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My boyfriend and I rent a home from his mother. As it's officially a tenant/landlord deal on paper, every 2 years the property must be inspected to make sure the landlord isn't a slumlord. The first year, the backyard was unkempt and overgrown, and nothing was done with the front gardens, and there were no issues with it. We were assured that all the town was checking was electricity and smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
Today, we had our next inspection. The city guy spent a LONG time looking at the material in our driveway that we're using to build a cover for the ac unit. He looked at the weeds coming up next to the garden and wrote notes about that. He told me the side yard needed to be mowed; that part is actually a garden with clover and wildflower! He checked every smoke detector quick and flicked on the lights and fan in the bathroom. He never asked about the number or location of our fire extinguishers. He hemmed and hawed about our rabbits in the pens outside. He didn't like my gardens which involve a lot of greenery and said we needed to keep-up on weeding. He commented on the mound of dirt and unfinished digging which I told him we were working-on when my boyfriend was hit by a drunk driver. He said we need to keep-up on the weeding and mowing in the backyard; we've had nothing but rain for the last 2-weeks, so I said we would get right on it. I also informed him of the gardens are entirely by my hand, rock by rock and every shovel full of dirt because I can't afford a landscaper. He also informed us that the front of the house needs to be repainted (the paint is obviously cracking, but not showing-through), and that we need to install handrails down the entire length of the front steps - there are rails at the top landing, but not the bottom, and never have been. This was NEVER anything that was gone over in the first inspection, and he seemed more concerned with how the house measured-up cosmetically with the rest of the neighborhood than with whether it was a clean, safe place to live. He ignored me whenever I tried to make small talk, so I gave-up. I don't want my boyfriend's mother to get in trouble, but we also can't afford a bunch of home improvements. We are the only ones who see our back yard, so I can't understand that. Also, technically as tenants, why would we be responsible for installing safety measures? I wonder if we got the right inspection. I called to leave a message because this has me worried.
Also, we've never had any complaints or notices regarding our property.
Today, we had our next inspection. The city guy spent a LONG time looking at the material in our driveway that we're using to build a cover for the ac unit. He looked at the weeds coming up next to the garden and wrote notes about that. He told me the side yard needed to be mowed; that part is actually a garden with clover and wildflower! He checked every smoke detector quick and flicked on the lights and fan in the bathroom. He never asked about the number or location of our fire extinguishers. He hemmed and hawed about our rabbits in the pens outside. He didn't like my gardens which involve a lot of greenery and said we needed to keep-up on weeding. He commented on the mound of dirt and unfinished digging which I told him we were working-on when my boyfriend was hit by a drunk driver. He said we need to keep-up on the weeding and mowing in the backyard; we've had nothing but rain for the last 2-weeks, so I said we would get right on it. I also informed him of the gardens are entirely by my hand, rock by rock and every shovel full of dirt because I can't afford a landscaper. He also informed us that the front of the house needs to be repainted (the paint is obviously cracking, but not showing-through), and that we need to install handrails down the entire length of the front steps - there are rails at the top landing, but not the bottom, and never have been. This was NEVER anything that was gone over in the first inspection, and he seemed more concerned with how the house measured-up cosmetically with the rest of the neighborhood than with whether it was a clean, safe place to live. He ignored me whenever I tried to make small talk, so I gave-up. I don't want my boyfriend's mother to get in trouble, but we also can't afford a bunch of home improvements. We are the only ones who see our back yard, so I can't understand that. Also, technically as tenants, why would we be responsible for installing safety measures? I wonder if we got the right inspection. I called to leave a message because this has me worried.
Also, we've never had any complaints or notices regarding our property.
Self help won't "rent" mowers if it's raining.
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