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Initio
Oct 29, 2007
!

muscat_gummy posted:

I guess I was trying to figure out if the ac was comically oversized or just a bit oversized.

So I assume that it being 3x as strong as it should be is probably why it is so damp? Can I force the landlord to put in a smaller ac? Ugh moving.

That thing is stupidly sized for your bedroom - something like that can cool about 720 sq ft. A wall unit like that can really only cool one room, so the room will pretty much always be damp, as the unit will shut off well before it will dehumidify.

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Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.

Mike Danger posted:

Newbie apartment hunt question: if the listing says "credit report required", and I basically have nonexistent credit, should I even bother contacting them? I pulled the free report from one of the big bureaus (Trans-something? I have the hard copy somewhere) but it was just a list of my student loans (which I'm assuming don't help my case at all).

If you're a student or have zero credit, they'll probably require a cosigner. If you have an income, however, you can provide proof of income either through a job offer letter or paystubs and that's usually sufficient to show that you do have the funds to pay for it, and aren't a deadbeat.

Comstar
Apr 20, 2007

Are you happy now?
Still in the process of moving in. The landlord sent some handymen around who fixed the broken/stuck windows, doors handles and smoke detectors. Getting a quote to pay 50/50 of a new gas stove. I'm feeling a lot happier.

The cupboards are very old and/or bare wood - I would like to line them with something, but as it's a rental can't be permanent. What's a nice liner for kitchen and bedroom cupboards?

Fixed Gear Guy
Oct 21, 2010

In a ketchup factory. A sexy ketchup factory.
Yes I just went through this issue myself. I am a recent grad with a bit of credit history and I didn't have any trouble getting approved. My credit score is like a 680 (and would be a 710-720 if ACS Education hadn't dinged me with a 30 late after never telling me my loan was exiting forbearance...) and I got approved at a swanky place no problem.

As a previous poster said, no one really cares if you have a balance on a CC or you have thousands in student loans. Landlords just A) need to ensure that you haven't skipped out on previous leases or have collections placed against you, and B) verify that you are employed at a certain gross salary, or you have a trust fund or other means of payment.

A Philadelphia forum I read full of small-time landlords said it best: in an economic climate where everyone's credit is hosed, just deny tenancy to those with the most hosed up reports.

So yeah, by having student loans you do indeed have a credit history and it is surprisingly not a bad platform. You will need a cosigner and proof of employment (acceptance letter or paystubs) or a hefty security deposit.

Problem!
Jan 1, 2007

I am the queen of France.
Here's something useful that I discovered the hard way that no one told me about:

If you have little to no credit, the multiple credit checks you'll go through if you apply to several apartment complexes will ding your credit score more than if you already had a really solid credit history. So if you're planning several things that require credit checks, do them in the order of importance to you so you don't screw yourself over if you suddenly get denied a couple credit checks down the line.

Here's what happened to me, as a recent grad with not more credit than a couple utility bills in my name, a credit card I rarely used, with just a job offer as proof of income:
Apartment credit check: went through just fine, signed lease yadda yadda
Car loan 'cause my old car couldn't make the 1200 mile journey and I needed a new one: Approved, but after a week of back and forth with finance guys and ultimately settling on a higher interest rate to avoid needing a cosigner
Financing the remainder of the furniture I couldn't pay for in full quite yet: DENIED due to too many recent credit checks.

All that mattered was that i had a set of wheels to get to work and somewhere to live. I survived without furniture for a little while until my credit bounced back.

Authentic You
Mar 4, 2007

Listen now this is your
captain calling:
Your captain is dead.
Aww poo poo my security deposit :psyduck:

So basically, the security deposit from my last place is three months late. Lease ended May 31. One month late if you count from our move out date, August 1. (we informally sublet from new tenants - our new place didn't open until two months after the lease ended on the last house, and new tenants weren't going to move in until late August. Landlord was aware of this, and these sorts of arrangements are extremely common in all the college kid houses they own, so they don't care.)

