Very Aggravated! (vent)

Ok So I have lived here over 2 months now and the landlord has not fixed anything!!!!!!!! Now the a/c in my kids room is leaking all over the place. Including into the outlet it's plugged into! They havent had any a/c in thier room for almost 2 weeks and have been sleeping in my room while I sleep on the couch. Everyday the landlord tells me they are coming that day to fix it and no one shows up! And thats only one thing!
I have NO carpet in my room. Its literally just wood! When I moved in they had to put a new floor in (that took them almost a week to get to) and said that the next day they would put in the carpet..Two months later, it's still not done. They also said they were going to replace the ceiling and put in a light in my living room ( I have NO light in my living room or kitchen except floor lamps. All there is are holes where the old ones were. Thats why they are replacing the ceiling). The toilet seat keeps breaking competely OFF! My shower head mount thingys is stripped out and you have to TAPE the damn thing on while it's leaking all over the place..The bathroom is carpeted and I was told tile was going to be put in, not done yet. The carpet in the kids room was supposed to be replaced because for the first weel we were here it was leaking then and was supposedly "fixed". We know now it wasnt! All this was promised to be done when I moved in, because I moved in on such short notice. Only thing that WAS done was they painted the walls because it smelled of cat urine SO badly it choked you!
I don't know what to do about this lady. I have thought about telling her by certified letter if these things arent fixed Im not paying rent, but this is the type of place that they will kick you out in a hearbeat, and they dont have to give you 30 days because we pay by the week. Im just fo frustrated about it, it's not even funny. Does anyone have any suggestions? I can't afford to move right now, so that's not an option...Any suggestions or advice would be helpful..

That's not good!! I would look into the laws of renting in Florida. Then I would contact people to get it done. It sounds like you have a "slumlord"!

I don't know much, but I believe there are usually laws to help tenants in situations like this. Maybe someone who knows more about this can pipe in... It might differ depending on where you live...

I would start looking online for the renters laws for your state and see if there is some sort of board that you can call to complain. That is going beyond being a lazy landlord. There are some very serious safety concerns!

Im not worried so much about the "cosmetics" as I am about the electrical aspects. I mean, the A/C leaked all the way down the wall, and into the outlet that it's plugged into. It got so bad (I didnt know it was leaking again until I was cleaning thier room) that the outlet literally FELL OUT OF THE WALL!

Originally Posted by DixieDarlin256

Im not worried so much about the "cosmetics" as I am about the electrical aspects. I mean, the A/C leaked all the way down the wall, and into the outlet that it's plugged into. It got so bad (I didnt know it was leaking again until I was cleaning thier room) that the outlet literally FELL OUT OF THE WALL!

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Now THAT sounds like a real electric hazard....you do need to contact someone. Maybe the police could help direct you to who you need to talk to.
The other gal is right ...this is a slumloard situation you are dealing with.
Here in our town they have really cracked down on those kinds of people...but that does`nt help you in FL.
I`m sorry that you are having to go through all of this. You have to be about totally frustrated to say the least.
Good luck to you...I truly hope you get someplace with all of this...and soon!

The other thing that makes me mad is I see them RUNNING to fix other peoples problems and putting mine off... Like today she said "the winds from the storm blew all the lattice off of number 3 and as soon as he's done with that he will be here to fix it".... never showed up... and I see them next door EVERYDAY working on that house and those people JUST moved in 2 weeks ago

Here's your local pamplet to check out for advice: http://www.800helpfla.com/landlord_text.html
Be sure to take pictures & document all calls that you've made, what the landlord told you would be done, and any action taken & when. Also, now that time's passed, it's a good idea to make a list & duplicate it & provide your landlord with a copy. This could be done in a friendly manner, just to keep things feeling comfortable. If nothing happens very soon,you could also call your local fire dept. & see if they can come do an inspection, because you have some serious hazards, for sure. Be warned, though, they might condemn the place & then you will have a bigger problem - I know, because years ago, a plumber found a wood rat under my A-frame rental & he called the Health Dept. who did just that, & I was forced to move with my 2 girls or risk them calling Child Protective Services (that's what the health inspector threatened to do); I had to move in with a friend who had a weird boyfriend - it took lots of overtime to earn the money to move to another place...

why dont you call the police explain the situation, even get them to come to look at it and then they will deal with the landlady
or maybe she hasnt seen the exact condition of it.

Google tenants rights FL, and see what you come up with. NC and many other states have a very specific set of laws. In some states you can put the rent into a bank account and hold it until severe problems are fixed without fear of eviction, as long as the money is in the bank and you can prove it. Good luck, keep us posted.

