Rental has terrible carpeting flooring and Landlord won't fix it

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Rental has terrible carpeting flooring and Landlord won't fix it

Francesco Adriatico
Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote

Hello everyone, 

Last month, I started renting a semi-basement in a building in New Jersey. 
When I moved in, the apartment heating was not working and I had to fight with the landlord and threaten him to not pay rent in order to get extra baseboard heaters in the apt. 

The apartment has however many other problems. The blinds in the windows are all broken (in not missing), the windows do not lock (I do have some "cage" alike protectors outside of the windows though being them at street level) and the carpeting flooring is in terrible terrible shape (heavily and terribly stained). 

During Christmas, I have been traveling and the landlord promised me he would have cleaned the carpet while I was gone. Two weeks after I come back in the apartment and the carpet is still stained. He told me he had someone try to clean it but that they couldn't do much. 

I would like to know if I can demand flooring to be fixed or not (along with all the other issues), or if at this point is a matter of ethics more than law. When I asked for the heating to be repaired I knew I had the law on my side... But this time I am not sure if it so, since in my lease there is written that I have inspected the apartment upon signing. 

Thanks in advance!

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Clayton PlankPro Member
Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2012 · 122 posts · 46 votes
9y

These items should have been addressed before you moved in. If you signed off on the unit before moving in that says you agreed to pay rent in its condition. I understand about the heat as that is required by law. Its had though if you agree to rent it in its current condition and then move in and want the landlord to start putting more money into it because you are not happy with it.

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  • Clayton PlankPro Member
    Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2012 · 122 posts · 46 votes
    9y

    These items should have been addressed before you moved in. If you signed off on the unit before moving in that says you agreed to pay rent in its condition. I understand about the heat as that is required by law. Its had though if you agree to rent it in its current condition and then move in and want the landlord to start putting more money into it because you are not happy with it.

    1Reply
  • Gail K.
    Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    It is quite likely that a stained carpet is not going to make a rental unit "uninhabitable"; thus, you can demand; however, the landlord is under no legal obligation to change this.

    Gail

    0Reply
  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Thanks to all! I thought so and I totally understand that I am in no position to ask for anything at this point. But thought to ask to people who know more than me. Thanks a lot!

    0Reply
  • Thomas S.
    Member since 2016 · 13k+ posts · 12k+ votes
    9y

    "I had to fight with the landlord and threaten him to not pay rent."

    You are off to a very bad start and I would suggest that you ask your landlord to allow you out of your lease. Your relationship is only going to get much worse.

    I would have suggested you leave if I were your landlord for both our benefits.

    0Reply
  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y
    Originally posted by @Thomas S.:

    "I had to fight with the landlord and threaten him to not pay rent."

    You are off to a very bad start and I would suggest that you ask your landlord to allow you out of your lease. Your relationship is only going to get much worse.

    I would have suggested you leave if I were your landlord for both our benefits.

     I would love to leave this apartment but I know for sure he won't let me and that's because renting it would be tricky for him since it's looking really bad. When I decided to rent I was desperate for something and this seemed a good deal.

    0Reply
  • Stephen E.
    St Thomas, Ontario · Member since 2013 · 575 posts · 408 votes
    9y

    @Francesco Adriatico From your earlier posts it sounded like you want out of your lease. This last post confirms it. Inadequate heat is a legitimate issue in terms of habitability, but that has apparently been fixed. Broken blinds and stained carpets are more cosmetic items. If you cared about them this much you should have taken note before signing the lease and moving in. Now you have an obligation to pay rent for the lease term. If you leave before this is up then you are responsible for lost rent until the place is leased to another tenant. The landlord has a responsibility to advertise, try and find another tenant and otherwise mitigate losses but if they do this and the unit remains vacant then you are on the hook.

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  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    From what you said he is not obligated to fix these issues. It was priced based on condition , a good deal as you said and these issues do not make it uninhabitable. You could nicely ask him to install window locks if you feel unsafe. I have seen people put area rugs over carpet. I don't use carpet but this is an option if it really bothers you. 

    Only you can decide if these issues are worth a lease break and possibly more rent at another place.  I would advise though you save the threats on not paying rent for a last step when it is something like heat or plumbing. You have signed on for a year long relationship with the landlord. 

    0Reply
  • Dumitru Anton
    Cumming, GA · Member since 2014 · 218 posts · 71 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Francesco Adriatico:
    Originally posted by @Thomas S.:

    "I had to fight with the landlord and threaten him to not pay rent."