Anywho, we had correspondence with the lady in the leasing office in July asking about where to mail the security deposit and whether to divide it up, etc. We provided the info, and then.. nothing. I finally got off my rear end and picked up the email chain again and asked about the deposit. The leasing office lady tells me to refer to the accounting office lady. I email the accounting office lady, and she was like, 'Hmm, I'll go check with the leasing office lady.' Gah.

I'll just let them talk to each other and figure it out. I have no reason to believe they're loving us over (we haven't gotten any notification that we're not getting the deposit, either), they've been good to us and our current place is also one of their properties (hooray for not having to do another credit check now that my credit sucks rear end), it's just that I'm broke as poo poo and need the money, and worse, I owe part of the deposit to a past tenant's mom.

I'm pretty sure this'll work itself out, but if it drags out, is there anything I can do to get it/push the process along without pissing the landlord off? Since they are still my current landlord and all.

Fixed Gear Guy
Oct 21, 2010

In a ketchup factory. A sexy ketchup factory.

Aquatic Giraffe posted:

Credit check stuff.

This is a really good point. A lot of hard inquiries in quick succession can really hurt your score. When you hunt for apartments try to decide if you like the place BEFORE the application process goes too far.

A lot of bigger property management groups use VaultWare or an equivalent tool which lets you pre-qualify, apply, and pay online. I made the mistake of doing one application when I was just playing around, seeing if my credit was good enough to get approved. Welp, it was, and the system proceeded to reserve my unit and ask me for a security deposit without any intervention from the leasing office. It was a pain to cancel the application and of course the landlady talked my ear off about how great their place is.

So you should ideally only have one hard credit inquiry during the hunt, especially since you may also be making other big life purchases like a car or furniture not from IKEA and that 25 point dip can really hurt.

Communist Q
Jul 13, 2009

I wasn't sure if this should go here, or if it would be better suited for the legal questions megathread. Right now, I'm living in Austin, TX, at a rather crappy apartment complex. While for the most part I don't mind living here, recently a stray cat decided that my buildings breezeway is an awesome place to live and defecate. Since my apartment complex does not clean it's breezeway, it's getting rather disgusting, and I've taken it upon myself to document and clean it up. I don't mind since there are kids around here.

However, my biggest concern is the cat has become friendly since a neighbor fed it recently. It's now coming up to people and meowing expecting food. Unfortunately for my girlfriend, she is deathly allergic to cats and would need an immediate epi-pen if she comes in contact with it. Since the cat is now starting to come up to people, we're starting to get worried that it might come up and rub against her while out walking our dog, taking out trash, etc. If it does and she has no one near by, she'd likely die from it.

Due to this, I've started trying to deal with this by contacting animal control, who won't help. After contacting animal control, I let the apartment complex know my concerns and asked if they would contact animal control as well. They've refused to help and stated its up to the residents to lodge complaints with animal control. This seems ridiculous to me since it poses a major health risk to a resident, and it's on their property. We've tried to get a trap, but animal control stated that since someone fed it, they're now responsible for it, and could sue us if we trap the cat. (The person who fed it has stated its not her cat, and denied feeding it, despite having a conversation with my girlfriend and I about feeding the cat)

Do I have any recourse against the apartment complex? If possible, I would like to break my lease in order to find a new, less risky place to live. If I don't have grounds to break my lease, does anyone have advice on dealing with stray cats? I don't want to hurt the cat. I just want it gone.

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Animal control's job is to pick up strays. It's not on the apartment complex. Why did animal control say they wouldn't help?

Worst case scenario, get a live animal trap, trap the cat and take it to animal control.

Communist Q
Jul 13, 2009

They stated that since a resident has fed it, it's now their responsibility and property to deal with the cat. Animal control also stated that she could sue us if we trap the cat and bring it to animal control. They also stated that they only pick up sick animals who are a health risk.'

V V Yup, exactly. I'm leaning towards trapping it anyway.

