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Do not feel safe in newly leased apartment

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Do not feel safe in newly leased apartment

Postby sam330578 » Wed Jul 29, 2009 12:37 pm

I leased what is listed as a 2 bedroom one bathroom apartment for 6 months. Told the manager that I could not move in until July 25th but gave her the money on July 16. She said that was fine as the maintenance man had to fix some things in the apartment before I moved in. I moved everything in on July 25th and had Lowes come and deliver my washer and dryer. When the gentleman tried to plug in the dryer, sparks shot out of the outlet and then smoke. It zapped him pretty good. The maintenance man (who turns out to be the manager's husband) came over and it did the same thing to him. He then turned off all the power in the unit and it STILL arched power out of the socket. I didn't feel safe there so I stayed at a hotel. On Monday, an electrician came out and found that the power box was actually for another unit and there was a bad ground wire. When I asked him about other light switches in the apartment (there were 3 that didn't do anything) he said he wasn't sure what they activated. The maintenance man didn't know either. I was told by the maintenance guy that a wire from someone else's apartment was causing the problem. I asked why the circuit breaker didn't flip. He didn't know.

The apartment as listed on Craigslist shows that they have 1 bedroom apartments available for $345. I have a 2 bedroom for $455 (small town Alabama). Well, guess what? I didn't know this but to be defined as a bedroom, you have to have a window. It's code. You have to have an escape route. There's no window in my bedroom. This is a fourplex and think of it as a square cut vertically and horizontally. My son's room has a window against the far wall. He's 3 and has autism. So, with all of these electrical problems, I'm terrified that there will be an electrical fire and I will be stuck in that room with him.

I paid $455 deposit and $455 for first month's rent. Moved in on Saturday and went yesterday (Tuesday) to end my lease due to unsafe conditions as well as being charged for a two bedroom unit when it is NOT a two bedroom. The manager was there as was her husband (the maintenance man). I told them that this apartment would not work out for me as I do not feel safe in the unit. I explained that I stayed all of one night there and that I wouldn't allow my son to even come to the unit. They said, "You saw it before you signed the lease. This is a contract." I said, "It was listed as a 2 bedroom and I am very scared about the electrical problem and the unsafe conditions." The husband took this all very personally and said, "If it's not a bedroom, what is it then?" I replied, "A fire hazard." I asked to be let out of the lease and they refused. I told the woman that having children herself I reminded her how I questioned her at length about the apartment being safe. I said, "How am I supposed to get out of the room should there be a fire?" He chimed in, "Go to the other room to get out that window." I said, "If I can make it out of that room, across the hallway, into his room and be able to get to that window!"

She then said, "This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to keep your $455 deposit. You've lost that. I will try to find a renter for the apartment because there were three other people interested in it. I will call them to see if they're still interested. If they are, I will have them move in in August and you can get back $455 for that month and be out of your lease."

Does this sound fair or is my lease null and void automatically because it's listed as a 2 bedroom when, in fact, it's not. BTW - no where on the lease agreement (that I just received yesterday) does it specify that it's a 2 bedroom unit. In fact, it doesn't say anything about the number of rooms anywhere on the form, but they have it listed on craigslist as such (I've already printed out the ad).

Should I be able to get all of my money back or is this the best deal I can get and chalk the rest up to "stupid tax"

Thanks all
sam330578
 
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Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 11:41 am

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