Givemestrength
Member
Pennsylvania
Short version... We entered in to a verbal agreement mid November 2023 for a rental property with person #1. The agreement was that we cleaned the place out and made needed repairs at the owners expense/they provided materials. Rent was $800 but jumped $900 when he agreed to replace things. We would get security deposit and one month free of rent. We got right to work but person #1 stopped responding to messages for needed materials. We sourced what we could without his help. There was a lot more wrong with the house then we thought at first glance. We made him aware of the problems. He would only respond when it came time to collect rent. Major issues that we found were broken floor joists in the basement, floor dips when you walk on it in an entryway, he said it was a bad subfloor when we walked though. Bad subfloor in the bathroom, its rotting, toilet is detached, the bolts that attach it to the floor are broken, whole floor needs gutted and replaced. The roof leaks in many different places. Its gotten worse and worse since we moved in. One wall had gotten do damp from water that it fell apart and molded. Its now 4 rooms affected with leaks, was only one. No kitchen cabinets or counters, they needed ripped out from water damage. He agreed to get new right away. We have made due with salvaged counter for a sink held up with a brace. Most of the flooring was removed because it was damaged and a tripping hazard. He agreed to replace. He agreed to replace a window a month, one was broken and most are super old wood windows. We have no new windows. We found out a water pipe that goes to the road leaks. The ground is a sink hole. City says it's LL responsibility, LL says its ours. Water bill is sky high. We paid for the mounting of garbage to be removed, he did not provide a dumpster or trailer like he agreed and code enforcement was mad. We paid for all the paint, cleaning supplies and extermination but he agreed to pay for it. We never got our free month, he is trying to could when we started work in mid November as the free month even though we didn't move in till the second week of December after it was live able. January 2024 person #1 shows up to our house, drunk and agro, with a lease to sign and to collect rent. We sign it and talk to him about the repairs that need to be made and credit for what we have already done. He said we would discus credits later and directed us to go to a builder supply for materials we needed and put it on his account. Builder supply store is closed down and has been for some years. During a cold snap the heater ran constantly for 4 days and the house would not heat to over 55 degrees. We notified the landlord and he said he would send someone but never did. Over the next few months he would avoid us unless he wanted rent, he would message late at night most times demanding rent early, being ignorant, we assume he was drunk. April an old man show up to our door saying he is the landlord, he is the father of person 1 and just left him in charge over the winter because he was out of town. He instructed us to start paying rent to his rental office going forward. He asked if we needed anything and I gave him the rundown of the important things. He said he would get us materials if we were willing to do the work. We agreed but no materials ever came. The son insisted though message that he owned the house we were to pay rent to him. Even threatened eviction if we paid to his father. May we get a letter in the mail from the fathers rental office wanting us to sign a new lease and an invoice for rent we had already paid to the son. I found an email on the invoice because neither phone number listed on the paperwork would reach anyone and no one would call back. I emailed the agreement we made in the beginning with the son, the lease we already signed, the receipts we had for repairs and paying rent, and photos have things that needed fixed and have been fixed. We were basically told until they get rent they will not make repairs/provide materials/give credit for work already done. Looking at the lease it is the rental office/dads business listed but by records the son is the legal owner of the house. The son is still demanding we pay him and not his father. They are now saying they are going to file eviction because we have not paid 2 months rent which I told they I would not be doing till things start to get fixed. Everything is well documented though email and text messages. What are our rights? What do you think a judge would say? We have also been paying water/sewer/garbage and looking over the lease it does not say we are supposed to pay it. There is an area for it but it is not filled out who is responsible. Does this matter/would it be in our favor?
