Better Business Bureau
Question
My apartment says I didn't give written notice and demands I stay/pay for another 60 days for 1000 a month?
My apartment complex sucks. I pay 760 a month to get absolutely no help. I've been here two years in november. Everytime something is broken or needs to be fixed I call, leave messages and nobody answers. At one point my front door was broken for more then a week and I had to tape the door shut because they didn't think it was an "emergency" that I couldn't lock or even close my front door at night. My air conditioner has always leaked, there looks like a air conditioner leak on the air vent in my bedroom, the grout in my kitchen was CALKED, not even grouted so it's chipping and looks horrible. The floor boards have snapped and bowed in many places, the light fixture in my kitchen blinks, my stove doesn't maintain a temperature-- the list goes on. Now. I have called and left messages about all these things, told the maintenence men when I saw them and even when they stopped into my job and saw me-- nothing ever has gotten fixed. So, a couple weeks back, my neighbor, somebody complained that I had left my trash outside my door for "days". I had been cleaning out the bedroom in preperation to throw out junk for our move and had litterally tossed it out there not 2 hours before they called (filled with papers and old shoes, not rotten food). The landlord, the new one because all of them have sucked, calls and starts harrassing me about the cleanliness of my home and how this building has bug problems and how I'm not helping (to which I told her taht the other people needed to keep a cleaner house because I have had all of TWO roaches in my house in 2 years). I told her then that I wanted to leave, I was sending in my notice, and that I hated it here and didn't appreciate the fact that whenever she or anyone else has a problem with me and how I live my life and manage my home-- I get immediate calls, but when I have problems with my home, it's like I never called or wrote-- nothing. So my delimma now. Over the weekend I got a notice on my door saying that I needed to renew my lease or give 60 days notice, which I did on the second week of september (I wanted to leave at the end of my lease in November). I had given notice in SEPTEMBER. So my husband calls them today to talk to them about it and they say that we never gave notice, that when I talked to her I said we were "thinking about moving out" which is absolutely NOT the case-- and that we have to stay until the end of December and pay 1000 for the rent in december. Is there anything I can do? I seriously hate this place and desperately want to leave! That women in the office is such a horrible, nasty person and I can't afford to move out and pay the rent at two different places, I have already put in the deposit for a rental home and I don't know what to do. Any help? I'm going to call the management office and report them to the better business bureau as well. They have to be doing something illegal. The only thing I regret is not sending my 60 day notice as certified mail. It was a written notice. I drafted a letter, addressed it to the office and sent it. I also put one directly into their rent drop box with my rent.
1 month ago - 8 answers
Best Answer
Chosen by Asker
Repair requests and notices to vacate must be put in writing...or they never happened.
by reenzz
1 month ago
Asker's Rating: 
Other Answers
You say you gave notice in September? How? In what format? It has to be in writing.
by jlf- 1 month ago
you have to give notice in writing, and keep a copy of it for proof. It is my understanding that a thirty day notice is all that is required.
by DeeDee- 1 month ago
unless you gave written notice, you are stuck there for another 60 days - verbal message are always meaningless
by Doctor Deth- 1 month ago
1. All previous problems not taking care of are not relevant to giving notice. 2. Read your lease. See if requires 30 or 60 day notice. It probably requires written notice, which it does not seem like you did. You said "I told her then that I wanted to leave, I was sending in my notice..." but you don't say whether you actually did that or not. You should always give notice by either certified mail or by walking down to the office and having someone sign a copy of it so that you have proof they received it. 3. If you do have to stay due to not giving proper notice they can not charge you a higher rent for December unless THEY follow the proper procedures for raising your rent once you go month to month. Again, refer to your lease. If they only have to give you 30 day notice of a rental increase and your regular lease expires 11-30-09, they must do that by the end of October.
by HEATHER- 1 month ago
carefully look over your lease contract, if you don't have a copy they must still have the original and have to give you a copy FREE. In there it should say something about problems with maintenance, you say you have had numerous problems with them not fixing things. Usually there is a limit of times that you ask for things to get fixed that they must fix it under. As for your notice, sorry but you HAVE to give it to them in writing. It can be in crayon on a napkin but it has to be in writing and for your best interest hand delivered, or they can easily claim they never got it. Any if they can they will. I have had similar problems in the past and honestly that it the best advice I can give you. But you have to make sure that you followed whatever it is that it says in the contract. So if it says your maintenance repairs request had to be in writing then thats how they have to be. But if you find that you follow everything by the agreement and in anyway they did not, you may be able to get out of your lease early due to their failure to comply with the lease agreement. Be sure to read it a couple of times and very carefully, it can be tricky. Good luck and I hope you the best. And unless there is something in the agreement about the rent, I'm not sure why you would have to pay 1000 if you give your notice.
by priss22ja- 1 month ago
i have a solution for getting repairs done but that is a bit late now. re your moving; find a witness that knows you sent them a notice; certified is always safer......if you could hold on for 2 mo months and I can assure you all will be fixed. or do you want to leave no matter what? email me privately i am sorry that real estate--renting, can seem so formal but it is to protect everyone...........and it GUARANTEES REPAIRS done and exits done too, at no additional cost to tenants tell me if you wish more help; free
by kemperk- 1 month ago
In most states, if the conditions are uninhabitable, then you have the right to leave without notice or take other action. However, the rules vary from state to state, you usually wind up in court, and I am not sure if the circumstances that you describe qualify.
by StephenWeinstein- 1 month ago