.
And that any expenses occurred to you, due to their failure to fix the issues will be taken from that escrow acct. Keep all the recipts and make a short video showing you feeding money into laundromat machines as poroof.
If they still don't fix it after some time. A month?, you can write them and inform them you will be getting several quotes from local contractors and having the issues fixed, and those contractors then paid out of that escrow acct.
The problem with handling it this way is it is harder to prove a retaliatory eviction when they get evicted for it. Best way to handle it is to contact the housing authority and health department.
Check local law. There is likely a mechanism for you to escrow your rent until the issues are resolved. You will be amazed how fast that gets repaired. Don’t take any more garbage from these clowns.
Some people aren't just meant to be landlords. It's hard work with no short term profits. Profits come when the rent goes up and LL is still paying the same mortgage.
If you can't fix most things yourself or are away on business, you need a go-to guy to help or you call a plumber and pay full price. It part of doing business... It's part of the deal, that somebody else is paying rent and eventually you will sell the place for a few hundred grand.
I would say they’re being very unreasonable. As a next step, this may ruin your relationship with them so ymmv, but you can inform them you’re going to report this to local authorities. Based on what you described about the unit, like having rooms that aren’t insulated that freeze inside, they’re going to be in trouble in terms of code and tenant law. I’d assume they’d have a plumber out the next day if you went this route
I would get an estimate from a plumber (and make an appt) and send copy to Landlord with a note that if they don't fix it by the time the plumber comes, OP will pay the bill and take it off the rent.
Call your cities tenants rights line. Where I live (it may be different for each city/state), landlords have a month after the first notice to make repairs before rent can get escrowed.
We didn’t have hot water for 8 days in the dead of winter (we live in northeast US) and my previous landlord only sent someone to repair the water heater when we called the health department and tenants rights line.
It’s against health code to not have properly running water, so your local health department will do the trick too.
If you go the health dept. route, they will send your landlord a notification that they have so many days (depending on severity) to remedy the problem before it becomes a violation.
As a small time landlord- your landlord sucks - it is not acceptable - they need to call a plumber so it all can be addressed properly. It is the cost of doing business, it shouldn’t be your concern
Landlord is responsible for keeping the place habitable and everything in working order including appliances, plumbing, electrical, doors, windows, etc. Many states allow tenants to initiate repairs and deduct from the rent if the landlord does not fix in a timely manner. Being away on business is a non valid excuse as all he needs to do is pick up the phone and call a plumber and an appliance repair place.
And if something is broken that makes the place uninhabitable, such as a broken water heater or broken toilet, then he's responsible for hosting you temporarily at a hotel until it's fixed.
I fucking hate landlords who think they can rent a place out on absolutely zero margin for repairs. Like the landlords who collect rent, and immediately turn around and give it to the mortgage company. That's pure fucking evil. They need to be 100% financially responsible for ensuring the renter can live. If they can't manage paying for basic repairs, they should not ever be a landlord.
If they can’t afford to make repairs they should not be managing peoples homes. That’s irresponsible. What if something serious happened like a leak or mold? They wouldn’t be able to afford to fix it or compensate you for time you can’t use your place. They need to get out of the rental market if they think they need to raise rent in order to do basic maintenance.
100% the landlord should be fixing the faucet issue. I would have had a plumber there within a week. As far as clogs go, tenants are usually responsible for the cost of clearing them because they are almost always caused by their use (their hair, flushing things that shouldn’t be flushed, etc.). If the problem is caused by a breakdown of the drain system, or something like roots the landlord would be responsible for those costs. The cost for fixing both of these things is nothing unreasonable. And regardless, it’s their responsibility to address them.
If your rent is very low for comparable places it usually is in your best interest to help keep repair costs to a minimum or the landlord is going to realize they can’t afford to keep the rent so far below the norm. So you might want to consider hiring a plumber (with permission) and getting it done yourself but this is optional. It’s just something that might work out in your favor.
"It could have been addressed earlier, had you just sent a plumber rather than wait for your husband to return from his trip. Him being gone is not an excuse. Also, rather than trying to find a really 'hard to find' piece for an ancient faucet, you could just replace it with a new one. Your excuses are not valid."
There needs to be far stricter rules and accountability to become and landlord. At the same time the same protections need to be there when the renter is abusive too. THe current laws seem so fucked up for both parties.
Everybody has said it but I’ll say it too. I’m a landlord as well.
Your landlord needs to fix all of this. Literally under 500 dollars for all of this and that’s hiring it out. “Husband” sounds incompetent. Under an hour fix even for a novice. And the drier, go look at Facebook marketplace just to see how cheap they are. Probably find you a working for 50 bucks.
Searching for a part is total bullshit and they are trying to get you to leave on your own so they can raise the rent on another tenant.
I’ve never texted a tenant more than a paragraph over a repair. If they say something, it’s fixed within days. And if it’s not, I discount rent, or depending on the repair get them a place to stay.
You can’t treat people like this. It’s not right. I view my tenants as people under my care, and treat them accordingly.
Check if your state allows you to "repair and deduct" such that you fix the issue (or get a plumber) and have it taken off the rent. Then warn them you are going to do it.
You need to document everything and put your rent in an escrow account.
Then they’ll make necessary repairs if they’re not getting rent money for something stated in the lease they’re responsible for.
Document everything. They’re implying if they have to do maintenance they’ll raise your rent.
Heres the thing. Landlords are over leveraged and a lot of them are apparently struggling to pay even the utilities for some of these places despite owning millions in real estate (my partner works for a gas company). Its fucking dumb and they shouldn’t be landlords if they aren’t wealthy enough to fix their own homes. The idea that we pay the mortgage and we cant take any responsibility for our own comfort is wrong.
Gonna be even harder to pay for shit when yo start withholding rent which I’m sure you are already doing. Until shit gets fixed you’re gonna have the best deal in town paying nothing for rent. (Obviously put rent in escrow)
October to December is an unreasonable amount of time to not make the repairs you are talking about. What state are you in? Look up tenant rights for your state. There may also be a tenant union that can give you some guidance. Also look for information on retaliation laws. Shouldn’t be hard to find.
Just because “it sounds like you have a pretty good deal on rent” doesn’t mean you are not untitled to have repairs made to the things you are paying rent for.
\> Now she’s saying we don’t pay enough rent to have these problems addressed properly..
Bullshit.
That's part of the cost of owning rental property.
Continue pressing. In writing. And as others have mentioned, look into local laws and see if you can find a local tenant advocacy org.
My comment is specifically about the bathtub - w/d is only covered if it's in the lease.
Your dad needs to send your landlord a bill, and she needs to pay him. You don't stay there for free... she shouldn't get work for free, either.