    You are off to a very bad start and I would suggest that you ask your landlord to allow you out of your lease. Your relationship is only going to get much worse.

    I would have suggested you leave if I were your landlord for both our benefits.

     I would love to leave this apartment but I know for sure he won't let me and that's because renting it would be tricky for him since it's looking really bad. When I decided to rent I was desperate for something and this seemed a good deal.

     @Francesco Adriatico, if you are stuck there for a year, instead of whining (you choose to stay there even if the conditions where visible), why don't you make it your HOME?

    rent a carpet cleaner , use vinegar + dishsoap (not too much because of suds),went 2 times over every inch of carpet, then 4 times just with the vacuum setting and extract EVERY BIT OF WATER (!!! this is for your health!!!). the carpet should be dry after your finished NOT WET!

    take a wet cleaning rag to the broken blinds and now they are at least clean.

    clean+disinfect the bathroom/kitchen twice (for your own health and peace of mind)

    and now you have a clean place to stay for a year.

    talk nice with the landlord and he may even reimburse the money for cleaning the carpet.

    why: the carpet is dirty because of tenants not caring!

    show the landlord you care and you may be in it for the long-term

    so, what are you going to do: ACT or Whine?

    all the best

    P.S. @Greg S. was just warning you holding rent has some conditions to be legal (you have to pay in a court account). Credit blemishes are not treated easily by corporate landlords....

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  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Thanks for all the advices. 
    I want to say that I am indeed being nice. When he fixed the heat I paid Jan rent 2 weeks before it was due. He promised me he would clean the carpets during the holidays. 
    I then left for vacation and when I came back I saw that they did indeed try to clean the apt (there where "steam marks" on the carpet, which was also WET), but the stain where still all there. 
    He told me that the company can't do anythig about them. 

    I then asked him nicely to put area rugs but he simply ignored my message and never answered back. 

    Of course I am not going to break the lease, because I understand that I rented this place agreeing on its current shape, but again I was trying to see if this problem I could demand repairs as I did with the heating system. 

    It's not the case and it's cool. I'm going to be here for one year and then leave... No biggie. :)

    0Reply
  • Kyle Hipp
    Investor · Appleton, WI · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 464 votes
    9y

    what was the issue with the baseboards heaters? Was the heating system electric baseboard heaters originally? We're some of the not working? It is odd that they had to add more.

    0Reply
  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    I'm not too sure what kind of baseboard I have, but apt temperature wouldn't go pass 50 degrees.. They added one more for each room and now it's good. 
    To an inexpert eye (such as mine) they don't look electric. There are pipes running outside the wall where I suppose hot water runs. The hot water heats the baseboard that release heat in the room. 

    0Reply
  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    I think I am the only one who is been fooled by him. As previously said I was very desperate for a place and this one seemed to fit my needs. I was also kinda new in renting independent apartments (been living in basements for the past two years, where the relationship with the landlords is always been very close) and so I did fell for it. 
    But I know for sure that he was struggling in renting the place as there was none living here when I moved it and the super told me that other tenants always had problems with this apt. 

    0Reply
  • Gail K.
    Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y

    Ignore John Anderson (most of his comments are so far off track I'm thinking he just tosses them out just for effect).

    A carpet with a stain does not make a landlord a "slum lord".  Your landlord promised to clean the carpets and followed through with this.  Unfortunately, the cleaning did not remove the stains.

    More importantly when you reported the issue with heat (or lack of it) this issue was addressed (and yes, this is likely heat supplied by hot water; common up your area of the northeast) and addressed adequately by the landlord.

    Gail

    1Reply
  • Marian Smith
    Real Estate Investor · Williamson County, TX · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 961 votes
    9y
    I lived in an apartment with shabby carpet that to my surprise started smelling lije dog when the steam baseboard heat came on. I went to Home depot and layed 50 cent a foot laminate directly over the carpet to seal the smell. worked well. there are laminate snappers and maybe home depot will rent them cheap if you buy the floor there.
    0Reply
  • Francesco Adriatico
    OP
    Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2017 · 7 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Thanks again for everyone answering. I think we can call this discussion closed. 
    My bad for have signed the lease with carpets in that conditions, I understand landlord is just doing his interests exactly how I am doing mine. 

    Thanks to all!

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