Rental agreement..does anyone else think this is weird?

[Shebobo]

I received in the mail the annual letter from my apartment complex stating that the rent was going up again. However, along with that came an "Addendum To Rental Agreement Regarding Mold."

The complex is asking all residents to sign an agreement that we agree to take certain measures to reduce the risk of mold growth.

Okay fine, but here are some of the unusual things they are asking us to do (besides vacuum, dust and mop floors).

-keep closet doors ajar
-avoid more than 3 house plants
-water house plants outside
-use ceiling fans if present
-do not air dry dishes
-do not dry clothes by hang drying indoors
-do not let towels dry over shower curtain rod..use dryer (what the hell?)
-use household cleaners on hard surfaces
-check all washer hoses
-wipe down bathroom walls and fixtures after bathing/showering

Some of the normal things are:

-use hood vents when cooking, cleaning and dishwashing (I use a dishwasher..why would I turn on the vent)
-use exhaust fans when bathing/showering and leave on for a sufficient amount of time to remove moisture
-wipe down floors if any water spillage (well duh)
-check for leaks under sinks
-open windows to allow circulation of fresh air during dry weather only (well, I wouldn't have a problem with that if maintenance would bother to replace the screens that have holes in them...birds tear at the soft screen to make a nest..we have holes in the screens that are big enough for an eagle to fly through)

Okay, so no one is going to adhere to this..they will sign it, but who will actually do all these things. However, I'm wondering if when you move out and the complex finds mold somewhere that they will accuse of you of not adhering to the agreement and will keep your deposit.

Has anyone else ever received such an agreement? Some of the things they ask would actually cost you more with your monthly electric bill (ceiling fans, exhaust fans, etc.).

Now, I must go as I have to break it to my cats that I can no longer leave them any water to drink during the day.

 

[Erik]

Wow, that sucks man.

I don't think they could sue you if they find mold, simply because they have no evidence that you were not obeying their strict "mold-reducing" laws.

I still live with my parents (I'm 15) so I have nothing to worry about. If something isn't right, they ***** at me.

 

[guess123]

thats pretty weird...but how could they know if your doing all that?

 

[Erstad]

Does the contract say you have to do these things or are they recommending it. If it's just a recommendation then sign away but if the contract states that you must adhere to those guidelines then don't sign anything!! Find a new place to live and show the contract to a lawyer.

Mold is the problem of the landlord and I don't think it's legal for them to tell you how to live your life. Again, make sure that these stipulations are just suggestion and not requirement.

Good luck!

 

[Shebobo]

No, these are not just recommendations. Mgmt states at the end of the list of things that tenants must do..

"VIOLATION OF ADDENDUM: IF RESIDENT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THIS ADDENDUM, Resident will be solely responsible for property damage to the Premises and any health problems that may result to any person. Non compliance includes but is not limited to Resident's failure to notify Ownder of any mold, mildew or moisture problems immediately IN WRITING. Violation of Resident's obligations shall be deemed a material breach of the Rental Agreement and may result in eviction..."

After that is the usual lawyer lingo.

I think I will show this agreement thingy to someone.

Sort of makes me think that someone became sick and tried to sue.

 

[ekÆsine]

i enjoyed reading this thread. at first i was thinking what the hell too, it does seem to make some sense now.

 

[Harper]

Okay, so no one is going to adhere to this..they will sign it, but who will actually do all these things.

Now that is a million dollar question. Heck, i have a hard enough time trying to get the others to do their fair share of house work. Tonga is never home, and Goki is always too buggered.

However, I'm wondering if when you move out and the complex finds mold somewhere that they will accuse of you of not adhering to the agreement and will keep your deposit.

DUDE, it just means that every one is just going to have to clean the place on a regulare basis. Break it down into certain areas that different people need to look after.
Like at my place is :-
* Me :- Back entertainment room, My Bed Room, Bathroom
* Goki :- Front living room, kitchen, his bedroom
* Tonga :- Mows the lawn, his bedroom, vacuum corrador.

