Landlord/Tenant question

[brunette trixie]

I'm surprised that Akitas are on that list, I've never heard of them being aggressive. I know our local Humane Society does in home visits for people who want to adopt what they consider "bully" dogs. Dobermans, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Chows are all on their list.

They funny thing is the most aggressive dog I know is my mixed breed 20 pound Chico. I adopted him fromt The Humane Society and he was so sweet and friendly. But once he'd realized he had his forever home with me, he got super protective. He hates all strangers with a passion, especially anyone who wants to approach his pack (me, Suki, and Polamalu).

[Google]

 

[hutchlover]

I have heard of Akitas being prone to more aggressive behavior, but I never knew anyone with an Akita to be honest.

It was funny, when we were applying for renters insurance for ourselves (we're renting here for now), the insurance guy asked if we had any animals and I told him a Bichon. He asked if it had ever attacked anyone. I just busted out laughing, "sure, she attacks her toys & food", and he joined in. He said he knew what a Bichon was, but by rules he had to ask that question.

[oneTVslave]

Hi guys -me again, with another question:

The aforementioned tenants have now moved out. Unfortunately, they gave me a month notice (as required) that had them moving during the time I would be on vacation, so I couldn't have a walk-through with them immediately upon their move-out. (My mom and I are co-owners and she was on vacation with me.) I met them there about a week before to walk-through and discuss what needed to be done before they moved out (on move-out day, they dropped the key off with our handyman). At the time, I saw that they had painted the entire house in what was an acceptably neutral color. They had also changed light fixtures, removed blinds, installed curtains, etc. With the exception of one set of blinds, they put everything back as we discussed.

The issue we are having is with the paint. Like I said, I am fine with the color. However, now with their furniture gone and with plenty of lights on, I can see that they did a pretty sloppy job of it. When I saw the house, they had very dim lighting and many burned-out bulbs which made it difficult to see. I had noticed here and there that the wall paint was on the ceiling in numerous places, and the tenant said they would touch it up before they left. They either didn't touch it up, or tried and did a horrible job. Basically, the ceilings need to be repainted now. There are also a few places on the walls where they did some touch up in a lighter shade that doesn't exactly match. I spoke to the tenant briefly and she said they would come back to fix it. The problem is that I don't think they can do a decent job, and fear we'll have to redo it anyway.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I feel like I should be able to hold part of (probably most of) their deposit in order to get this painting situation fixed, but my handyman says that by law, we have to let them try to fix it. What a pain. When they moved in, they were thinking about buying the house. We said that they could change things as long as they were restored to their original state when they moved out if they chose not to buy the house.

I appreciate any advice or any good resource that someone can point me towards. Thanks!

[queenb]

Well, I'd hold ALL of their deposit, and whatever--let them "try' to fix it, within the time you specify. Tell them up front that if they do a sloppy job they still won't get their money back because you will have to have it re-done. Then, follow through.

[PGM35]

IMO - They had until the move out date to fix it, and didn't so I would hold their deposit and tell them why. I'm no expert on the law though. is your handyman sure of the law that requires that you allow them to fix it?

[oneTVslave]

Thanks, guys. I agree with you PGM, that they should have fixed it before the move-out date. As it is, they moved out a day later than they had originally planned that was not included in the pro-rated amount. I was going to let that slide since it didn't really inconvenience me in any way...

I haven't been able to find anything specific that says we are required by law to let them try to fix it. My mom was over there today meeting with painters, etc. and is moving forward with having a professional fix everything. She doesn't want to have anything more to do with these tenants. So, I guess we'll be retaining their deposit for the time being and then refunding them the difference (if there is anything left).

I appreciate your input!

[myrosiedog]

Take before and after photos as well as keeping the painters invoice.

[iguanachocolate]

You should consult your local legal aid office or city housing office - many states have very specific laws as to under what circumstances and how much of a tenant's deposit you are allowed to withhold.

[Veruka]

Originally Posted by iguanachocolate

You should consult your local legal aid office or city housing office - many states have very specific laws as to under what circumstances and how much of a tenant's deposit you are allowed to withhold.

I agree. Most states have very specific guidelines regarding what a depost can be held for, and for the most part, they're written to protect the tenant, not the landlord. With regards to painting - I know that the state of Ohio has a law (or did when I was renting) requiring landlords to paint between tenants, and specifically stated that the expense of the painting could NOT be charged to the tenant or withheld from the deposit. Because paint can be viewed as a health/cleanliness issue, and not just appearance, it is entirely possible that you'd have to deal with such a requirement.

[queenb]

Originally Posted by Veruka

Because paint can be viewed as a health/cleanliness issue, and not just appearance, it is entirely possible that you'd have to deal with such a requirement.

Naw, OTIS lives down here with us; we don't have a law like that. Hell you know we just got paved roads the year before you came here. :
If there is a law about painting, no place I ever rented followed it. In fact I usually took pictures when moving in to prove I didn't cause the crappy walls and floors, but still played hell getting deposits back most times. (Obviously, when I rented, it was not anything fancy!)