Rentals - or Why Your Landlord/Tenant is the One You Should Be Screaming At

[Tycoluk]

Good evening all!

I am new to the message board and having crept around reading everyone else's stories for a while, thought that since I have now posted on another thread, I should introduce myself.

I work for a rental company, reasonably sized, which means that I spend most of my time getting screamed at by landlords and tenants. Much fun. I don't want to get into the various happenings too much now, but here's just a few highlights:

- the crazy lady who yelled for twenty minutes about her broken shower and why we weren't fixing it (your landlord does his own maintenance which you already know, go bug him)

- the landlord who yelled in various phonecalls/emails about why we wouldn't send out our maintenance people (we have to take the money upfront, but we dont pay the contractor till after its done - non-negotiable because otherwise certain people end up not paying at all and we get taken to court by contractors which tends to annoy the boss)

- the people who call and yell only to reveal that they are not the tenant (sorry, your little darlings will have to call themselves, I can't talk to you )

- the people that read their contracts and conveniently ignore the bits that tell them precisely what to do (don't behave like a complete animal, preferably!)

And of all these? I like the people who swear - because I can hang up on them.

[EricKei]

Glad your management allows you to deal with people cursing at you in the appropriate manner ...It really is the best way, as responding to them in kind would get YOU in trouble for yelling at the sweet, innocent tenants -- Sooner or later, they'll get the message.

SC: What the f--- is goin on with my repairs!?

*click* *ringring*

SC: Hey! Did you just f---ing hang up on

*click* *ringring*

SC: You asshole-

*click*

Eventually, they'll either get the message or stop trying. Either way, problem solved!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand to ! Feel free to vent all you like, we've got ears to listen, brownies and bacon by the truckload, and if yer of age.

[Pixilated]

to the site!

Good on your employers that they let you hang up on some clients. We used to be able to do that in a job I held in a former life. It gets the message across ... eventually.

[Argabarga]

I've found three times is the magic number for people finally getting it, "it" being that cuss words are the secret hangup phrase.

[Tycoluk]

In fairness, the company does ask us to warn them. I quite enjoy that bit:

Me: You're through to NoWorseThanAnyOtherCompany Lettings, my name is Tycol, how can I help?
Irate Tenant: You're keeping my money! Give me money! Why are you keeping my money?
Me: Can I take your address please?
IT: I've been waiting three weeks for my money?
Me: Your address please?
IT: *sigh* It's 72 Yellathon Avenue. Why haven't I got my money back? For ******'s sake!
Me: Please don't swear at me sir. Could you please confirm your name?
IT: You know who I am! Just give me my F****ing money!
Me: Sir, I am required to verify who you are. If you continue to swear, I will have to terminate the call. (by this point I am grinning because I know he's not going to stop)
IT: My name is *Irate Tenant*! F***ing give me my money!
Me: Unfortunately sir, I am going to have to terminate this call. Please call back to discuss this matter or email *NWTAOC Lettings*.
IT: HOW DARE Y- *click*

Me:
Me:

[Moirae]

I personally loath our landlady with a passion. There is so much serious work that needs to be done with this place it isn't even funny. With faulty wiring, leaking roof, leaking walls, and more, this place should be condemned. And now her daughter raised the rent by $150 last January, and wants to raise it a further $350 by next January. And the repair guy that they started sending over here hasn't been here in at least two months, and he didn't really fix anything when he was.

Angry at my landlady? I think she's lucky I haven't sued her yet.

[Grendus]

I personally loath our landlady with a passion. There is so much serious work that needs to be done with this place it isn't even funny. With faulty wiring, leaking roof, leaking walls, and more, this place should be condemned. And now her daughter raised the rent by $150 last January, and wants to raise it a further $350 by next January. And the repair guy that they started sending over here hasn't been here in at least two months, and he didn't really fix anything when he was.

Angry at my landlady? I think she's lucky I haven't sued her yet.

Check into the local laws. IIRC, in the US, tenant rights vary from state to state, but they should allow for you to either withhold the rent until repairs are made (by paying into an escrow account) or deduct the cost of licensed repairmen from the rent. Most other nations have similar (often stronger) laws. IANAL, so definitely do your research first, but you need to be aware of your rights as a tenant.

[Aethian]

Check into the local laws. IIRC, in the US, tenant rights vary from state to state, but they should allow for you to either withhold the rent until repairs are made (by paying into an escrow account) or deduct the cost of licensed repairmen from the rent.

You have to send a certified return reciept letter stating that your going to be holding the rent in escrow UNTIL repairs (listed in order, pictures are good too) are repaired. You can also add that if they aren't paid a certain date that you are finding her in breaking the lease and will be moving out on such and such date. This last part I know is good in MI but check your state.