Landlord/Tenant Problems I need HELP please?
We started renting this house July1,2007 and have a 1 year lease. We set up a verbal aggreement with our land lady to have things fixed around the house (new carpet, central ac/heat,) and she put it in the lease to have pest control etc. About a month into us renting, I called her to go over the agrreement on the carpet and a/c, and my land lady went back on what we agreed to and said she can’t afford to do any of it. But that was after I had to convince her that she did rent the house already and to us. She is an elderly lady in her 60′s maybe.Anyway, in Spetember we payed her ent and 2 weeks later she came knocking on the door wanting rent (after we already paid her) and every month to date after that she has asked for rent before and after we pay it. She comes by our house several times a month, harasses my brother who live next door, harassed my 15 year old niece about the rent we already paid and asking when are we getting out of her house. She has told us to move or pay rent…..
She has used her key to come in our house and snoop while we are gone, peaked through the windows, etc. We are looking for a place to move to now. My things is, she is threatening to have us evicted through the courts. We are up to date on our rent, but to our own stupidity we didn’t bother getting reciepts cause we are stupid and after she spazzed out on us, we started asking and she would say no and walk away. I know dumb, lesson learned. Friends of my brothers lived here before us and said she was a great land lady, so we figured no need. Now we find out, that is the reason why they left too and lied to us, so we can move in and keep her from going after them. So with no reciepts to show we paid rent and her having nothing to prover her crap story that we didn’t what can we do? I have some proof that she has harassed us non stop as well as our family/neighbors. Do we have a good fight or should we just move before she lies and tries to evict us by the court? In advice helps please.
We paid by cash and money orders. I don’t have a checking account. But her invading our privacy, harassing us and neighbors is against the law. She violated the privacy act when talking to our neighbors and an underage child about us. I seriously think she has problems with her memory.

June 16th, 2011 at 12:34 am
you need to call the attorney general office in your city
Report this comment
June 18th, 2011 at 3:34 am
If you paid by check, you can use the canceled check as your receipt.
Report this comment
June 20th, 2011 at 7:33 am
did you pay by check, or have a cash withdrawl monthly of the same amount to show that this is what you paid?
Report this comment
June 22nd, 2011 at 1:34 pm
you need a lawyer to get out of this one…NEVER PAY RENT IN CASH!! First lesson learned! Without proof that you paid the rent she can take you to court and get you evicted with back payment to her for the unpaid rent.
Report this comment
June 24th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Start calling the police when she harasses you. You can have an injunction put against her. Have your neighbors (any she harassed or seen her go in and out of your house, peek thru windows etc) write a note stating what they have seen. Find all the stubs from rent paid by money order. Next time you pay her rent, have a neighbor (not family) wittiness it and have them write a note. Always take pics when you first move in to document any damages or whatever that is already in/on the home and then take pics when you move out. Just to document the house. But your land lady seems like she is off her rocker, to be peeking in your windows. That just freaks me out. I would contact an attorney and if you can not afford one contact your legal aid department. Also call the housing department..sorry not sure what is called, they should be in the phone book. Good luck!
Another thing, by her talking to your neighbors and family, she did violate your privacy. And she can enter your home for any emergency repairs or other repairs as well as as showing the home, but other than the emergency she has to give you 12 hours i think notice in advance.
Report this comment
June 26th, 2011 at 8:34 pm
1. From now on, please pay rent by money order and keep a copy of the money order and/or money order receipt.
2. The lease says, she must give you a written notice when she will enter your place and for what reason.
3. The lease says, you have the right to a quiet, peaceful place and she has violated that. She can be taken to small claims court for violating the lease.
4. Finally, look for a new place. Since she have entered your home without notice, and harassing you for rent already paid, you should be able to get out of your lease early, but since she have a memory problem I doubt that you can get your security deposit back.
Another thing, by her talking to your neighbors and family, she did violate your privacy. And she can enter your home for any emergency repairs or other repairs as well as as showing the home, but other than the emergency she has to give you 12 hours i think notice in advance.
Report this comment