All Forum Posts by: Pam R.

My suggestion: call your landlord and give him 30 day notice.

Honestly, there isn't anything he can do to solve your problem immediately. Even if he evicted the people today - who might move in tomorrow? Insulation/carpet for noise reduction? Still wouldn't happen right away.

Try to approach the situation diplomatically with him - you'll cooperate with showing the place, you'll leave it in perfect condition, but you cannot stay with that level of noise.

Hopefully, he'll work with you and release you from your lease, and not keep your security deposit. Will he sue you? Possibly. But if the place is that new and nice, it shouldn't be hard for him to find a new tenant. He's obligated to try to re-rent the place.

You can't live miserable for the next 9 months over a $1500 security deposit. Life is too short. Just try to reach a move-out compromise with the landlord.

The first thing I thought of when I read this...candles. Years and years ago my parents had a tenant whose electric was shut off (they didn't know it until after the eviction)...and there was candle wax everywhere. Is the house all electric, or also gas? Is there a gas stove? I agree with Steve - leave the utilities on, and add them to the monetary damages. Whether you are in the right or not, it seems to me it's not worth the possible consequences of shutting them off.

So another question: are the other houses in the neighborhood the same layout, and they are pulling down that rent?

Hi Edita - It depends on what the current lease says. You can't ask them to sign a new lease unless the current lease is expired - you are bound by the terms of their current lease. If it's a month-to-month, then you can ask them to sign a new lease with the proper notice. But as far as I know, both of you are bound by that lease, so if both of you are satisfied with the terms (even at month-to-month), keep it for the next 6 months. I think your biggest concern would be whether the terms of the existing lease meet your needs for demarcating tenant and landlord responsibilities, especially when it comes to moving out. If it doesn't, you may want to have them sign a new one.

I'd be interested in some responses from some more experienced landlords.

We inherited long-term tenants (9 years when we bought the place), and it's been a year and we haven't had them sign a new lease. They are great tenants, no issues, we aren't interested in raising the rent, and they aren't interested in moving. Although this summer I may draft up a lease for them to sign.

Hi Brandon. What does the market in your area demand? And what is the rent level/type of neighborhood? Sure, people always want bigger bedrooms, but depending on the price point, it's not always the decision driver. Although not being able to fit a Queen bed - that's pretty small. That could be a deal-breaker if they can't even fit their bed in the room.

Read this in the paper today, and thought Ohio landlords would be interested. In a nutshell, a guest left a tenant's apartment, went down the common area stairs, where ALL the lights were burned out, tripped on the bottom stair, and crashed through a plate glass window. The article in the paper mentioned the doctors said she will never get rid of the scars on her arms and face. She was 16 when it happened.

The first court granted a summary judgement to the Landlord. To paraphrase - since the guest was a guest and not a tenant, the landlord's statutory obligations did not extend to her.

The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed, saying that the statuary obligations to the tenant extend to the guests as well. (again paraphrasing) They didn't find the landlord liable, but she can now file suit again.

I was a little surprised...not by the Supreme Court decision (that seems commonsense to me - safety measures apply to everybody) - but that the initial court actually issued a summary judgement - the guest didn't even qualify to bring suit. Interesting.

http://www.courtnewsohio.gov/cases/2014/SCO/0212/121600.asp#.Uv19zvldUfU

I agree with James - you want to be on the top floor. If it was me - I have little kids, I'd want to live on the bottom floor, for safety and convenience. And I can promise you that you would not want to live below us.

We have a duplex on a slab - love the fact that tenants don't have a basement to store/acquire stuff. Never had any problems with it, and from a maintenance standpoint, never gave it a second thought.

Hi Linda.

You mention the house being a flip in a couple of years. What are the values of the other houses in the neighborhood?

Also, renting the garage - is it legal for you to do that?

I'm in the no-charge for pets in cages league. We've had people with guinea pigs, and another with turtles and fish. We don't allow dogs or cats (or pigs or ponies or rabbits either). I'd be ok with lizards, but not snakes.