Landlord didn't provide as many bathroom as promised (and more)

[David_bgood]

Hi,

I am towards the end of my lease, but still...

The house I am renting was listed as 3 bathrooms. However, one of the bathrooms is in the basement and doesn't have proper door / walls.

I was told the basement will be finished (it's used to be finished, but due to flooding they removed walls etc.) that was never done.

The garage had mold issue that was never remedied.

Now, as I am nearing the end of the lease, I am afraid the landlord will try to find all excuses to keep my security deposit, and I think I should preempt this by arguing - I believe rightfully - that I should be reimbursed for all of the 3 items listed above. So I want to send her a letter informing her that I won't be paying rent for the next 1.5 months because of the above.

Do you have legal ground?

I live in NJ.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

Do that and you will end up either being evicted or sued.

You have been in the apartment for some period and didn't complain. If you LL tries to keep more of your deposit than he is entitled to you sue.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Well, it's house that he has been renting but I agree with everything else that you have written.

If you are concerned about a landlord keeping an unreasonable amount from your security deposit (I am assuming you did not cause this flooding, correct?) then you 1. leave the place clean and undamaged and 2. take plenty of pictures to back up your claim of this should the landlord charge you for damages you believe you do not owe.

Withhold rent and you'll find yourself out on the street without even one bathroom to pee in.

Gail

 

[Shadowbunny]

Hi,

I am towards the end of my lease, but still...

The house I am renting was listed as 3 bathrooms. However, one of the bathrooms is in the basement and doesn't have proper door / walls.

I was told the basement will be finished (it's used to be finished, but due to flooding they removed walls etc.) that was never done.

The garage had mold issue that was never remedied.

Now, as I am nearing the end of the lease, I am afraid the landlord will try to find all excuses to keep my security deposit, and I think I should preempt this by arguing - I believe rightfully - that I should be reimbursed for all of the 3 items listed above. So I want to send her a letter informing her that I won't be paying rent for the next 1.5 months because of the above.

Do you have legal ground?

I live in NJ.

That is a tremendously bad idea. You can't come back and pretend that the bathroom issue only became a problem at the end of your lease. Because you presumably could SEE that the basement bathroom didn't have door/walls, yet you agreed to move in, anyway.

And if you follow through with not paying rent, expect to have a judgment against you that will make it hard, if not impossible, to find someone else willing to rent to you.

 

[adjusterjack]

You can't come back and pretend that the bathroom issue only became a problem at the end of your lease. Because you presumably could SEE that the basement bathroom didn't have door/walls, yet you agreed to move in, anyway.

Saved me some typing.

 

[FarmerJ]

The time to complain would have been with in a few weeks of repair work being stalled/ stopped/ not progressing/ sitting at a strandstill. SO as you were already told treat the whole matter as if you were going to have to prove to a court how the place looked at the end of your tenancy with photos - video records and if the LL is not fair re your deposit funds use your records to show a court the amounts held back by the LL were not fair.