How a sucky landlord almost resulted in beheading

[Broomjockey]

Moved to sightings, since it didn't take place at your work.

Good tale though

[Ben_Who]

There's boilerplate language in my rental agreement that states that the landlord has the right to be in my apartment for "emergencies" at any time, and also that the landlord is the one who gets to define "emergency." Fortunately, he hasn't actually abused this.

So far I've lived in three different apartments that eventually went up for sale, and EVERY SINGLE ONE eventually wound up with an unannounced guest poking around in the closet or the bathroom. My landlords have been HISTORICALLY awful at calling to warn me that a prospective buyer is coming over. For one buyer, the first time I met him was after the building had been sold, when he called to say that he was throwing me out, and one of the apartments that he'd seen was mine! "Oh, you're in 1C? I remember that apartment..."

Love, Who?

[An Haddock]

There's boilerplate language in my rental agreement that states that the landlord has the right to be in my apartment for "emergencies" at any time, and also that the landlord is the one who gets to define "emergency." Fortunately, he hasn't actually abused this.

So far I've lived in three different apartments that eventually went up for sale, and EVERY SINGLE ONE eventually wound up with an unannounced guest poking around in the closet or the bathroom. My landlords have been HISTORICALLY awful at calling to warn me that a prospective buyer is coming over. For one buyer, the first time I met him was after the building had been sold, when he called to say that he was throwing me out, and one of the apartments that he'd seen was mine! "Oh, you're in 1C? I remember that apartment..."

Love, Who?

I myself live in a rather large apartment complex. I've heard a couple of stories of maintenance guys stealing from people's apartments, but for the most part we don't usually get that sort of nonsense where I live.

HOWEVER

About a year ago I come home and see the tag on my door indicating maintenance was in my apartment. Looking for some sort of leak. I walk into my little kitchen and there's a rather large hole in the wall... probably 3 feet in diameter. Apparently there was something leaking in the apartment above mine and they were trying to figure out where it was coming from. After living with this gaping hole for a month and having no one come back to fix it, I finally called maintenance and they sent a couple of guys out that week to patch it back up. The complex management is so disorganized, I guess I shouldn't have expected they would remember to patch up their own mess.



Semi-related, I pay for a spot in the underground parking. A couple of weeks after I started using it - this is probably 2 years ago now - there was a bad leak coming down from the wall and there was a giant puddle under my car. (I think a rain water pipe had broken) I asked to be moved to another spot. They assigned me something that was a bit further away from my building, but it was Docking Bay 94, so I accepted it for coolness factor (bonus cookie if you catch the reference without Googling it!)

Well, last month we had a water main break which just happened to be under the front half of the parking garage. About 30 spots were cordoned off because they had to dig up the concrete, replace the pipe, etc. I wouldn't have even bothered asking for another space, except I leave work at 8pm weekdays and there's NEVER any decent spots close to my building by the time I get home. When I went to management to ask for a new temporary spot, the computer still had me assigned to my original space. It was never my impression that my getting moved to Docking Bay 94 was meant to be temporary. And no one ever told me I could go back to using my spot, nor did they ask for the space 94 tag back (we have to hang them from our rear view mirrors so people can see we're allowed to be parked in the garage) I don't know if they ever actually resolved what space I'm supposed to be in.

[jedimaster91]

but it was Docking Bay 94, so I accepted it for coolness factor (bonus cookie if you catch the reference without Googling it!)

Star Wars: A New Hope where the Mellinium Falcon is docked on Tatooine.

[An Haddock]

Star Wars: A New Hope where the Mellinium Falcon is docked on Tatooine.

Take your cookie.

I'd have never imagined someone with the handle of Jedimaster would catch that!

[PepperElf]

o yes
entering an apartment without permission of the tenant is a violation of the law

the only reasons the landlord may enter without the resident there is for maintenance, and i believe they're suppose to give notice.

[Seshat]

Australian rental law states that a landlord may never enter without notice.

Emergencies such as fire, gas leak, severe electrical fault, etc, are handled by the appropriate emergency services. (The fire dpt has arrangements with electricians and gasfitters. And the electricians and gasfitters have emergency-vehicle rights for such situations.)


Side note: one of my electrician friends tells this story.

He was racing along one day with his yellow light-and-siren on the roof of his van. A police officer stopped him, pulled out his pad to give him a speeding ticket, and asked THE classic question.

"Where's the fire?"
"(address), and they can't put it out till I shut off the power. Would you mind giving me an escort, please?"

He'd been waiting for that question for years.

[PepperElf]

lol bet the cop didn't expect THAT reply

[mariamousie1]

When my brother and his wife lived in an apartment, one time they came in to find their furniture rearranged. It turned out the landlady brought someone in to look at the apt while they were out and moved the furniture around to make it look nicer.

[wraiths_crono]

Every where I have lived has the clause the owner/management can not enter with out permission or for an emergency, however I live in arizona where intruders can be shot or attacked on sight (the bad part is death is an unwritten requirement of the intruder, or they can sue you for damage no debate just info here!)

[jjllbb]

I bet that happens a lot. My landlord once forgot to mention someone was coming to my place too.