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Landlord fears lawsuit for reporting child porn

By Janet Portman, Thursday, September 4, 2008.

Q: I had quite a shock when I entered my tenant's apartment, at his request, to fix the leaking kitchen sink. Usually I encounter damage or a mess, but this was way worse: On the kitchen table were photos of naked children in suggestive poses and situations. It looks like pornography to me, but I'm the first to say, I'm no lawyer. Should I report this? What if I report it and I'm wrong -- can I be sued? --Andrew F. more...

Tenant suffers damages in plumbing remodel

By Janet Portman, Thursday, August 28, 2008.

Q: When we moved in, our landlord gave us a one-page, yearlong lease that had just the basics (apartment number, rent, move-in date). It also had a paragraph saying that we agreed to abide by the "House Rules," which could be changed at any time. The rules covered who could park in the lot; use of the laundry and other facilities; fees for late rent; and charges for replacing lost keys. more...

Would-be tenant has specific parking needs

By Janet Portman, Thursday, August 21, 2008.

Q: I manage a mid-sized apartment complex, and have recently been asked by a prospect who uses a wheelchair for a parking space next to the unit she is considering. We can do that, though we have a waiting list for parking, but it will involve reassigning other tenants' parking spaces, buying signs and painting the pavement, and creating curb cuts. Who pays for all this work? --Sean D. more...

Tenants pressure landlord to change smoking policy

By Janet Portman, Thursday, August 14, 2008.

Q: We own a fourplex apartment building with long-term tenants in every unit. The couple upstairs has asked us to implement a smoke-free policy for the building. They claim that the smoke from their downstairs neighbors enters their unit no matter what they do, through the staircase and even the adjacent windows. The downstairs people are perfectly fine tenants, have no intention of quitting, and tell us that we can't do anything about it. What should we do? --Wes and Judy Z. more...

Don't expect landlord to aid immigration scheme

By Janet Portman, Thursday, August 7, 2008.

Q: I have a friend who is a French citizen, who came to the United States on a visitor's visa, fell in love and married a U.S. citizen. Unfortunately, they began a trial separation after a few months. My friend got her own apartment (but hasn't done anything legal about the separation). Now she wants to get a green card, and will need to prove to the immigration authorities that she's married. They're asking her to show them a lease showing that she and her husband live together, but her landlord won't add her husband's name to the lease. What can she do? --Andre Z. more...

New water heater? Not on landlord's dime

By Janet Portman, Thursday, July 31, 2008.

Q: I've developed a painful skin condition that requires treatment with large amounts of very hot water. The water in my apartment isn't hot enough and it takes too long to heat up the amount of water I need, so I've asked the landlord to install a new water heater or give me a device that makes hot water at the sink. more...

Overstay lease, pay 'exorbitant' charge
By Janet Portman, Thursday, July 24, 2008.

Q: When my lease was up last week, I began talking with the landlord about renewing, and what the new rent would be. She surprised me by setting a high figure, so I'm not going to renew and plan to leave next week. Now she says I owe her two months' rent, because my lease had a clause in it that says if I "hold over" after the lease ends, she can collect two months' rent or twice the "actual damages" she suffered by my overstay, whichever is greater. This is a great place and I know it will rent right away. more...

$3,000 deposit should've been red flag
By Janet Portman, Thursday, July 17, 2008.

Q: My daughter will be a college senior next year and plans to live off campus. Most of the rental properties near the college are expensive and owned by landlords who are reportedly very unscrupulous; they supposedly do not take good care of their rental properties or handle tenant complaints fairly. My daughter wants to live in one of those properties (a large rental house that's big enough for her and seven other girls from her sorority). more...

Break lease, repay rent discount?
By Janet Portman, Thursday, July 10, 2008.

Q: I rented an apartment that was advertised at $1,500 per month "plus discount." My yearlong lease gave me a monthly discount of $100, so my real rent was $1,400. I had to break the lease after eight months, and now have to repay the discount, $800, for those months. I know, I know -- I signed the lease with this provision, but I'm still wondering if there's any way I can challenge this fee. --Mary S. more...

Family challenges 'cure or quit' notice
By Janet Portman, Thursday, July 3, 2008.

Q: My wife and I received a three-day "Notice to cure or quit" from our property manager. The manager claims my child was throwing thrash and making excessive noise inside the apartment complex. When we asked for proof, they said that they did not have any. In fact, we found out that there were several other children playing with our child on the alleged date, and their parents did not receive notices. I smell discrimination! --Robert more...

Why can't mom have live-in assistant?
By Janet Portman, Thursday, June 26, 2008.

Q: We're landlords with a somewhat off-beat question. My mother is about to enter a continuing-care residential community, which requires her to be able to "live independently." She is independent now, and will have no problems taking care of herself in her apartment, but she has a medical condition that will eventually require her to hire a personal assistant to help with dressing, eating and bathing. more...

Buying a rental? Check permits first
By Janet Portman, Thursday, June 19, 2008.

Q: I am a new rental property owner and was recently cited for a code violation. Apparently, a previous owner did some work on the property following a fire, for which he obtained the correct permits. But he never scheduled the final inspection. Like us, the seller from whom we bought the property had no knowledge of the problem. Are we responsible for the fine and for doing any work required to pass inspection? --Nel N. more...

Is renter victim of 'linguistic profiling'?
By Janet Portman, Thursday, June 12, 2008.

Q: Our family is looking for a new apartment. This morning, after I saw a good one advertised in the paper, I called and was told that the unit had been rented. About 15 minutes later, not realizing that I had called already, my daughter called and got an appointment to see it right away! I think there's something going on here -- I speak with a Latino accent, but my daughter has none. Am I being too suspicious? --Delia J. more...

Help! My tenants are illegal aliens
By Janet Portman, Thursday, June 5, 2008.

Q: I am a landlord in a Southern border state. I've just learned that a family on my property is in the United States illegally. On the one hand, I really don't care -- these are good tenants who pay the rent and cause no problems. But I remember that some churches in our state were charged with illegally "harboring" illegal immigrants many years ago, and I'm wondering if I am at risk for being charged with harboring this family. --William P.
A: "Harboring" a person who is illegally in the United States has been a federal crime since 1917. It's been used against human trafficking rings and, in the 1980s, against the Sanctuary Movement that involved churches and individuals giving shelter to Central American asylum seekers. more...

Pit bull service dog unwelcome
By Janet Portman, Thursday, May 29, 2008.

Q: A tenant who is qualified to rent an apartment has asked us to allow her to bring her service dog, which is a pit bull mix. We aren't arguing over whether she is legally disabled, and we would normally allow the service animal on the property, even though we have a "no pets" policy. But our insurance policy forbids pit bulls, and if we allow one to live here, we risk cancellation or higher premiums. We don't want to be slapped with a fair housing lawsuit, either. What should we do? --Henry H. more...

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