Hmmm, if the outlet fell out of the wall, that wasn't the original outlet to begin with which should've been NAILED or SCREWED to an adjacent stud. "Old Work" boxes just have little flaps to hold them tight to the drywall or other wallcovering. Sounds like a) the A/C is not sloped down toward the outside like it's SUPPOSED to be (should be about 1/4" difference in level) so that the condensate drains outside, and then b) all that water (an A/C unit can put out a gallon or better of water a day depending on humidity) sheeted down your inside wall and dissolved the drywall. Water will absolutely destroy drywall, it's just gypsum with a binder and paper on either side. So now not only do they need to fix the issue with the A/C, it also sounds like they've got a drywall patching job to do. They would've been ahead if they'd just gone ahead and done it .

In Florida I am fairly certain there is a law that requires landlords to keep the ac up and running. You can call attorney's around your area and find one who specializes in landlord/ tenant laws. Some will see you for a free consultation. You don't necessarily have to hire them to work your case, but they might be able to advise you on how to handle it on your own.

Originally Posted by RoseHawke

Hmmm, if the outlet fell out of the wall, that wasn't the original outlet to begin with which should've been NAILED or SCREWED to an adjacent stud. "Old Work" boxes just have little flaps to hold them tight to the drywall or other wallcovering. Sounds like a) the A/C is not sloped down toward the outside like it's SUPPOSED to be (should be about 1/4" difference in level) so that the condensate drains outside, and then b) all that water (an A/C unit can put out a gallon or better of water a day depending on humidity) sheeted down your inside wall and dissolved the drywall. Water will absolutely destroy drywall, it's just gypsum with a binder and paper on either side. So now not only do they need to fix the issue with the A/C, it also sounds like they've got a drywall patching job to do. They would've been ahead if they'd just gone ahead and done it

.

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RoseHawke, I just love your knowledge!! My place needs someone just like you!

I just spoke with my landlord on the phone. She says they will be here at 3:30 this afternoon. Im not going to hold my breath though. I have decided that if these problems arent addressed by Friday, then I am going to contact the housing authority and report them. She said they are going to take the unit out of the wall, patch the hole, and put it in the window at the angle it's supposed to be at.

RoseHawke,
The problem is it's not drywall, it's paneling. I live in a mobile home and if you ask me, it makes the repairs easier for them. all they need to do is cut out the damaged and replace it.

Originally Posted by DixieDarlin256

<snip>...I live in a mobile home and if you ask me, it makes the repairs easier for them. all they need to do is cut out the damaged and replace it.

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Been there done that . If it's the "pre-decorated" panels with the little strips covering the joints, then actually it most likely is 3/8" drywall, if it looks like wood it MIGHT actually be 1/4" plyboard paneling which is the only type paneling which is rated for direct attachment to the studs. Sometimes they do use a masonite type though as it's cheaper. Also if it's a single-wide the walls may not be the standard 2x4 although since you live in Florida I would hope so since I believe down there they are supposed to be built to hurricane specifications. The single wide we lived in was built from "industry standard" (as of 1988) studs instead of 2x4s (which is actually 1.5" by 3.5"), which was actually more like 1.5"x3.0" which I found out only after I put a toggle bolt in a wall which would have been okay in a "normal" house --- but had it punch through the other side . Unfortunately code in a lot of instances does not apply to manufactured housing, although the standards are much higher than they used to be.

Live and learn !

Good luck! I hope they take care of things!

I'm surprised that this place in the condition you described could even be rented!!
I would contact your local housing authority and complain and see if there has been prior complaints.
I agree with Rosehawk-an electrical outlet just doesn't "fall out". I wonder if the other outlets are up to building code. In Wisconsin we have pretty good landlord/tenant laws ie minimum heat requirements in the winter-does FL have perhaps minimum temp requirements??? The plumbing problems you have in the bathroom with the shower head and toilet are unbelievable. Could you perhaps contact the landlord and tell them that you are considering hiring someone and billing them for the repairs??
Would you qualify for subsidized housing elsewhere???
Good luck in the getting the repairs fixed.

I think you are quite right. This is way beyond inexscusable. If they don't have it fixed by Friday, (which is VERY generous of you) report them. Legally they can't evict you for that, if they try you have lots of legal recourse.

I'll keep my fingers crossed for ya that all goes smoothly. Hopefully there will be no need to get the law involved, but if there is the law is on your side.

HUD is apparently in charge of the initial code for manufactured housing. It is the "only national building code" in effect. However, I'm really not sure WHO would be in charge of it once the home is delivered and set up. For regular housing there's a permit and inspection process to go through with major (which includes most electrical and plumbing) repairs but my gut tells me that probably doesn't apply to manufactured housing .

Well it's almost 6pm and no sign of them yet and I have called them 3 times... no suprise