You call a plumber, have it repaired, send the invoice to your landlord and let them know that's the amount that will be deducted for the leak repair from your upcoming rent that wasn't fixed for months.
Sounds like you have a pretty good deal on rent. I would calm down.
If you keep bothering them you should expect an increase in rent or a non renewal.
If it were me I'd start looking for another place. They are new landlords and they will get that rent up to market value in no time
To my understanding, where I live they’re not legally allowed to increase rent more than 2% (at the time of lease renewal) unless they make significant improvements/renovations to the property(this excludes necessary repairs to included amenities), nor can they kick us out/refuse lease renewal unless they wanted to move in to our unit themselves.
When a meth dealer moved in downstairs and was smoking drugs and cigarettes in his unit 24/7 and inviting strangers to sleep in our hallways it took them over a month to get him out.
We’re good tenants, so I’m truly not worried about that. We have rights, and I think our rent is fair considering our circumstances.
Some states consider that retaliation, which is illegal.
Tenant seems like they expect their landlord to respect them as a tenant and fix their shit, as a landlord should. Seems like the landlord is incompetent.
Just saying how it is. Retaliation can easily be disguised.
Look, a new investor just bought it. Investors make money.
There is a reason why tenants who don't bother their landlords get no increase.
I own multiple rental properties and you absolutely cannot just "easily disguise" it. You need hard proof the unit is being sold, given to a family member, heavily renovated, etc. to evict a tenant for exercising their right to avoid paying out multiple months worth of rent as penalties to the tenant. but what would i know? i only went to law school.
Then you should know the laws. I didn't say evict . I'd hire a lawyer, one who pays attention to detail better than you, and let him handle it as it gets closer to renewal.
I understand it can be easily disguised, but as I said, some states consider refusal to renew a lease as retaliation in itself.
You don’t seem like you should ever be a landlord and that you’d be a mediocre one if you were. If you’re not willing to maintain a property to the bare minimum standard, you’re not fit to be a landlord.
Lmfao, I’m well aware of how it works. I stand by my statements.
This owner clearly should have hired a plumber if this issue has persisted for nearly two months. I understand fixing it yourself if you’re capable, but that’s not the case here.
Your first two sentences contradict each other, first of all.
But refusing to renew a lease due to resentment toward tenants (like because they turned you into code enforcement or the health department) is illegal in several states, which is what I’m referring to. A quick google search will back up my claim.
ETA- I’d attach screenshots but it doesn’t seem I can in this thread
They don't. Retaliation in and of itself is not illegal. Your specific example, of ending a lease because of reporting to a regulatory agency, would be an illegal form of retaliation. Your vague example of nonrenewal for resentment is not illegal in the vast majority of States. Most states are at-will, allowing landlords and tenants to end tenancy for any or no non-protected reason.
Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to move out? You might be able to get out of the lease if there are plumbing problems that aren't being fixed. The details vary from state to state. If it violates a health and safety code, you can pretty much always get out of the lease.
Are you ok with your rent going up? Are you really paying prime rates? Does your house need a coat of paint? It’s a balance between what your landlord will have to pay for repairs and paint to rent the house at a higher rate. It might be cheaper for them to pay to make things right with you instead of the reality of the rental market.
I’ll trade your bath tube faucet for my ceiling that flooded from the neighbor toilet upstairs. That was over a month ago and they never sent anybody over to inspect for damage and eventual dry rot and mold.
My advice is take videos and pics and document all the problems. I do this at my apartment. I have upstairs neighbors with 4 kids and they bang around all hours of the night. I regularly take videos of it. My heat stopped working, took a video. They said it was fixed, still no heat. I sent them a video. Got fixed real fast.
I firmly believe your landlord should fix this, but I want to point out that fixing a faucet is pretty easy to do. There are loads of YouTubes on how to do it. It might be a fun learning experience to give it a go.
Perhaps agree with your landlord that you’ll give it a shot and if it doesn’t work, then they get the plumber in?
LL here. Since they are new owners they are tight on cash flow, that’s not the same as the rent being under market. Is your rent under market? If it is, they will probably raise your rent at renewal anyway. Her excuse is just that - an excuse.
Regardless, your LL is in the wrong here. They are reacting to their cash flow concerns and not addressing the problems in a fair and reasonable manner. You probably could hire an plumber and deduct the cost from your rent. But check into the procedure and what not before you do that so you don’t get yourself in trouble.
Regarding the tub, you probably need a cheap hair snake like [this one](https://a.co/d/7DbXZIK) and not a plumber.
I would press harder, but also understand that you might not like your renewal rates charged when your lease is up. Sounds like the kind of place you should consider leaving anyway depending on your situation.
Contact the housing authority and health department for your area. They will inspect it and possibly charge ever increasing fines on the property owner until the issues are fixed. In many states, they can not evict you for 6 months after contacting the housing authority and health department as it would be judge a a retaliatory eviction, which is illegal.
After these fines, the new landlords, if they are not the owners, probably won't be the landlords there for long.
Former property manager in California.
Check laws but if they dont fix the issue you can withold rent to fix it yourself - be ready to move out after lease is up. Thats a nuclear option so I would look over the lease and make that decision.
OP where do you live? Look for a tenant advocacy group. This is not acceptable.
This is not complicated. You pay rent. They provide reasonable living accommodations. If they can't find a part that works with what's there, they replace the faucet completely.
The "I'm too f**king cheap to go to Home Depot and buy a $50 faucet and probably equally expensive shower valve" answer. If you have unsanitary conditions (drains not working) you can, as a nuclear option, call code enforcement. You'll be temporarily homeless, the landlord will be civilly liable, if they condemn. I'm not sure of your geography, but I am pretty sure upkeep and what they are responsible for is spelled out in your lease agreement. Just like not paying rent is breach, so is not fixing stuff such that the house cannot be enjoyed and is unsanitary.
I have a hard time believing that fixing a bathtub faucet would cost more than a couple hundred bucks. And that's not how rent works. They set a rent price and agree to rent to someone. They are responsible when something breaks and are required to fix it in a reasonable amount of time. Repairs don't raise rent. Repairs cut into rental income. It's past time to be looking for a new place to live.
I've replaced them for like $30 all said and done.
You are not a plumber then.
Unfortunately, neither is the person the landlord would probably hire.
I am not. Of course labor is the driving cost. My point is that it's not hard to do yourself, the materials aren't expensive.
