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Scary situation - access from driveway to my apartment!

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Scary situation - access from driveway to my apartment!

Postby 1215sag » Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:25 am

I rent a first floor apartment, private house, absentee landlord. There is a door from the basement that allows access into my apartment. There is a security gate in front of this door but no lock - there is a hole where the lock should be - so even though there is a sliding bar to close the gate - anyone can stick their arm through the hole and open the gate, then open our door and gain access to our apartment. Since nobody lives in the basement I never gave it a second thought. However - recently I went down the basement to put some old blinds there and noticed that the deadbolt on the door leading to the outside (the driveway) was not locked. I locked it and that Saturday, the landlord came to my apartment and started screaming at me never to lock the deadbolt because he no longer had the key, and if there was an emergency he would have no access to the basement! I told him this was a very dangerous situation because the only other lock on the door is an old knob lock, and the door has glass windows! So anybody can break the glass window, open the knob lock, open the gate, open my door, and get into my apartment! He basically freaked out on me and told me I had no business being in the basement, he only rents the apartment to me, etc....I told him if he did not fix the lock I would live out my security and leave. After much arguing (where he said I had a gate and his arm could not fit through it so what was I complaining about? Plus it is a safe neighborhood, etc....) he said he would give me a lock. Well, two weeks have passed and no lock. I am angry beyond words, especially since my senile 83 year old mother lives with me. When her attendant leaves at 3 pm during the week, she is completely alone for three hours until I get home. I don't know what to do. Do I have any rights since this is just an apartment in a private house that I am renting?
1215sag
 
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Postby ronin » Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:40 am

Safe neighborhood? What does that have to do with anything? That's insane. Most home invasions happen in safe neighborhoods.

Without a way to secure your premises you are not safe and your mother is not safe. It is unreasonable for you to pay rent for a place the LL refuses to let you secure. Immediately demand in writing sent certified mail that your residence be secured from outside access.

Your real options are to withhold rent and move somewhere else, then try and sue to get every penny of rent you ever paid back from the creep. Because its a private house the LL can refuse to renew any lease, so don't get attached.
ronin
 
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Postby ctny » Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:50 am

Can the tenant write a letter to landlord stating he will add/fix the locks himself then deduct the cost from the rent?
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Postby Emeraldstar » Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:24 pm

Hi All
Sure the op can, but Ronin said it best, "don't get attached" since it's highly likely a lease renewal may not be forthcoming.
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Postby ronin » Thu Jan 05, 2012 1:17 am

I have to disagree with Emeraldstar there only because the lock itself would not be on the unit that is being rented, but on this other outer gate. It seems problematic to me. But even locking the rented area is not enough. What is someone uses the gate area to set a fire inside the building.

It's a very dangerous situation and the LL is being totally unreasonable. Your only real option is to move and you can try to sue the LL for moving expenses, etc. because of the dangerous situation that forced you out.
ronin
 
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Postby Cranky Tenant » Thu Jan 05, 2012 2:45 am

ronin,
You're disagreeing with Emeraldstar agreeing with you?
I'd call you cranky but, hey, I'm the cranky one around here ;)
I'm a cranky tenant NOT a cranky lawyer.
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Postby Emeraldstar » Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:20 pm

Hi All
Well........lesson learned....so much for hero worship :shock: Geez ronin I'm sorry I did not spike your holiday hot coco LOL :wink:
I saw in the post a "screaming" LL upset over an asserted safety locking so my best guess was a screamer would say go, though I do see where your coming from re. lock Cranky........ :notworthy:
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Postby ronin » Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:23 am

Hmmm. You seem to have a point there...

Wait a minute! You guys edited the original posts! Didn't cha!

:P

Actually, I meant ctr not Emeraldstar. Sorry.
ronin
 
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Postby Emeraldstar » Thu Jan 12, 2012 12:55 am

Hi All
:wave: :D
Emeraldstar
 
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