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rent reduction during major repairs

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rent reduction during major repairs

Postby JoyMom » Thu Jun 02, 2011 3:39 pm

Hello,

Our landlord agreed to repair the ceiling of our living room, after it had broken down leaving a ca. 6 square foot hole, with two pound pieces of plaster scattered across the children's work table and chairs.
(Luckily nobody was in the room when it happened!)

The problem now is that while the whole morbid ceiling is being broken down and replaced, neither the living room nor the dining room (my office) is habitable, as the former is closed off with plastic foil, and into the latter they piled all of our furniture, leaving just a man-wide walk way through, and everything is covered under a thick layer of sheetrock, plaster, and wall paint dust.

None of those two rooms has a door, so the adjoining hallway and on the other side the kitchen and laundry room are covered in dust as well. The only rooms that have closeable doors are the small bedroom, the tinier children's room and the bathroom. Those are really the only spaces which remain more or less unaffected.

I am working from home as well as homeschooling two of my three children,
and neither my work space nor the kids' school space are usable, and I can only resort to meeting my clients in a cafe; - which is simply not possible in every case.

I am paying $150 more than the upstairs tenant is paying for a much better renovated apartment with an additional veranda. And that, although I as a single mother with three pre-kindergarden children am paying 90% of my available cash for rent, (while the upstairs tenant as a single Doctor at an Ivy League University, would have much less problems affording a rent increase, which he, however, successfully fought).

I don't find it in any way suitable to pay this outrageous rent for an apartment that is space-wise halfway unhabitable, use-wise far more than that, as nobody can comfortably live on a bed and in a bathroom only.

The renovations are probably going to go on for at least another one-and a half weeks, as, after the living room ceiling, the dining room ceiling is supposed to be done, too, regarding the hazard is presents.

Any suggestions on what I can legally do to adjust the rent to a fairer amount with respect to the remaining habitable space, without breaking my lease agreement, are greatly welcome!

Thank you so much!
JoyMom
 
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