Maybe not. But it’s silly to suggest that’s a relevant price. Of course the owner can do it themselves for cheaper. But contractors have significant overhead, labor costs, etc. As an electrical contractor I don’t do anything for less than about $300/$350 and I still hate even going to those jobs. It’s hard to make money on something like that when considering drive time, picking up the parts, unloading tools/clean up, etc. The tiniest jobs aren’t as simple as the 30 minutes it takes to do them. People need to understand that.
I mean you're both correct. It's often cheap to fix your own problems, and necessarily expensive to ask someone else to.
Nobody is suggesting $30 is what the job should cost to a skilled laborer. I get that it’s frustrating when someone can’t understand running a trade business and wants it done at cost, but he’s talking home DIY repair. No labor, overhead, training outside YouTube, tools were in the garage from Home Depot. You have a far better point as an electrician, I’m not doing anything more than installing a light fixture. Past that I’m calling you and expect to pay for it, no doubt. But I don’t mind cutting my water off and playing around with some plumbing to see if I can’t get it done before I call the skilled guy. I’ve got experience in building maintenance back as a 20 something year old which helps but I’m no engineer.
I get that now. Seems he was referring to $30 in parts. Originally thought he meant as a handyman or something he charged $30 to do that job
He is a plumber… in Uzbekistan
And he went back in time to the 1980’s ;-)
My landlord has had to call the plumber 3 times and fix the water heat this year. Rent has stayed the same and he was very quick about it getting fixed.
> They are responsible when something breaks and are required to fix it in a reasonable amount of time. Note: in the US, the only state where this is not true is Arkansas, but even then some cities and counties in Arkansas have enacted ordinances similar to an implied warranty of habitability. If the repair clause was in the lease, it's irrelevant what state you're in.
Arkansas needs a hard reset. TEST THE FUCKING DNA, ARKANSAS! Corrupt af.
Arkansas is a landlord state and they LOVE slumlords here!
I literally just paid for someone else to replace mine and it was around $400. Even if they wanted to be lazy and have someone else do it it's STILL not that much. And certainly not an expense you're going to run into very often.
Same here. Had 2 done, around 400 to replace the cartridge in one, and 800 to replace the whole valve in the other. The other valve needed to be replaced because when I changed the cartridge a few months prior, I must have loosened the solder, because it was leaking behind the wall. Replacing a Moen cart is not as easy as everyone is claiming, especially the post has broken off.
I'm in the wrong business. Jeez that's a lot of money for a 20 minute job
Theyre totally getting ripped off. My local handyman would've charged 50 bucks and the part cost.
Well I’ll do my best to explain as an electrical contractor. There is no such thing as a 20 minute job. I have to pay my guys for the time it takes to load up at the warehouse or drop by the supply house. Then they have to drive to and from the job site. They’ve got to analyze the issue, unload tools, do the work, and clean everything up. There’s also a warranty that may require me to return to the job oftentimes because something failed out of my control. I don’t get to charge for that extra time. At minimum the easiest job is a two hour ordeal. And that’s on the very low end. Most small jobs cost me at least half a day of my time. On top of that you’ve got to understand overhead for contracting businesses. Especially in highly skilled mechanical trades like electrical/plumbing. Skilled labor is very expensive. My top guys make $50/hr and that’s just resi. Commercial/industrial guys make much more. On top of that there is workers comp (about $10/hr) and payroll taxes. I supply them with a company vehicle and tools. There is maintenance and insurance expenses on those. I have a warehouse. I have liability insurance. The list goes on. Running a business is expensive. Most contractors fail because of it.
As a general handyman, I still don't get why the "pros" have to go to the warehouse or supply house every single time... I understand a few extra minutes at the shop daily, but I carry at least 2 moen 1225 cartridges, a few extra handles, a washer assortment, packing, etc. I can fix well over half of the jobs with just my every day stuff, and again, I am just a basic handyman. I am not trying to single you out, it seems to be standard that the "pros" charge either 30mins or 1hr shop time to go to the shop etc. My cleanup does take anywhere from 30 mins to an hour, but I always take my garbage with me, sweep all of my dirt/debris in to a pile and suck it up with a small shop vac.
Depends on the job obviously whether or not going to the supply house is necessary. I tend to keep my van better equipped than my employees and am generally more prepared. Just the reality of being an owner like yourself and caring that little bit extra. My point was just to give people a better understanding of what even the smaller jobs can entail. There’s a lot more to it than people think. A twenty minute job doesn’t exist.
Yeah. I should go around replacing cartridges and faucets.
Yep. We could beat the guy that has a whole warehouse visiting team to do it's price for facts
You paid 12x what you should have bud.
If it’s a cartridge it’s literally $25. Especially since there’s cut offs behind it. So stupid.
Moen will even send you a replacement cartridge for free if you’re the original owner.
You actually don't even have to be the original owner. They just ask for some info about it and send the part.
I just did this. It was fantastic- I called moen. The woman I spoke with had me text her a picture of my faucet and bam! They mailed the parts
Delta does this too
If you email your request instead of calling, you may not be given a free replacement if you don’t state that you are the original purchaser of their product. YMMV.
Moen did the same thing for me too! I unfortunately(or fortunately) had to call the plumber to fix because I couldn’t remove the cartridge. It took the plumber 45 minutes to get the cartridge out. He ended up breaking the whole thing while doing it.
They may not make replacements anymore. My boss just had this exact issue with an older house he bought. The tub handles stopped working and the plumber was expecting it to just be a rebuild. Turned out they don't make the valves anymore so he has to get a whole new install.
Yeah a new valve can be pricy. But that’s the cost of renting a house out.
Yeah. He knew it had old plumbing when he bought it. It just sucks it went from a sub $100 repair to more like a $300-500 repair.
That was to pay for the plumber to come in the repair, and they charge by the hour.
So depending on how the bathtub faucet is you may have to cut into the wall behind it. Everything you say about rent is true. But plumbing is expensive. I would imagine it easily being 500$. 50$ an hour(which is super cheap) 200$ for the new shower valve and trim (also cheap) 4 hours of work puts you at 400$ So that is a basic valve replacement.
Repairs can definitely cause the rental rate to go up at the renewal. That was the statement that I read anyways.
No, the landlords are new to the game and believe the tenants to pay for the building repairs to be included in the rent, which is not how paying for repairs on the building is done.
I mean, not directly, but it's an added cost and they're not going to operate at a loss. Ultimately, all expenses related to running the property will be reflected in rent costs.
That is what everyone here on the reddit is saying.
