I think Im getting screwed by a landlord
Hello All Or Anyone,
My Name is Kirsten I am a Nebraska Realtor with EXP REALTY LLC. Full disclosure I am the tenant in this scenario and never renting again. I had to rent due to a divorce. Me and My son have been renting for 2 years (come march 31st with the same landlord. I bought a home for us and closed February 1st. Unfortunately, I have to admit to knowing very little on landlord tenant law or ethical practices.
I requested a 1 month early lease termination for Feb 29th and asked my landlord what my options were. Her response was that I would be charged for the full month of march rent ($1,800.00), a reletting fee($1,800.00), and forgo collecting my deposit($1,800.00) + advertising cost and fees(Dollar unknown). So I asked if we could start looking for a possible tenant to help mitigate those options in my favor. I cannot, as a single mom afford those fees plus my new mortgage $2,400.00. I was mostly moved out, so I kept the process of moving full steam ahead and prayed hard. I had the house in clean and clear condition as to how it was prior to my move-in. I left utilities on and visit the home and work out of it 2-3 times per week. I took extensive video and pictures when i moved as the house was not, to most people in move in condition, obviously cleaned but very cheap and very old carpet, large areas of rooms that weren't entirely painted weird hardware sticking out of walls, screw holes or remaining screws and nails, several patched but not painted areas, tons of areas with drawing, water, oil marks on the walls (from a centimeter to 1 foot) etc etc! but i was desperate. Through out my tenancy i passed with flying colors as an excellent tenant. I past all my 7-8 preliminary inspections (seemed like a lot and was told each time "Keep up the good work" and I will send the landlord the "all good" report. There were further entries made by her other guy for hvac filters. None of these people had keys, so anytime the needed access I had to meet them at the house. Repair men giving me 4-6 hour windows and told that I needed to remain within the home for the duration of the full repair. Maybe this is normal but it seemed ridiculous to expect someone to keep their job(s) and pay rent
Since it seemed I was left with no option except to plan on getting prepared to pay March and get the house in good shape so my deposit would be returned and bite the bullet. I had tried my best. I receive an email from the property manager with my move out packet some instructions. 1 of the instructions was to have a "move-out-inspection" the guy that always did the inspections. The said the move-out inspection would need to be done prior to March 31st. On February 6th, I was contacted by my landlord's showing agent/and very good friend, who I actually also know pretty well as Nebraska Realtor as well as a Nebraska Landlord, she did the open house where I was found and became the renter/tenant. She told telling me she had possible renter to walk- through. She asked for the walk through for Feb 7th or 8th. I told her a day within the same week didn't work, as I was having the a truck remove 2 last pieces of furniture, and that i wanted time to get perfect she asked the following and then realized that it was valentines day and we agreed that Thursday would. Somehow she got the idea that would february 8th would work (she had out of town valentines plans on Valentines day through the weekend so that seemed like a convenient misunderstanding ;-D) I didn't even know of this mistake until Saturday the 17th when Her post talking about the trip and coming home the 18th. Between the time of her requesting the walk-thru, and the 18th, the move-out inspection guy called me and we set up a time to walk thru the house. 30 -40 minute walk through and I asked if he saw anything that I need to tend to, or what he thought overall. He said I see no damages that I would consider beyond reasonable wear & tear. I was like awesome! told him that there was a tenant walk through coming up on next thursday and he said "awesome well its ready). When I noticed the post of the out of town tip of the showing agent. I said do what day did you do the showing, I told her that's unfortunate as the townhome was not presented as of good of condition. I asked how the walk through went, she said pretty good but they liked it but wondered about the wall marks and patches. I sent her the more recent pics that i took after I got it spotless, and told her I was sure that the Landlord would be painting and hopefully doing new carpet for their sakes. I had requested it since move in and kept being told upon renewal, the next year I requested it mid lease and was told that a lot of new awesome upgrades were gonna be done on my next renewal and she was really excited for me. I then asked what their hopes were for a move in date and she told that she had no idea and My landlord was in charge of all that. we hung up and I thought - Thats BS!) I don't know a single good agent either dealing in rental or home purchases that doesn't small talk and ask that question. I asked her -"so you didn't speak with them on the walk thru or ask them when they were looking to start renting? You better call them back and ask so you tell her friend my landlord. No response since, but my alarm bell went of and my detective skills were on point. I ransacked the internet and found my home address listed as active/available to show" the listing was published Jan7th and the went inactive/unavailable/expire listing on the date FEB 5th and the request to show the townhome was FEB 6TH SAhe did the inspection the week prior and likely report the townhome almost move in ready to the landlor and then suddenly my inspection guy that did my "move-out-inpection" was in their for a second opinion and the her property management said "oh that was not your move-out inspection. Next her repair crew tells me my landlord wanted them to set a time up with me to come to estimate the paint and set up a good time with this week or the next. I m still occupying and paying rent and utilities and that that was not a reasonable repair during my tenancy that would benefit me so they would probably need to to come back April 1st. I had lost trust with this landlord, as she had told me i had to pay a $100.00 fine for a formal how complaint that was made saying i had my dog off leash. I paid it, but i was pissed as most of the dogs played out back off leash. a couple months later i warned a woman of the leash law, and said you are probably safe as the person that complained was only targeting me. 2 days later one of my neighbors marched across the street saying (my wife said you were charged the HOA and fined for pet fee. He asked me to show him and I told him I would have to ask my landlord. He told me to do it and get it to him or have my landlord call him. he then said "I am the neighborhood HOA LEAD along with my neigh and complaints go through them and they decide if a fine is warranted or considered petty and then waived by them". He told me they had seen no complaint whatsoever. Any way it came out after being fast talked by my landlord not leaving me an opportunity to speak, that she had been the one that charged me through her own pet addendum (a slippery small paragragh hidden with massive Aparments.com lease. I felt tricked as i thought i was going to be helping us both get our money back. She hasnt been a nice landlord since and there is no more dialogue between us only through the property manager. still not sure on this situation but i also was to busy to put much time in to anything as baseball season had started for my son. TMI!!!! Sorry!!!!
Anyway there is a lock box on the outside of rental a coded lock on my front showing all passers by that this is available and like vacant.
I feel like im getting screwed and pushed around but no one is respondig timely to emails so that I will call and they can say that we never had the convo
ANY LEADS OR ADVICE! I CAN ONLY FIND LAWERS THAT WORK FOR LANDLORDS NOT TENANTS. TY