Adequate notice?

[enjay]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

We received a notice on Saturday that the fall maintenance inspection will take place this week. We are to allow a three day window (Wednesday through Friday). We are also supposed to either remove our pets from the apartment for those three days or crate them. I'm not crating my cat for 3 days nor am I going to board him. I've already placed a call telling them that I have no issue with them specifying a particular date, but three days is excessive and I don't agree to those terms. I can't hang out at home with the cat for the better part of a work week.

Should they in fact give us the exact day they will be entering?

The good news is that I'm about to buy a house so this is the last time I have to deal with this. Yay!!!

 

[BL]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

We received a notice on Saturday that the fall maintenance inspection will take place this week. We are to allow a three day window (Wednesday through Friday). We are also supposed to either remove our pets from the apartment for those three days or crate them. I'm not crating my cat for 3 days nor am I going to board him. I've already placed a call telling them that I have no issue with them specifying a particular date, but three days is excessive and I don't agree to those terms. I can't hang out at home with the cat for the better part of a work week.

Should they in fact give us the exact day they will be entering?

The good news is that I'm about to buy a house so this is the last time I have to deal with this. Yay!!!

Get over it .

You have been given notice .

The LL can enter if you are there or not .

Crating you pet is to protect against injuries and to keep the pet out of the way .

 

[Hot Topic]

You've been given more than adequate notice of the inspection. Boarding or crating the cat is for its safety. You and your neighbors will be inconvenienced for the grand total of three days. Consider yourself lucky.

If I were the landlord, I'd send a notice of non-responsibility for your pet. Or I might consider evicting you.

 

[enjay]

If I were the landlord, I'd send a notice of non-responsibility for your pet. Or I might consider evicting you.

LOL - that would go over well considering I've been here for 14 years and haven't broken any portion of my lease.

So, in your opinion, it's ok to say, "We need to change your furnace filter. You should expect us any time this week." Not exactly condusive to quiet enjoyment, imo.

 

[enjay]

I'm posting this from the Montgomery County (Maryland) Landlord - Tenant Codes, for anyone who may need this in the future. My county is liberal and I have no doubt whatsoever that asking for a specific day for a non-emergency inspection/service would be considered a reasonable objection:

p) Specify that the landlord may enter any dwelling unit if the landlord has given due notice

to the tenant and the tenant has not reasonably objected, to:

(1) make necessary repairs, decorations, alterations or improvements;

(2) supply services only by mutual agreement during normal business hours, except

in an emergency; or

(3) exhibit the dwelling unit to prospective buyers, mortgagees, or tenants only during

normal business hours, including weekends, except as the landlord and tenant otherwise

agree; but nothing in this subsection prevents the landlord from entering any dwelling unit

in an emergency situation or, after due notice, when the landlord is required to allow

the Department access for an inspection under this Chapter or Chapter 26, or when

the landlord has good cause to believe the tenant may have damaged the unit or may be

in violation of this Chapter

 

[BL]

Your objection is you don't want to crate or board your pet for 3 days .

That's not reasonable .

The LL is doing fall maintenance inspection to make sure the tenant's rental(s) are SAFE .

Get over it .

 

[enjay]

Your objection is you don't want to crate or board your pet for 3 days .

That's not reasonable .

The LL is doing fall maintenance inspection to make sure the tenant's rental(s) are SAFE .

Get over it .

You're so funny. Is "get over it," what you say when you've lost the argument? If so, take your own advice and get over it.

My reasonable objection is that I do not wish to be inconvenienced for three days when one would suffice. I have absolutely no problem with the inspection provided they tell me which day they will do it. Furthermore, I would assert that requiring that a cat be crated for days on end is an unreasonable request. There is nothing in my lease that states my pet must be removed or restrained when maintenance comes in.

 

[BL]

I've been here for 14 years and haven't broken any portion of my lease.

Have it your way , but be aware that your LL may not want to renew your lease .

 

[enjay]

Have it your way , but be aware that your LL may not want to renew your lease .

Read my first post. I'm leaving rental hell!

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Then you will be joining many of us in "Homeowners Hell" who actually have to pay extra for maintenance and repairs when things break down in our homes. No more picking up a phone and complaining that a three day window period for maintenance to make sure you continue to live in a safe rental with working appliances and adequate heat, water and lights is "unacceptable" to you.

