Landlord/Renter Question

[LivingAlmostLarge]

So we have a problem that something is lose behind the wall of my daughters room and kid's bathroom. It is likely the exhaust duct vent has disintegrated or something. it can't be fixed on from the roof or attic.

Our property manager had his handyman come and look and say that to fix it we'd have to cut open the walls. I want them to do this. The rattling noise is LOUD! I called them immediately and waited a week for them to come out.

Now the PM says it's a lot of money and work to do it. They don't want to do it. Can I make them do it? What are my options?

Is it a fire hazard? If we owned DH would cut open the wall himself and take a look. But it's not our house and we rent. But my PM is ridiculous. DH fixed an electrical outlet in our kitchen because it took him 3 weeks and he never came. It took a month to replace the microwave above the stove.

It took almost a month to fix the wiring outside our house that wasn't working (he had to hire an electrician) after he came and couldn't do it. We had a leaking sink and DH tightened the joints himself but if it went further I would have bet it would have taken longer.

Is there a reasonable amount of time he should get back to me and fix this issue? Or if they refuse to fix it?

[FLA]

I would get advice from the local tenants' association, see what your rights are

[TexasHusker]

It could definitely be a fire hazard. Your PM must be a cheap bastard if he thinks cutting Sheetrock, installing new vent, and patching back the wall is expensive. That is pretty straightforward.

I would give them a 30 day deadline. After that, have it fixed yourself and withhold the expense from the rent.

[msomnipotent]

It could definitely be a fire hazard. Your PM must be a cheap bastard if he thinks cutting Sheetrock, installing new vent, and patching back the wall is expensive. That is pretty straightforward.

I would give them a 30 day deadline. After that, have it fixed yourself and withhold the expense from the rent.

This. Even I know how to cut a hole in a wall and repair it. I don't know if withholding the rent is legal everywhere, and you have to have estimates. Definitely look into the laws in your area because noises are considered a quality of life issue.

[97guns]

you tell him that if theres a fire and damages are incured that he can expect a huge lawsuit against him and the owner and that they have knowledge of this complaint. it is the owners liability, he is not cheap they are STUPID and if something were to happen then they will really see expensive..... idiots!!

[kork13]

It could definitely be a fire hazard. Your PM must be a cheap bastard if he thinks cutting Sheetrock, installing new vent, and patching back the wall is expensive. That is pretty straightforward.

I would give them a 30 day deadline. After that, have it fixed yourself and withhold the expense from the rent.

Agreed completely.
First, check your local laws to confirm that the following is legit. Then....
Contact 2-3 repair guys, get repair quotes in writing, and provide them to the PM. Tell him that you are concerned that it is a fire hazard, and that the owner & PM are exposing your family to a potentially dangerous situation and themselves to the related liability. State that you will give them until [DATE] to remedy the situation, or you will be hiring [COMPANY] to complete the repair, and will withhold rent to cover the repair in the amount of [QUOTE] or actual costs.

Doing this in writing is probably smart. If they give you trouble, contact a lawyer.

The details of this could vary somewhat by state, but it should be legal to go about something like this. I know some states would say that you simply withhold all rent & put it into an escrow account until the house is deemed "habitable" again.

[bigdaddybus]

You are getting some great advice here.

My family rented a home for 6 months while we built a new home. After txting back and forth with my landlord for a month asking for repairs With no action from the landlord I followed up with a txt that said. "I have been communicating with you via txt for the past 30 days about the issues with XYZ. Unfortunately it looks like I will be getting this fixed on my own and reducing my rent to cover the cost. I will send you copies of all reciepts, thanks"

That simple txt got my landlord off his butt.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I contacted the PM over the weekend and this morning both by email and by text messaging. I will probably call him later today.

I explained we didn't like the noise and were concerned about fire hazard yet again. I did not say he has 30 days or that I'm going to get my own quote.

I'm wondering how to handle that since I want it done sooner. I would guess the landlord is trying desperately to make profit and there is little to none on my house. He bought it in 2014 for $450k and rents it for $2400. It's not exactly cash flowing cow. So I think cutting corners is the only way to get even close. I don't think it's only cutting back the drywall it's the labor of all day work and potentially having to do vent work that's going to be costly. The handyman suggested so.

I looked it up. It said send a letter informing of repairs and GFE of cost. But do not withhold rent.

[HundredK]

Ugh, I feel for you. This is one reason I have a policy of only renting from large complexes that have onsite maintenance staff.

If you want to keep things friendly, you could offer to have a couple more people come to look and provide a quote. That might kick him into gear. Plus, I believe you need estimates anyway if you get to the point of withholding rent.

[97guns]

double post

[97guns]

the #1 thing a landlord needs to protect himself against is a liability issue, for the property manager to persuade him to cut corners by not doing a repair is a huge injustice to the landlord. the purpose of the property manager to the landlord is to protect his asset

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I don't think the PM cares either way. I think that's what takes awhile is he's talking to the landlord to fix the issue. It's not his money, it's the landlord and he has to agree.

[kork13]

How expensive does he think this is gonna be? If it's a decent PM, he probably has the authority and funds kept on hand to make small repairs up to $300-$500 (depends on the PM contract). Get the repair quotes. If it's only a few hundred dollars, PM should be able authorize it immediately.

Can duct work get expensive? Yes. But if it's only a small section, it shouldn't be too bad.

[sv2007]

I would give them a 30 day deadline. After that, have it fixed yourself and withhold the expense from the rent.

I'd advice against doing this. You can get kicked out for breaking the rental contract and sued for damages plus back rent.

Work with the landlord, and if you fix it yourself, be sure to get landlord's permission. Also, check city laws (some areas only licensed persons can carry out certain repairs and there may be permit and inspection requirements; there may also be exceptions for the homeowner but sometimes not for renters).

A possibility is to ask the landlord to change the rental contract; perhaps for you to terminate early without penalty.

You are of course free to sue the landlord if you want to stay.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I don't know probably the labor of a day or two is more expensive than the work. He said he's waiting to hear back from the landlord about doing the repair and would let me know when he hears back.

I said I want it done period. I sent an email in the form of a request letter. I'm trying to follow state laws. I think I can have it done and then will be forced to small claims if he won't pay up.

Seriously how expensive can it be?