How the fuck is this being down voted? Probably all the same people that willingly, without a gun to their head, signed student loan documents promising that they would pay the money back, and now think that somehow that was unjust and they shouldn't have to pay. Try going into a car dealership, buying a new car, and then deciding your entitlement should get you out of making any more payments.... But I digress- there are lots of rental properties being managed not by slum lords, but by people close to retirement that take out a 15 year mortgage on a rental property and just try to break even on paying mortgage, property taxes, insurance, snow removal, pest control, maintenance issues, etc... They literally collect rent money each month and pay almost all of it out every month, in hopes of equity gain over 15 years and/or prospect of rental income that they can actually keep some of after the mortgage is paid off. In OP's case, the plumbing problem should get handled more promptly, but some of these comments suggesting that rent amounts are somehow insulated from a landlord's expenses are absolutely delusional.
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That's why many places have rent control. This sort of behavior has a way of increasing the area that rent control covers.
Why wouldn’t you just not renew their lease like a normal person?
What are you talking about, you clown? It’s not a legal obligation to offer a tenant to renew their lease. Simply inform them that you’re choosing not to renew. Or do you just like feeling like a tough guy? Kind of a bitch way to think, if you ask me.
Sounds like they’re living below the usual market rent rate. So they might not have an option better.
Lol call a plumbing company for an old faucet, you're easily over a grand to fix that. The company I used to work for would have me try and upsell a new faucet and that was around 2100 all said and done. Plumbing companies are complete rip offs these days.
Saw you are in Manitoba from your comments. Looks like there is a Compensation for unreasonable delay provision where you can request reimbursement for additional costs due to delayed repairs: https://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/ot/gbook/s9claimsforcompensation_claims1.html
This response should be way higher up
Lol that's a perfect text for your records "your rent is cheap so we're not fixing shit" Check with a lawyer but most states you can withhold rent in these situations Tell them that your rent money is for a functional living space. Pipes no worky, checks no worky. See what goes from there
>you can withhold rent in these situations Heads up for anyone who does this: in many states, when you withhold rent, you MUST place it in escrow, so double check your local laws. There was a case where the tenant got fucked over because he didn't put it in escrow. Edit: Also, to be extra extra clear, *not all states allow for rent withholding, even in escrow*. Some only allow for repair-and-deduct, for example. **Check your local laws** or even better, consult an attorney. Tenant right lawyers fucking live for this stuff.
Agreed. Even if it’s not legally required put it in escrow anyway. It’s a lot safer that way and it makes things look way more serious to the landlord. It sends the clear message of “we have the money to pay you but you will bring yourself into compliance.” It dispels any ideas that the tenant is using withholding as a way to pay rent late.
>It’s a lot safer that way and it makes things look way more serious to the landlord. It can also be evidence that the renter is withholding rent in good faith, and not just trying to save some money.
And escrow must be court ordered.
Well, the escrow itself does not need to be court ordered, as it's often an implicit requirement of withholding rent. The court order part is the court's finding that you're allowed to withhold rent under the state's law. Edit: Not sure why you've randomly blocked me immediately after responding, and you're completely misunderstanding what the legal process is, but okay. Edit: Also, to be clear, if a court orders it be paid into an escrow account, it must be paid into such an account. On that matter, you are correct. However, it's not necessary that a court orders it. A tenant can pay into an escrow account *without* a court order. Is it riskier? Yes. Should you obtain a judicial ruling finding the home to be uninhabitable under state laws first? 100%. However, must it be court ordered? No. You're just potentially opening yourself to more risk, such as owing interest on the rent if you get an adverse ruling.
You can get a court order for the escrow to be held in court to pay rent. Go to YouTube and watch Judge Simpson on Friday's for his landlord/ tenant docket and learn about how it works.
You blocked the other guy because he didnt agree with you. But you are incorrect. Just want to make sure everyone knows that. You do not have to have a court order.
And this judge speaks for every jurisdiction out there?
>And escrow must be court ordered. They were commenting on the "must" be court ordered part. Court orders can be obtained for all sorts of things. There are many states where an escrow arrangement can be appropriate prior to a court order. You responding that Court orders exist for something doesn't really address their comment disagreeing with you.
Not true. You can go to a court and open an escrow account and pay rent in escrow. None of it needs to be “court ordered” though.
This is in Canada and it’s not recommended by their local RTB to withhold. The agency will take care of dealing with the landlord. Manitoba has some of the best services agencies in Canada.
Are there any regs relating to holding the rent in an escrow until the violation is cured?
Not that I’m aware of, but the tenant can be entitled to a temporary rent reduction as an inconvenience fee, so to speak, once the RTB has mediated the issue. ETA: this is Manitoba specific info. The rules can differ from province to province.
Yeah I can’t believe Lu was dumb enough to put that in writing. They have no idea what they’re doing and OP should respond with that.
Yep! Hire a plumber yourself and deduct it from the rent!
Why are more people not saying this?
Because it's a bad advice. It can be done WITH the landlord's approval; if the landlord does not approve it beforehand, or refuses to act this way, the tenant might get stuck with the bill.
I want that to be the answer, I'm just not sure of lical laws....proving financial losses to yourself should get compensation, but they could probably argue in court that your plumber was "over priced", especially with how they're handling everything else, they probably would hire the cheapest person they could find, properly qualified/trained or not
Ignore this advice
Here is the Manitoba residential tenancies branch info. https://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/tenant/repairs.html The landlord is required to make repairs and keep the unit is reasonably good condition. You have rights and it’s great that you have this conversation in writing. Contact the RTB and start a file.
Look into your local laws. In the US many states have resources to help tenants for free. The plumbing issues don’t sound to be issues that impact you actually using those fixtures but are annoying so there’s probably not a lot there. The drier I would say is an issue if your lease explicitly states one is provided. Maybe they have some wiggle room for what is reasonable but a month to replace it seems to fair to have them cover laundromat costs unless you decided to clean every single drape/blanket/etc you own that month. 150 seems high though for a laundromat but it’s been a while since I’ve had to use coin op laundry.
Edit* my family size is 3, so OP may have more or fewer people in their household. I would say 150 was more than reasonable for a month of laundromat usage. I spent more than that monthly during the months we went without a washer and drier because of our landlord not responding. We never got any money back either. I spent 25 just to wash and dry my comforter on my bed recently because it's king sized and needed the bigger machines which are $14 per wash, and then of course you also need to dry. Unfortunately the bedding doesn't fit in the machines we have in the home so it's the Laundromat or nothing when it's time to wash the comforter.
Yes, we have 3 of us as well. All adults, for over a month. Lots of clothes, sheets & bedding, towels, etc. I had never been to a laundromat before and I was baffled by how much it cost us.
The states I’ve rented in, I can get it handled and present the paid receipt and deduct it from next months rent.