Short version... We entered in to a verbal agreement mid November 2023 for a rental property with person #1. The agreement was that we cleaned the place out and made needed repairs at the owners expense/they provided materials. Rent was $800 but jumped $900 when he agreed to replace things. We would get security deposit and one month free of rent. We got right to work but person #1 stopped responding to messages for needed materials. We sourced what we could without his help. There was a lot more wrong with the house then we thought at first glance. We made him aware of the problems. He would only respond when it came time to collect rent. Major issues that we found were broken floor joists in the basement, floor dips when you walk on it in an entryway, he said it was a bad subfloor when we walked though. Bad subfloor in the bathroom, its rotting, toilet is detached, the bolts that attach it to the floor are broken, whole floor needs gutted and replaced. The roof leaks in many different places. Its gotten worse and worse since we moved in. One wall had gotten do damp from water that it fell apart and molded. Its now 4 rooms affected with leaks, was only one. No kitchen cabinets or counters, they needed ripped out from water damage. He agreed to get new right away. We have made due with salvaged counter for a sink held up with a brace. Most of the flooring was removed because it was damaged and a tripping hazard. He agreed to replace. He agreed to replace a window a month, one was broken and most are super old wood windows. We have no new windows. We found out a water pipe that goes to the road leaks. The ground is a sink hole. City says it's LL responsibility, LL says its ours. Water bill is sky high. We paid for the mounting of garbage to be removed, he did not provide a dumpster or trailer like he agreed and code enforcement was mad. We paid for all the paint, cleaning supplies and extermination but he agreed to pay for it. We never got our free month, he is trying to could when we started work in mid November as the free month even though we didn't move in till the second week of December after it was live able. January 2024 person #1 shows up to our house, drunk and agro, with a lease to sign and to collect rent. We sign it and talk to him about the repairs that need to be made and credit for what we have already done. He said we would discus credits later and directed us to go to a builder supply for materials we needed and put it on his account. Builder supply store is closed down and has been for some years. During a cold snap the heater ran constantly for 4 days and the house would not heat to over 55 degrees. We notified the landlord and he said he would send someone but never did. Over the next few months he would avoid us unless he wanted rent, he would message late at night most times demanding rent early, being ignorant, we assume he was drunk. April an old man show up to our door saying he is the landlord, he is the father of person 1 and just left him in charge over the winter because he was out of town. He instructed us to start paying rent to his rental office going forward. He asked if we needed anything and I gave him the rundown of the important things. He said he would get us materials if we were willing to do the work. We agreed but no materials ever came. The son insisted though message that he owned the house we were to pay rent to him. Even threatened eviction if we paid to his father. May we get a letter in the mail from the fathers rental office wanting us to sign a new lease and an invoice for rent we had already paid to the son. I found an email on the invoice because neither phone number listed on the paperwork would reach anyone and no one would call back. I emailed the agreement we made in the beginning with the son, the lease we already signed, the receipts we had for repairs and paying rent, and photos have things that needed fixed and have been fixed. We were basically told until they get rent they will not make repairs/provide materials/give credit for work already done. Looking at the lease it is the rental office/dads business listed but by records the son is the legal owner of the house. The son is still demanding we pay him and not his father. They are now saying they are going to file eviction because we have not paid 2 months rent which I told they I would not be doing till things start to get fixed. Everything is well documented though email and text messages. What are our rights? What do you think a judge would say? We have also been paying water/sewer/garbage and looking over the lease it does not say we are supposed to pay it. There is an area for it but it is not filled out who is responsible. Does this matter/would it be in our favor?
but bottom line You do not have a a written rental agreement from what I can make of your posting nor do you have a written agreement about the repairs , even if things were damaged , if you tore out bad flooring you have created damage even if you dont see it this way , Proving all of this mess in a court room wont be easy. I Hope you have pictures to show the damages you encountered the first day you moved in. I suggest you consider vacating and dealing with the mess that may or not happen and so you know unless the owner of record has a written agreement such as a property manager who can arrange for evictions then the owner of record will be the one who must evict or his /her agents such as a attorney they hire. Never again move into a unit where you have been told to fix it and a deal for rent is on the side , If a rental unit is not fit for living or has repairs needed and the LL wont do them then your free to call your city / county housing inspections desk and begin to complain or just refuse to rent in that situation and look else where .