Tenants can't have pets but managers can?

[lilith]

My husband was stuck in a lease {in MS} before we got married, so I signed one in order to have our own apartment together. There is a no pets policy so this put me at a disadvantage because I have a small dog { he weighs 5 lbs. grown }. I have recently seen and heard of other people having pets here, including the management.
My elderly grandmother has taken care of my little dog but has recently fallen into bad health and does not want to take care of him. What should I do? Confront the manager? If I bring him here then I'll get busted for having pets in a no pet policy lease. I really don't think it is right for the lanlord to have a dog and noone else. Can I break the lease and move, our lease is up in Aug. '01? Please help...

[Edited by lilith on 01-25-2001 at 02:39 PM]

 

[LL]

Don't even try to compare yourself with the landlord.
It's his property, not yours.

Be careful about bringing the dog when it's not allowed.
I don't know if MS is a community property state, but your husband already has a black mark on his rental record. If you get too many demerits and get written down in a tenant-screening database, you may have trouble finding a place to live.

Find someone to take over your lease, and find a place to live where you can keep your record clean, and alsoyour dog.

 

[lilith]

Thank you for your quick reply. The apartments are cooporately owned. The guy in charge is like a tenent himself, therefore I would think he should abide by the same rules? There are also a few other things going on that are supposedly against the rules. Such as, no grills. The rules set by the company state no grills, but this guy is letting people have them, because he does too. There are several more examples, but the manager is letting shady things go on and is partaking in them.
These apartments are owned by and industry. That is where the question comes in. I am not comparing myself to the landlord, but in fact the person is not the actual owner. Is that going to make a difference? Shouldn't he as a paying renter have to obey the same rules?

[Edited by lilith on 01-25-2001 at 03:21 PM]

 

[LL]

It's the owners who should be concerned, not you.

If it is a corporation that owns the building or complex, that it's their problem what their appointed manager does or doesn't do.

You can't use his behavior to get your dog in, when the rules are "no pets".

 

[lilith]

Thank you for your advice. If we break the lease then we'll have to pay around $4,000, because to my knowledge there is no policy where you can pay a month and a half rent then move. To find someone else to take the lease seems to be the only option. Would that have to be done through the company? Thanks again.

 

[LL]

NEGOTIATING A MUTUALLY SATISFACTORY EARLY LEASE TERMINATION:

The fundamental rule of business is to go and discuss it with your partner (LL) and try to work out something that it mutually satisfactory.

Your interest is to leave the tenancy, and to minimize the amount of money that you will have to pay by defaulting on your lease.

The LL interest is that he was promised a certain amount of money until the end of the lease and he shouldn't have to lose it. Additionally, he will have expenses associated with your early termination.

If the unit stays vacant, then you owe the LL what he is losing. So neither of you wins, but you have to make up the difference.

TALK TO YOUR NEGOTIATING PARTNER! and see what you can work out. Offer to find a new tenant and sublease, if he will let you, or to find a new tenant to take over the lease, subject to his approval, or just leave and leave him to look for and find a new tenant to take over your lease (at your expense), or offer to buy out part of the remaining term of your lease.

Or, better yet,
Find another apartment complex and ask to be the manager.

 

[lilith]

No thanks, I don't want to be an apartment manager I appriciate your advice. Thank you again.

 

[LL]

You're welcome.