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landlord abuse

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chuckc1944

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? missouri

I'm not going to name any names or give any addresses. The duplex I had lived in for 13 years was an environmental death trap and a filthy hole.
I could not move out because of having no transportation or money to do so. I am disabled and live on social security income only. I finally moved out
with the help of my daughter.
The duplex rented for $475 a month. There were no provisions for the disabled or handicapped offered or made, even to request to do so.
They cut holes in the bathtub/shower and wall to later make repairs, as I was told. repairs were never made. The bottom of the bathtub was cracked
and had been for 3 or 4 years. There was mold and mildew under the kitchen cabinets and repair had never been offered or considered.
All of the ceiling air vents had huge black rings around them because of dusty conditions. There were holes in the kitchen walls which let winter and summer drafts in, driving heating and cooling costs up. When I informed the landlord of these faults I was told "if you don't like it, move"
I have pictures of the mold and holes in the bathroom shower.bathtub
 


Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? missouri

I'm not going to name any names or give any addresses. The duplex I had lived in for 13 years was an environmental death trap and a filthy hole.
I could not move out because of having no transportation or money to do so. I am disabled and live on social security income only. I finally moved out
with the help of my daughter.
The duplex rented for $475 a month. There were no provisions for the disabled or handicapped offered or made, even to request to do so.
They cut holes in the bathtub/shower and wall to later make repairs, as I was told. repairs were never made. The bottom of the bathtub was cracked
and had been for 3 or 4 years. There was mold and mildew under the kitchen cabinets and repair had never been offered or considered.
All of the ceiling air vents had huge black rings around them because of dusty conditions. There were holes in the kitchen walls which let winter and summer drafts in, driving heating and cooling costs up. When I informed the landlord of these faults I was told "if you don't like it, move"
I have pictures of the mold and holes in the bathroom shower.bathtub
I'm glad you moved out - it sounds like a terrible place to live.

Did you have a question?
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
if your wondering if there is any thing you can do about it now , no not really, the time to act was while you lived there since you would have been able to invite inspectors in and they could have forced the LL to either repair it or they could have condemned it ( you would have had to move anyway but at least with condemnation due to the lack of repairs then you would have likely been able to get some kind of emergency assistance to help you relocate) If your former landlord did not address your deposit or was not fair with funds held back then small claims court is the place to have it addressed.
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
"There was mold and mildew under the kitchen cabinets"

Ever consider wiping these down with a simple solution of bleach water and/or hydrogen peroxide and water?

"All of the ceiling air vents had huge black rings around them because of dusty conditions."

Did you ever consider cleaning your rental unit?

Good thing you have a relative that helped you move out. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficulty to expect to maid to come with a unit that only rents for $475 a month.

Gail
 

TigerD

Senior Member
"There was mold and mildew under the kitchen cabinets"

Ever consider wiping these down with a simple solution of bleach water and/or hydrogen peroxide and water?

"All of the ceiling air vents had huge black rings around them because of dusty conditions."

Did you ever consider cleaning your rental unit?

Good thing you have a relative that helped you move out. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficulty to expect to maid to come with a unit that only rents for $475 a month.

Gail
In fairness, the humidity in Missouri is extremely high. Older residences - the ones that rent for that little - are not as tight and dry as newer construction. There is much more maintenance and cleaning required. Few tenants are willing to do this work. When they move the landlord cleans it up and prepares for the next tenant.

TD
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
In fairness, the humidity in Missouri is extremely high. Older residences - the ones that rent for that little - are not as tight and dry as newer construction. There is much more maintenance and cleaning required. Few tenants are willing to do this work. When they move the landlord cleans it up and prepares for the next tenant.

TD
Then those tenants, I guess, are willing to live in a s-hole. One should clean ones own home...even if it is dusty and humid. ;):)
 

TigerD

Senior Member
Then those tenants, I guess, are willing to live in a s-hole. One should clean ones own home...even if it is dusty and humid. ;):)
I could tell you some stories about Missouri tenants. I once had a call from a tenant complaining about an overflowing toilet. They refused to turn the water off because they couldn't get "wet". When I got to the house 20 minutes later, they had built a dam of dirty clothes at the doorway of the bathroom and there was about 3 inches of water on the floor. As I stepped in to close the valve, I noticed a turd floating across the floor. I used a coat hanger to pull the paper towel they were using instead of toilet paper out of the drain. They jimmied the flush mechanism and caused it to run constantly.

When I finally evicted these tenants, I discovered they had punched a hole in the sewer stack with a mattock to self plumb a washing machine. Disgusting.

I have never purchase that category of property since.

TD
 

Just Blue

Senior Member
I could tell you some stories about Missouri tenants. I once had a call from a tenant complaining about an overflowing toilet. They refused to turn the water off because they couldn't get "wet". When I got to the house 20 minutes later, they had built a dam of dirty clothes at the doorway of the bathroom and there was about 3 inches of water on the floor. As I stepped in to close the valve, I noticed a turd floating across the floor. I used a coat hanger to pull the paper towel they were using instead of toilet paper out of the drain. They jimmied the flush mechanism and caused it to run constantly.

When I finally evicted these tenants, I discovered they had punched a hole in the sewer stack with a mattock to self plumb a washing machine. Disgusting.

I have never purchase that category of property since.

TD
OMG!!!!!!!!!! Fing YUCK!! :eek:

I hope you decontaminated yourself after that nasty adventure!!:(
 

TigerD

Senior Member
OMG!!!!!!!!!! Fing YUCK!! :eek:

I hope you decontaminated yourself after that nasty adventure!!:(
Since then I only invest in rentals in the lower middle class range and higher. That person wiped out almost two years of profits from the property.

TD
 

Gail in Georgia

Senior Member
"In fairness, the humidity in Missouri is extremely high. "

Same as Georgia...so what?

"There is much more maintenance and cleaning required. Few tenants are willing to do this work. When they move the landlord cleans it up and prepares for the next tenant."

And, hopefully, keeps the cost of doing so out of any security deposit from the former tenant. This doesn't mean (as the original OP implied) that it was "landlord abuse" that management didn't come over to clean under her kitchen cabinets or ceiling vents.

Gail
 

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