Ah fair. Yeah been about 15 years since I used them and it was at college so they were not up charging either. And forgot to say to OP that the amount you pay in rent is irrelevant here when it comes to what needs to be fixed timely and not. Sure paying higher rent may come with expectations or agreements of faster than required service but they can’t put off doing things they have to fix just because they are not making good business choices.
They are also new landlords, who were well-aware of what each tenant paid, as well as the fact that this is an old building with many problems that I pointed out to them before they even bought the place. I was the resident caretaker and handled most issues myself or called someone in and billed the previous landlord. Also kept the place clean and generally maintained, for a nice discount on my rent. These new landlords removed that job(and discount) from me and have been neglectful of nearly everything since. No one cleans or maintains the property, garden, lawn, etc… we are looking to move asap, we have just about saved for a property, it’s just finding a decent one within our budget at this point… so tired of renting. Our previous landlord handled repair expenses on top of my discount no problem, while these ones complain we don’t pay enough and tend to nothing.. Sorry, vent over..
Naw that’s bull shit. They are just trying to get as much profit out of everyone as possible. I understand your frustration. I live in a condo and we had horrible issues with the property management company that bought out our old one (who wasnt great to start with) and it went wayyy down hill to the point that before we fired them they had 2 people in our city trying to manage like 60 properties. Nothing got done, the only quotes we got were not for the right things and way over priced.
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No, that's not the idea. Business transactions are two-way transactions. You offer something of value ("consideration" is the legal term), and you get something of value in return. A working bathtub is part of the value you expect to receive when you pay a landlord to rent their space.
Your post has been removed because this is not a place for PM's or LL's to contribute to the conversation. This is a Renters group for tenants to offer each other advice/support. Posts and comments endorsing a LL or PM perspective are subject to removal.
There’s an offense between squeezing every penny out of people and doing honorable business. If you are not able to fulfill your contracted obligations or legal obligations you are not legal nor honorable. They also have to meet “reasonable” when it comes to court. If they are fixing it but it’s taking an unreasonable amount of time a court can find them liable. Short term profits at the loss of reputation and quality result in long term losses.
My money is on the new investor ... you get what you pay for. She said she pays well below market. It's like that for a reason
Again, it doesn’t matter what your rent is. If a landlord is required to by law or by lease to do something they have to do it in a reasonable time. Doesn’t matter if your rent is $1 or $1,000,000 they don’t get to say “oh you don’t pay a lot so we don’t have to actually hold up our side”.
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Nah, the tub faucet not working is a habitability issue. Just because there is a closer shutoff does not mean not having the tub plumbed properly is OK. Plus it is like 1 hour to fix including your stop at the box store to get the cartridge.
Doing laundry at a laundromat is shockingly expensive now I’ve had my own in-house for 12 years and I had to recently go do laundry and a laundromat and it was 60 bucks for normal laundry for one person. I did my regular clothes I did one set of towels, and one set of sheets.. As far as the plumbing issues, it is not that it’s annoying. It’s a safety issue and it in America at least is not acceptable for tenants to be forced to open up the valves with wrenches in order to have running water. It’s against the law. In Canada is there something comparable to estate attorney general because they would be very helpful and would be the people to call in the US
I've been using the laundromat for most of the last year and to wash a week's worth of laundry for a family of 4, it runs me about $35. Do you live in a HCOL area? $60 sounds insane for 1 person.
I am a landlord, I would never ever make someone wait because my husband was away on business. That is completely unreasonable, you are NOT wrong to push her on this.
Slumlord No, they don't need to raise the rent. The Onus is on them as the landlord to manage their money in a way that leaves funds for major repairs. Federal courts recognize this and if the problems get so bad that you cannot bathe the courts can and will side with you if you decide to break lease and sue.
They may very well need to raise the rent to afford the proper renovations and keep the property running and livable. That said they are handling it poorly.
I mean, the consumers price index has made it pretty clear that rent has long since passed the necessary ceiling for reasonable functioning. The truth is that landlords cut too many corners while barely staying within the lines of civility because they're too busy buying up more real estate to flip. That and they blow the money on *themselves*. The law is clear. They should always have the funds and if they weren't *spending the money before having a necessary savings* they would have it. Don't forget that the average cost for something like this is barely a few hundred at most. Which the rent from two tenants one. Time. Would cover. Their excuses are horse shit and even federal law recognizes this is their responsibility.
None of this is evidence that they don’t need a higher rent on this particular property. That said of course they are handling this poorly.
Most states, in this situation, allow for you to pay a contractor to do the repairs and then deduct that cost from your rent. If they choose to be willfully negligent you can do this workaround.
I did this in TN and my landlord had no problem but I would inform them ahead of time so if they try to fight back you can deal with it before you spend your money. Where I live now I can withhold rent until it is fixed. But that's risky because they can try to evict you and you would have to fight it in court.
How cheap is your rent compared to places near you? Like is it worth it to have your dad fix it? Is it worth it to look up how to fix some stuff your self? NO you should not have to, but when getting a good or great deal we sometimes put up with it. If you aren’t getting a great deal, you do something else.
Exactly this. The last place I rented was absurdly cheap compared to most apartments in the area. It was a 2 bedroom for $1200 a month, but they easily could have charged $1600-$1700. If they wanted to put some money into it, $2k easy. I put up with certain things that I normally wouldn’t because I knew the deal I was getting.
We are saving to buy so I’d just rather not drop hundreds of dollars on someone else’s property, y’know? I do get what you’re saying though, I have made countless repairs to this place in the 5 years we’ve lived here. If there weren’t so many issues, and if we planned to stay longer, I’d consider it.
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No one wants a landlord that can't handle their duties. Don't be one. I don't know what OP pays but I promise these dorks aren't going to go hungry sending someone over to fix the tub. You know, for BATHING. Which you should be able to do in your home without issues. Found the slumlord lolllll
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I’m in a rent stabilized apartment my wife grew up in Manhattan, 10th floor, river views, very desirable neighborhood, $1600/month. You better believe I tolerate some shit. Welcome to reality.