Has anyone else ever received such an agreement?

The strange one with my land lord is that he will not allow more than 3 Male Adults into the house. He's only with 2, and he will allow a Gender Ratio of 2:1. He will even allow a 3 Females living in the one house. But 3 Males (what is currently there now), NO.
So the property managers "do not want to see" the third person there. And we take that quite literally.

Thank goodness they only inspect the place once every 12 months.

The other lovely thing is that there is a clause there saying that he can sell the house at any time, and only give 1 months notice to the people living inside. This could be bad if the next person want to just move in as appose to renting the house to some one else.

Now, I must go as I have to break it to my cats that I can no longer leave them any water to drink during the day.

I am very suprised that the land lord allowing the pets.


Personally, if the land lord is that picky over mold in the house (which is some thing that you really can not control), I would be thinking about moving else where.

Wow, that sucks man.

I don't think they could sue you if they find mold, simply because they have no evidence that you were not obeying their strict "mold-reducing" laws.

I still live with my parents (I'm 15) so I have nothing to worry about. If something isn't right, they ***** at me.

Unless you do some thing that is WAY OUT OF LINE, like deliberate damage, the most that can happen is that one will loose part or all of the security deposit.

With a bit of luck, the property manager did what my last one did ;
The last house I lived at, the kitchen was a mess when we left. The reason why is that i split the chores up with with every one. And while i was cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming the place, Goki was SLOWLY backing every single TRANSFORMER TOY, including dusting them off, and carfully packing them in order of SERIES. Anyways, since I was getting the bond money but into my account, I sead "F**K IT, if Goki does not want to clean the kitchen, then it comes out of his bond money"
So we moved out, and then i get a phone call from the property manager ; the kitchen was a mess, how ever, they did give me the oportunity to clean the kitchen, or I loose $100 from the bond.
I figured, "STUFF IT, It's not my $100 I am loosing here"

But with a bit of luck, your property manager does contact you to let you know what needs to be done in order for you to keep the bond.

No, these are not just recommendations. Mgmt states at the end of the list of things that tenants must do..

"VIOLATION OF ADDENDUM: IF RESIDENT FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THIS ADDENDUM, Resident will be solely responsible for property damage to the Premises and any health problems that may result to any person. Non compliance includes but is not limited to Resident's failure to notify Ownder of any mold, mildew or moisture problems immediately IN WRITING. Violation of Resident's obligations shall be deemed a material breach of the Rental Agreement and may result in eviction..."

After that is the usual lawyer lingo.

I think I will show this agreement thingy to someone.

Sort of makes me think that someone became sick and tried to sue.

That normally means that you are going to loose your Bond at the end of the lease.
The hosue i live it needs a LOT of repairs. The house is not a $#!+ hole, but the there is some things like the stove, back veranda, the chimney, the oven, that needs replacing.
But the land lord is a cheap ass.

After talking with the neighbours about it, they told me that every one that moved into the house lost their bond money because of one thing or another.
So when ever some thing breaks, I put it in writing to the property managers. And I file a copy for myself. As least there, you have proof that you did notify them.
I also note down every time they call me too, as they only seem to reply to 1 in every 3 repair requests.

 

[FragLAN]

Deny it. What they are doing is covering there ass. Right now people getting sick because of MOLD in their apartments is a HUGE thing. You can sue for millions if you find mold in your apartment and you were affected by it. They probly found MOLD in a vacant apartment and are now trying to cover their asses, MOLD is THEIR problem not yours. And if they kick you out for not signing it go to a lawyer, you will win.`

 

[HardKore{Killa}]

thats really wierd i wonder who wrote it they certainally weren't i there write mind writing wierd and stupid things like that some of them were so obvious to do they were stupid

 

[hercules_upw]

I agree with Frag- They are just covering their A$$es.