UNSAFE LEASED PROPERTY

[Jenniferburton]

What is the name of your state?NC
Hello I have just recently leased a property that I only saw for a brief second before leasing it upon further inspection found water leaks all over the roof the toilet and the bathtub to be falling through the floor from extensive water damage due to what I deem as some kind of Plumbing issue also an oven that does not have a proper insulating door on it the actual metal enclosure is exposed in the front and a water heater that is completely almost rusted through on the bottom and there is no heat or air conditioning in the property whatsoever being that I just begin to reside at this property but can not continue to live like this even another week what would you suggest would be the proper steps to take being I'm a new leaser

 

[xylene]

Why did you not give the property a cursory inspection before leasing?

Where you given oral ad/or written guarantees on these issues?

What has you landlord said when confronted with these problems now?

 

[Jenniferburton]

I gave the property and inspection and addressed minor issues that I had seen But The power was not on the house was extremely dark and I was unable to notice the extent of the damage in the bathroom floor also upon looking at the rest of the home for some reason the condition of the oven completely evaded me I didn't even take time to notice it honestly I am a new leaser this is my first time leasing a property and I really didn't know what to look for and when I confronted him about these issues he stated that he knocked off a small portion of the move-in fees i e deposit and therefore does not feel like he should be responsible for doing anything including I had to change all the door locks myself which I did not mine but he also expects me to provide my own heating air conditioning and maintenance without even being reimbursed for my repairs / contributions? Every issue I bring up with him he brings back up how he I allowed you to rent the property without the full deposit but I honestly did not know the extent of the Damage Done to this home and I honestly believe that even breathing in the air inside of the swelling could be extremely harmful to my health and no I was not giving any guarantees on these issues but the law states that a landlord must provide safe habitats for their tenant and this is an unsafe environment for sure no doubt about it the toilet is literally about to fall through the floor the house smells extremely musty and I also saw squirrels /rodents entering into the attic crawl space which also has fallen through into the back room where you can see exposed nests of some sort hanging from the ceiling I just want to know what steps I should take being that I know if I call in the state inspector or whoever it is they probably are going to condemn this property

 

[Jenniferburton]

Why did you not give the property a cursory inspection before leasing?

Where you given oral ad/or written guarantees on these issues?

What has you landlord said when confronted with these problems now?

Did you see my reply

 

[Jenniferburton]

What is the name of your state?NC
Hello I have just recently leased a property that I only saw for a brief second before leasing it upon further inspection found water leaks all over the roof the toilet and the bathtub to be falling through the floor from extensive water damage due to what I deem as some kind of Plumbing issue also an oven that does not have a proper insulating door on it the actual metal enclosure is exposed in the front and a water heater that is completely almost rusted through on the bottom and there is no heat or air conditioning in the property whatsoever being that I just begin to reside at this property but can not continue to live like this even another week what would you suggest would be the proper steps to take being I'm a new leaser

 

[Jenniferburton]

Can someone please tell me what proper steps I can take to ensure that my landlord will be responsible for paying my relocation fees if they do condemn this property or demon uninhabitable. Oops deem it***

 

[adjusterjack]

Read the NC landlord tenant statutes for your rights and obligations:

https://www.ncleg.gov/Laws/GeneralStatuteSections/Chapter42
Put your complaints in writing (no text, no email) and create a paper trail.

 

[FarmerJ]

So when you called your city / county building inspections desk and told them about your concerns about the bathroom floor, the leaks and the heating system what did they tell you ? If they came out and wrote repair orders then you do not get out of your lease. If they came out and condemned the home then your lease is over and your free to sue the LL for a prorated refund of rent you paid for the number of days you paid for but didn't get to use due to the condemnation order. Your free to try to sue the LL for relocation cost whether you will be awarded relocation cost or not is a whole other thing. You will want to take pictures of the units conditions for your own records and if the home is condemned you want a copy of the condemnation order for your own records.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

FarmerJ is correct with the recommendation to contact your local Code Enforcement regarding these issues. After they inspect they will either require the landlord to make adequate repairs to the rental unit within a certain period of time or (if it is impossible to do so), condemn the unit. If the latter you will need to vacate the unit. It is highly unlikely your state will require that the landlord provide you relocation fees.

In addition, keep in mind that while adequate and safe plumbing, heating and electrical wiring is a requirement, air conditioning is typically not (unless specified in your lease), even in "deep south" states. And again, providing appliances such as a stove/oven is not a requirement (unless this is included in your lease as part of the rent you are paying) so it is best to focus on the plumbing and roof leakage/rodent issues you have described here.

Good luck.

Gail