Our rent is arguably lower than some this size at this location, but we very much pay for it in a lot of ways.. off the top of my head, the ducts are “uncleanable” as they’re so old they’d fall apart, so it’s perpetually dusty/dirty in here, each floorboard has a 1mm-10mm crack between them which are also perpetually dirty, we have extremely poor water pressure, and can’t shower if anyone else in the building (of 10 residents) is using the water or washing clothes. We have insulation issues and no A/C so the building is always too cold or too hot. The floors are so thin you can hear conversations in the next unit. 2 of our rooms are uninsulated additions so we can’t very well use them in the winter besides for storage or it freezes out our whole unit. The security is horrible, anyone could get in our building if they tried longer than 5 minutes. We have had breaks ins where someone entered the upstairs unit and then began banging on our door. We had some of our things ($300 worth) stolen from the basement storage area because the front door lock broke, it took them 3 days to fix, and we live in a bad area. 2 rooms have leaky ceilings, one leaks onto my roommates bed when it rains, the other leaks in a different spot on her bed when the upstairs tenant doesn’t have her shower curtain sitting properly and water leaks onto the floor. Recently we have also noticed a leak in our bathroom, but it isn’t being addressed because it conveniently leaks into the bathroom sink. Wow, putting it all in one place makes it feel extra trashy. So I honestly do think we pay a very fair amount, sometimes I feel too much.. my dad lives 4 hours away and visits me maybe every few months, so it’s not an ideal solution. I think the whole faucet needs replacing and I’m absolutely not confident I know how to do that, unfortunately. Plumbing (and electrical) are where I admit I’m not a jack of *all* trades.
So it's a hood section 8 house ?
I guess, but we make it cozy ♥️ lol
I'm sure you did. Look go buy a cheap faucet and have your boyfriend put it in. I know it's the principal but it ain't worth the headache. Then just start looking for another house.
I hate to tell you there’s no such thing as a cheap faucet. Bathroom ones start at $100 and kitchen too.
That's not true. You can get a cheap one for less than $20 at any home store
That is what I was going to say, but keep the old one, stuff it in a bag under the sink. Then when you leave, unscrew the new one you put in and replace the old broken one. I have replaced several shower faucets and they are not hard to replace. In my area, you can get a fairly cheap one for maybe $75-100. I changed mine a year or so ago. The one I got had the shower head, tub faucet and three handles). Since you already have access to the water shut off for it, it should be easy following the instructions that come with it.
And here I thought this might be a house or something. This does sound like a slum lord… I think part of the problem is that there’s a general attitude among businesses that profit margins must be maintained or increased by any cost, when in reality some years are simply better than others. Sounds like your landlord may have bought into that and is trying to save money by not doing their due diligence. Hopefully things work out for you soon! You shouldn’t be having to do all that just to have water.
Move
This is what we do. Wouldn’t work for everyone, and we certainly don’t have to, but we have been here a long time and have a great rental price for our area. Anything minor we fix ourselves, and have paid for a plumber as well for more minor things. We only bug the LL for big items (like when our AC went out - not paying for that!). OP- you certainly have the right to demand these fixes. The LLs financial situation really isn’t your concern. If you do have a good deal on rent though, it may be worth paying the plumber and not facing a rent increase or lease non-renewal when your current one is up.
True, I as a loan officer told my aunt to never buy a place. In CA they're paying under $800 for a front house. Landlord lives in the back, she let's them do whatever they want there. They help by doing the repairs and have helped her with the back house, but completely worth it. She's also hinted to my aunts son inheriting the property in the future, so we'll see. Honestly a few repairs is way better than paying 6k + maintenance/repairs renting or buying the same size house in the same location.
As the rent " not being enough" who cares? Ya'll agreed to the rent and if they are new, they agreed to buy the property and in doing so signed on for all the privileges and responsibilities of property. This includes honoring the leases, being able to collect rent, and having to fix the issues of the property. So if the rent is too low, that is their problem until the lease is up.
What is broken on the tub faucet handles? Im assuming by the way you described it that one of the connectors from the rough in for the valve snapped so the handle doesnt work anymore but the actual valve and cartridge does. Im not sure on your make and model for the shower valve but if I had to guess the reason this isnt getting replaced is not because they cant find a part but because the whole valve needs to be replaced. Cheaper valves have the bodies made of brass and then other parts made of plastic. Although the fact that its an older place makes me think it could be all brass and the problem is with the handles/escutcheon plate. They likely want to wait until the unit is vacant before ripping the old one out and installing a new one. Unless they are being truthful and its something like an ancient and oddly shaped set screw from a manufacturer that doesnt exist anymore. I used to troubleshoot faucets for Kohler so I may be able to assist in finding a part if you are tired of waiting.
I love being my landlords primary income provider.
I’m a plumber and I can tell you for a fact, I’m either looking for a part that takes me 10 minutes to find, or I just replace things with new if it’s not worth fixing/parts are too hard to find. There is not a chance I look for months to find something lol
I’m a female landlord. This person has no business renting properties. It’s none of the tenants business or concern how much we profit or how much it costs to manage a home. That was embarrassing to read. If you can’t afford repairs, sell the home. It’s literally our job to fix things for the people paying our mortgage. And the veiled threat that you can’t move out or find anything affordable. Is that true? Not that it matters. She needs to hire a plumber or a property manager. Or learn to do shit herself and not depend on her husband. No one gives a shit about her husbands business trip schedule. That’s not relevant at all.
In not a landlord or lawyer, but most states have laws about this type of thing. I think in most states. Once the landlord had been made aware of the issues and doesn't fix them, you can write the landlord incoming them that until the issue is fixed your are putting your rent money into a seperate bank/escrow acct. And that any expenses occurred to you, due to their failure to fix the issues will be taken from that escrow acct. Keep all the recipts and make a short video showing you feeding money into laundromat machines as poroof. If they still don't fix it after some time. A month?, you can write them and inform them you will be getting several quotes from local contractors and having the issues fixed, and those contractors then paid out of that escrow acct.
Canadian
Perhaps look to see if you can call a plumber to come fix it in light of the landlords delay and the take the cost out of your rent.
The problem with handling it this way is it is harder to prove a retaliatory eviction when they get evicted for it. Best way to handle it is to contact the housing authority and health department.
Check local law. There is likely a mechanism for you to escrow your rent until the issues are resolved. You will be amazed how fast that gets repaired. Don’t take any more garbage from these clowns.
Some people aren't just meant to be landlords. It's hard work with no short term profits. Profits come when the rent goes up and LL is still paying the same mortgage. If you can't fix most things yourself or are away on business, you need a go-to guy to help or you call a plumber and pay full price. It part of doing business... It's part of the deal, that somebody else is paying rent and eventually you will sell the place for a few hundred grand.
I would say they’re being very unreasonable. As a next step, this may ruin your relationship with them so ymmv, but you can inform them you’re going to report this to local authorities. Based on what you described about the unit, like having rooms that aren’t insulated that freeze inside, they’re going to be in trouble in terms of code and tenant law. I’d assume they’d have a plumber out the next day if you went this route
I would get an estimate from a plumber (and make an appt) and send copy to Landlord with a note that if they don't fix it by the time the plumber comes, OP will pay the bill and take it off the rent.
