Can I just say that it is a really good rule of thumb when you're renting to:
a) go back and look at the place again...thoroughly
b) make sure you take your gut instincts into consideration
c) put everything into writing
We currently rent, and have since we got married. And we've had some not so great experiences, some really good experiences and then the one that takes the cake! We were in a bit of a rush to move before I got too pregnant to do anything. So we were hurrying to find a place big enough for our growing family. We were originally looking for a place that we could be in for a couple of years. We found a great little house in an ok neighborhood and then were unable to get it....someone else had the money for rent and deposit first. We were pretty bummed. Within a week we found another house, same number of bedrooms. Split entry, I think technically it would be called a raised ranch. Most of the living space is upstairs, with two bedrooms, 1 bathroom and the garage downstairs. The space is awesome! the layout is pretty conducive to our needs. When we looked at it (a sunday) the tenants actually showed us the house (a good thing to get a feel for the neighborhood and schools) the landlord...didn't ever show up. (this would be alarm bell number one, don't rent from someone who disrespects your time and doesn't show up when they say they will...chances are they won't follow through on anything else either.) We didn't find out that the house was rented out by a management company until we got to their office...and met the "landlord". Said landlord had the annoying habit of having private conversations on speakerphone...with us sitting in their "lobby" we could see his desk and hear the whole conversation...something about a lawsuit...(alarm bell number two...don't rent from a hot head, he won't take your concerns seriously and will likely go off on you as well when you challenge him) So we sit down...and we tell him we liked what we saw (which wasn't much...from experience open closets, open cupboards, check vents, everything!) we are interested. He tells us thats great and hands us an application...as he hands us the application he says that it's just a formality we'll be approved. This from hearing that David works at UMKC and has a passport (apparently this is indicative of stable work history and proof of being a good tenant...who knew?!) In any case we're "approved" whatever that meant and we agree to come back the next day with a cashiers check for the rent and deposit. We sign the lease, we are told that we should be able to pick up keys on the 3rd and that the house will be ready for us to paint (we get to choose our own colors since we're buying it and doing the work, which we're ok with) by that date, barring complications from the tenant currently living there. They didn't get us the keys on the third. We had to give our current landlord notice, so we told him that we'd be out by the 9th. We get to the house to start on painting and the walls needed to be patched. David ended up painting the house the day before we moved in. And then I discovered the cockroaches in the kitchen, and the grease on the walls that had to be scraped off with a putty knife and ammonia and bleach. We found a whole bunch of trash left by the previous tenants in closets and drawers and such...and some of it gave me a rash that didn't go away until we visited my parents in California. When we got back we wrote a letter to the landlord, letting him know the problems. We asked for a credit on our next months rent and for him to remove the trash and take care of the roaches. He gave us a credit on our rent and gave us a further credit to pay for bug bombs instead of an exterminator. One of the issues mentioned was the plumbing which squeals horribly when you flush the toilet and still hasn't been looked at. Shortly thereafter we had the sink plugged up for two days. I called the first day and asked for someone to come and look at it. Nobody ever did, and whatever was causing the blockage removed itself from the pipes because the sink drained on it's own. Now we're stuck without a/c because we have a window unit (which the landlord says isn't his responsibility) that plugs into the wall. The plugs that are close to the window are dead, as is one in the kitchen. David called when the first two plugs went out. He was told that someone would call me. No one called me. Two days later a third plug went out. David called from work and asked for someone to go look at it since the problem was getting worse. We were told that someone would be out over the weekend. (needless to say no one came out) David said that over the weekend wasn't good enough, that we no longer have a/c and that's not acceptable since I'm 9 months pregnant and overheat easily. The landlord said that David was a liar and that he was going to evict us and hung up on David. When David got home at 6 that night he went down and checked the breakers, and switched them, which started the a/c back up...and that lasted until today. when the plug died. again. and wouldn't turn back on. David told me where the breaker box was and how to switch the breakers and so I did, including the main breaker. Still no a/c. So I call the landlord and they tell me the a/c isn't their responsibility. I say, this has nothing to do with the a/c, the a/c isn't the root of the problem, the problem is the electrical. The a/c works wonderfully when the plug it's plugged into works. They tell me to call back this afternoon if I haven't heard from an electrician. I just called and they wanted to "explain" the conversation with my husband. I said, look I've already talked to someone about this today, fix it. They are supposed to call me back...we'll see what happens. In any case, this mama is hot, and sweaty and pregnant and PISSED! Just thought I'd share.
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