Welcome to trading one type of "hell" for another...

Gail

 

[FarmerJ]

Look at it this way , if you refuse to comply and need any thing from your LL like a early termination of the lease OR a extension due to closing delays where you need to stay in your current unit your current LL could simply tell you NO! and would have to deal with any extra legalities of holding over or the extra cost from being sued for rent if you had to terminate early, yeah you said your trying to buy a home, I wish you the best of luck with it, IT is nice to have a home but along with it goes the all the repairs and the wonder full choices that go with it.

 

[enjay]

Look at it this way , if you refuse to comply and need any thing from your LL like a early termination of the lease OR a extension due to closing delays where you need to stay in your current unit your current LL could simply tell you NO! and would have to deal with any extra legalities of holding over or the extra cost from being sued for rent if you had to terminate early, yeah you said your trying to buy a home, I wish you the best of luck with it, IT is nice to have a home but along with it goes the all the repairs and the wonder full choices that go with it.

Point taken. We're leaving 6 weeks before the lease ends just to give ourselves some extra time in case of trouble. We will of course pay through the end of the lease because we are cool like that.

I've been here (at this apartment) long enough to know both the benefits and hassles of being a renter. I'm quite confident that having control over my home and who gets to be in it and when will outweigh having to pay for repairs.

I also think that the people who think it is no big deal to crate a cat have never had a cat. I don't even own a crate (cats don't use them), just a carrier and it WOULD be cruel and inhumane to confine a cat to that for several days just so someone can come in to change the filter and check for mold.

 

[MIRAKALES]

This is not the first time LL has provided advance notice of entry. Based upon the post, this is the “Fall Maintenance Inspection” which implies that tenant anticipated the routine inspection and procedure. Tenant may want to challenge the routine procedures (due to lease termination) to obtain notice from the LL. Tenant may not need a LL reference in the near future, but tenant will still have business with LL until premises are vacated and restored to original condition. Then there is the issue of security deposit and settlement statements.

Trust that the uncooperative tenant behavior during a routine inspection will be noted by LL. This may reflect in a highly scrutinized routine move-out inspection which will effect tenant’s settlement statement. In addition, tenant may require an extended lease if closing date does not occur on the exact date.

For the record, there are no special laws which require LL to provide one specific date and time of entry to tenant for maintenance. The notice tenant received was to protect LL from tenant claims of unauthorized access during the dates provided. Whether tenant crates the pet(s) or not will not affect the inspection, the required maintenance, or the LL’s disposition. Only the tenant and the pet(s) will be affected by tenant’s actions.

 

[enjay]

This is not the first time LL has provided advance notice of entry. Based upon the post, this is the “Fall Maintenance Inspection” which implies that tenant anticipated the routine inspection and procedure. Tenant may want to challenge the routine procedures (due to lease termination) to obtain notice from the LL. Tenant may not need a LL reference in the near future, but tenant will still have business with LL until premises are vacated and restored to original condition. Then there is the issue of security deposit and settlement statements.

Trust that the uncooperative tenant behavior during a routine inspection will be noted by LL. This may reflect in a highly scrutinized routine move-out inspection which will effect tenant’s settlement statement. In addition, tenant may require an extended lease if closing date does not occur on the exact date.

For the record, there are no special laws which require LL to provide one specific date and time of entry to tenant for maintenance. The notice tenant received was to protect LL from tenant claims of unauthorized access during the dates provided. Whether tenant crates the pet(s) or not will not affect the inspection, the required maintenance, or the LL’s disposition. Only the tenant and the pet(s) will be affected by tenant’s actions.

It is routine for them to come in and change the furnace filter in the fall, yes. They do it again in the spring. It is not routine to ask for 3 days and to demand that our pets be removed or crated.

If "uncooperative," means standing up for my rights, then I am proud to be uncooperative. I quoted my county's regulations which support my stance. The landlords don't get to call all of the shots.

Is it too much of a hardship or constraint for them to call and say, "Enjay, we looked at our schedule and we'll be in your apartment on Thursday?" No, it really isn't and I doubt any judge would find it so.

Anyone here who is a renter understands, believe me.

 

[Zigner]

I'm a renter.
You need to get over it. Your LL is not being unreasonable. You, on the other hand, ARE being unreasonable.