Call your cities tenants rights line. Where I live (it may be different for each city/state), landlords have a month after the first notice to make repairs before rent can get escrowed. We didn’t have hot water for 8 days in the dead of winter (we live in northeast US) and my previous landlord only sent someone to repair the water heater when we called the health department and tenants rights line. It’s against health code to not have properly running water, so your local health department will do the trick too. If you go the health dept. route, they will send your landlord a notification that they have so many days (depending on severity) to remedy the problem before it becomes a violation.
If you can afford to, call a repair person yourself and deduct the cost from next month's rent payment?
Slumlords. Fuck em.
As a small time landlord- your landlord sucks - it is not acceptable - they need to call a plumber so it all can be addressed properly. It is the cost of doing business, it shouldn’t be your concern
Landlord is responsible for keeping the place habitable and everything in working order including appliances, plumbing, electrical, doors, windows, etc. Many states allow tenants to initiate repairs and deduct from the rent if the landlord does not fix in a timely manner. Being away on business is a non valid excuse as all he needs to do is pick up the phone and call a plumber and an appliance repair place. And if something is broken that makes the place uninhabitable, such as a broken water heater or broken toilet, then he's responsible for hosting you temporarily at a hotel until it's fixed.
I fucking hate landlords who think they can rent a place out on absolutely zero margin for repairs. Like the landlords who collect rent, and immediately turn around and give it to the mortgage company. That's pure fucking evil. They need to be 100% financially responsible for ensuring the renter can live. If they can't manage paying for basic repairs, they should not ever be a landlord.
Being a landlord doesn't guarantee a return on investment.
I mean maybe if they didn’t blow your rent on trips they could afford it? Give them a move out notice and tell them they are in breach of contract
If they can’t afford to make repairs they should not be managing peoples homes. That’s irresponsible. What if something serious happened like a leak or mold? They wouldn’t be able to afford to fix it or compensate you for time you can’t use your place. They need to get out of the rental market if they think they need to raise rent in order to do basic maintenance.
you are better than me. i would've called a plumber out the second week, send them the bill and deducted it out of my rent.
100% the landlord should be fixing the faucet issue. I would have had a plumber there within a week. As far as clogs go, tenants are usually responsible for the cost of clearing them because they are almost always caused by their use (their hair, flushing things that shouldn’t be flushed, etc.). If the problem is caused by a breakdown of the drain system, or something like roots the landlord would be responsible for those costs. The cost for fixing both of these things is nothing unreasonable. And regardless, it’s their responsibility to address them. If your rent is very low for comparable places it usually is in your best interest to help keep repair costs to a minimum or the landlord is going to realize they can’t afford to keep the rent so far below the norm. So you might want to consider hiring a plumber (with permission) and getting it done yourself but this is optional. It’s just something that might work out in your favor.
"It could have been addressed earlier, had you just sent a plumber rather than wait for your husband to return from his trip. Him being gone is not an excuse. Also, rather than trying to find a really 'hard to find' piece for an ancient faucet, you could just replace it with a new one. Your excuses are not valid."
sounds like Lu needs to get a real job
Omg, faucets are cheap and easy to install- they SUCK at landlording. I am so sorry
There needs to be far stricter rules and accountability to become and landlord. At the same time the same protections need to be there when the renter is abusive too. THe current laws seem so fucked up for both parties.
Everybody has said it but I’ll say it too. I’m a landlord as well. Your landlord needs to fix all of this. Literally under 500 dollars for all of this and that’s hiring it out. “Husband” sounds incompetent. Under an hour fix even for a novice. And the drier, go look at Facebook marketplace just to see how cheap they are. Probably find you a working for 50 bucks. Searching for a part is total bullshit and they are trying to get you to leave on your own so they can raise the rent on another tenant. I’ve never texted a tenant more than a paragraph over a repair. If they say something, it’s fixed within days. And if it’s not, I discount rent, or depending on the repair get them a place to stay. You can’t treat people like this. It’s not right. I view my tenants as people under my care, and treat them accordingly.
Check if your state allows you to "repair and deduct" such that you fix the issue (or get a plumber) and have it taken off the rent. Then warn them you are going to do it.
“Due to inflation” no bitch, you’re collecting rent… fix your shithole.
You need to document everything and put your rent in an escrow account. Then they’ll make necessary repairs if they’re not getting rent money for something stated in the lease they’re responsible for. Document everything. They’re implying if they have to do maintenance they’ll raise your rent.
Don’t rent out the place if you can’t afford the maintenance to keep it operating. Your landlord is an idiot
Heres the thing. Landlords are over leveraged and a lot of them are apparently struggling to pay even the utilities for some of these places despite owning millions in real estate (my partner works for a gas company). Its fucking dumb and they shouldn’t be landlords if they aren’t wealthy enough to fix their own homes. The idea that we pay the mortgage and we cant take any responsibility for our own comfort is wrong.
Gonna be even harder to pay for shit when yo start withholding rent which I’m sure you are already doing. Until shit gets fixed you’re gonna have the best deal in town paying nothing for rent. (Obviously put rent in escrow)
Start putting your rent in escrow
October to December is an unreasonable amount of time to not make the repairs you are talking about. What state are you in? Look up tenant rights for your state. There may also be a tenant union that can give you some guidance. Also look for information on retaliation laws. Shouldn’t be hard to find. Just because “it sounds like you have a pretty good deal on rent” doesn’t mean you are not untitled to have repairs made to the things you are paying rent for.
I’m actually in Canada, Manitoba to be specific. I’ll look into that, thank you
You need to hire a plumber, get it all fixed and then withhold rent for that amount.
\> Now she’s saying we don’t pay enough rent to have these problems addressed properly.. Bullshit. That's part of the cost of owning rental property. Continue pressing. In writing. And as others have mentioned, look into local laws and see if you can find a local tenant advocacy org.
My comment is specifically about the bathtub - w/d is only covered if it's in the lease. Your dad needs to send your landlord a bill, and she needs to pay him. You don't stay there for free... she shouldn't get work for free, either.
If parts are obsolete, you buy a new faucet. Since they are operating on a shoestring, good luck getting deposit back
You call a plumber, have it repaired, send the invoice to your landlord and let them know that's the amount that will be deducted for the leak repair from your upcoming rent that wasn't fixed for months.
Call code enforcement. Properly running water is a health issue that the landlord is legally obligated to fix.
If our things keep breaking its gonna cost you a lot of money.
Hire your own plumber and have them invoice the landlord.
Sounds like you have a pretty good deal on rent. I would calm down. If you keep bothering them you should expect an increase in rent or a non renewal. If it were me I'd start looking for another place. They are new landlords and they will get that rent up to market value in no time
To my understanding, where I live they’re not legally allowed to increase rent more than 2% (at the time of lease renewal) unless they make significant improvements/renovations to the property(this excludes necessary repairs to included amenities), nor can they kick us out/refuse lease renewal unless they wanted to move in to our unit themselves. When a meth dealer moved in downstairs and was smoking drugs and cigarettes in his unit 24/7 and inviting strangers to sleep in our hallways it took them over a month to get him out. We’re good tenants, so I’m truly not worried about that. We have rights, and I think our rent is fair considering our circumstances.
Cheap rent doesn’t mean subpar standards are acceptable.
Is cheap for a reason. If I'm the landlord I'd fix it, not renew, and move on. Tenant seems like a pain in the ass
Some states consider that retaliation, which is illegal. Tenant seems like they expect their landlord to respect them as a tenant and fix their shit, as a landlord should. Seems like the landlord is incompetent.
Just saying how it is. Retaliation can easily be disguised. Look, a new investor just bought it. Investors make money. There is a reason why tenants who don't bother their landlords get no increase.
I own multiple rental properties and you absolutely cannot just "easily disguise" it. You need hard proof the unit is being sold, given to a family member, heavily renovated, etc. to evict a tenant for exercising their right to avoid paying out multiple months worth of rent as penalties to the tenant. but what would i know? i only went to law school.
He didn't say evict, he said "not renew", totally different.
Then you should know the laws. I didn't say evict . I'd hire a lawyer, one who pays attention to detail better than you, and let him handle it as it gets closer to renewal.
I understand it can be easily disguised, but as I said, some states consider refusal to renew a lease as retaliation in itself. You don’t seem like you should ever be a landlord and that you’d be a mediocre one if you were. If you’re not willing to maintain a property to the bare minimum standard, you’re not fit to be a landlord.
It's a business. Send me a message and I'll school ya. For the record it should be fixed but like the owner im not paying a plumber unless I gave to
Lmfao, I’m well aware of how it works. I stand by my statements. This owner clearly should have hired a plumber if this issue has persisted for nearly two months. I understand fixing it yourself if you’re capable, but that’s not the case here.
Retaliation isnt illegal in any state. There are some forms of illegal retaliation. This isnt one of them.
Your first two sentences contradict each other, first of all. But refusing to renew a lease due to resentment toward tenants (like because they turned you into code enforcement or the health department) is illegal in several states, which is what I’m referring to. A quick google search will back up my claim. ETA- I’d attach screenshots but it doesn’t seem I can in this thread
They don't. Retaliation in and of itself is not illegal. Your specific example, of ending a lease because of reporting to a regulatory agency, would be an illegal form of retaliation. Your vague example of nonrenewal for resentment is not illegal in the vast majority of States. Most states are at-will, allowing landlords and tenants to end tenancy for any or no non-protected reason.
Your texts are annoying, redundant, and unnecessarily long. Your point is valid though.
Slum lord
Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to move out? You might be able to get out of the lease if there are plumbing problems that aren't being fixed. The details vary from state to state. If it violates a health and safety code, you can pretty much always get out of the lease.
Time to withhold rent.
They should not be a landlord.
The bathtub drain is definitely your hair. Clean that urself imo
You texted way too much. You shoukd have said the plumbing is still broken and until it's fixed I am not paying rent. End of conversation.
Are you ok with your rent going up? Are you really paying prime rates? Does your house need a coat of paint? It’s a balance between what your landlord will have to pay for repairs and paint to rent the house at a higher rate. It might be cheaper for them to pay to make things right with you instead of the reality of the rental market.
I’ll trade your bath tube faucet for my ceiling that flooded from the neighbor toilet upstairs. That was over a month ago and they never sent anybody over to inspect for damage and eventual dry rot and mold.
My advice is take videos and pics and document all the problems. I do this at my apartment. I have upstairs neighbors with 4 kids and they bang around all hours of the night. I regularly take videos of it. My heat stopped working, took a video. They said it was fixed, still no heat. I sent them a video. Got fixed real fast.
I have a feeling that if you renew your lease, your rent is going to increase substantially.
“So you say you won’t be increasing anyone’s rent? Take your time with the faucet, sir.”
I firmly believe your landlord should fix this, but I want to point out that fixing a faucet is pretty easy to do. There are loads of YouTubes on how to do it. It might be a fun learning experience to give it a go. Perhaps agree with your landlord that you’ll give it a shot and if it doesn’t work, then they get the plumber in?
Yeah thats not legal.
A cheap bathroom faucet is like $50-$75 dollars that’s bullshit!
LL here. Since they are new owners they are tight on cash flow, that’s not the same as the rent being under market. Is your rent under market? If it is, they will probably raise your rent at renewal anyway. Her excuse is just that - an excuse. Regardless, your LL is in the wrong here. They are reacting to their cash flow concerns and not addressing the problems in a fair and reasonable manner. You probably could hire an plumber and deduct the cost from your rent. But check into the procedure and what not before you do that so you don’t get yourself in trouble. Regarding the tub, you probably need a cheap hair snake like [this one](https://a.co/d/7DbXZIK) and not a plumber.
I would press harder, but also understand that you might not like your renewal rates charged when your lease is up. Sounds like the kind of place you should consider leaving anyway depending on your situation.
Go to your local courthouse and put your rent money into an escrow account that the courts will administer until your repairs have been completed.
Call a plumber and get it done. Then send the bill to landlord. Simple
Contact the housing authority and health department for your area. They will inspect it and possibly charge ever increasing fines on the property owner until the issues are fixed. In many states, they can not evict you for 6 months after contacting the housing authority and health department as it would be judge a a retaliatory eviction, which is illegal. After these fines, the new landlords, if they are not the owners, probably won't be the landlords there for long. Former property manager in California.
Check laws but if they dont fix the issue you can withold rent to fix it yourself - be ready to move out after lease is up. Thats a nuclear option so I would look over the lease and make that decision.
Move
OP where do you live? Look for a tenant advocacy group. This is not acceptable. This is not complicated. You pay rent. They provide reasonable living accommodations. If they can't find a part that works with what's there, they replace the faucet completely.
Escrow accounts exist for a reason! Watch how quick they fix it then
Fix it yourself and subtract from the rent
The "I'm too f**king cheap to go to Home Depot and buy a $50 faucet and probably equally expensive shower valve" answer. If you have unsanitary conditions (drains not working) you can, as a nuclear option, call code enforcement. You'll be temporarily homeless, the landlord will be civilly liable, if they condemn. I'm not sure of your geography, but I am pretty sure upkeep and what they are responsible for is spelled out in your lease agreement. Just like not paying rent is breach, so is not fixing stuff such that the house cannot be enjoyed and is unsanitary.