Communist Q fucked around with this message at 18:01 on Sep 5, 2012

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Who could sue you? The resident who is denying they ever fed the cat?

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer
Besides, if I find a stray animal and don't know whether or not it belongs to anyone, I'm well within my right to take it to animal control. If it belongs to someone, they can go to animal control and get it. As long as I didn't take it out of someone's back yard, no crime has been committed.

Authentic You
Mar 4, 2007

Listen now this is your
captain calling:
Your captain is dead.
I've been binging on Animal Cops: Houston lately (yeah, I know), and have learned from that show that if you start caring for a stray, it legally becomes your animal. I don't remember if restraint is part of the condition, but the show covered a few cases where a well-meaning citizen would take in an injured stray, pen/chain it on their land, and care for it, and the SPCA would have to explain that upon doing that, the animal legally becomes their property and they are liable for its well-being.

My guess with the suit remark is that the cat would be legal property of the resident who has been feeding it (and no longer a stray), so trapping the cat and taking it to animal control creates some issues.

Communist Q
Jul 13, 2009

Thanks for the replies. I think I'm going to try to reach out to her to see if she would let us trap the cat after explaining that by feeding it, it is now her responsibility. She's barely ever home and leaves the cat outside all day without food or water, and only feeds it when she's at her apartment. I don't think this will go well since she's usually high or drunk whenever I see her, but it's worth a shot.

Ashcans
Jan 2, 2006

Let's do the space-time warp again!

Fallback option: Does the apartment complex allow you to keep pets? If not, then contact the management and complain that someone has a pet in the complex that poses a health risk to you. Legally it's her cat, so now she has to own up to the management and deal with that. Or she can disown it and take it in to control.

madlilnerd
Jan 4, 2009

a bush with baggage
I've got a problem with flies in my kitchen, not big buzzy bluebottles, but gross tiny flies. My bin has a lid (obviously not very well sealing) and is kept in a cupboard, but they're multiplying like crazy in there. Every time I open it to throw out a tea bag, another 10 fly out! I don't keep fruit or food out where they can get to it, and I'm generally very clean in the kitchen. I don't leave dirty plates out or anything like that.

I don't like the idea of spraying poison around, so what natural options do I have? So far I've got a little pot with orange juice and dishwashing liquid in it (to break the surface tension), but it's only drowned a handful of flies. I made up some traps following instructions on the internet- it's a jam jar with honey and vinegar and dish soap in it, with the corner of a sandwich bag forming a little cone into it with a tiny hole in it. I put one in the cupboard in the bin and one on top of the fridge but neither seem to be working :(

Eggplant Wizard
Jul 8, 2005


i loev catte
Take your trash out more often. Don't leave fruit or veggies in there for more than a couple days without taking it out. Also, clean the bin and cupboard thoroughly-- all surfaces, like even the sides of the doors. Clean your drain in your sink (someone else might have a suggestion of how to best do this). Clean every other cupboard if problem continues. Fruit flies are the enemy and the only remedy is constant vigilance.

CatStacking
Jan 9, 2010

~A Purely Preposterous Pussy~
So, I have two sinks in my kitchen. One is a regular one, one is connected to the garbage disposal which does not work (I call it the small sink).

The small sink often backs up with water and never drains properly unless I plunger it, for whatever reason that works. Also, when I run my dishwasher, it fills up the small sink and it overflows.

My landlord has expressed interest in removing the garbage disposal thing and just doing straight piping. Would that make it drain better and make it not puke dirt water all over my kitchen whenever I run the dishwasher?

What else can I do in the mean time?

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer
The dishwasher thing can also be caused by not having the drain pipe on it (that goes in the side of the garbage disposal) looped properly. Read this and see if any of those things are issues.

Costello Jello
Oct 24, 2003

It had to start somewhere

cuntvalet posted:

So, I have two sinks in my kitchen. One is a regular one, one is connected to the garbage disposal which does not work (I call it the small sink).

The small sink often backs up with water and never drains properly unless I plunger it, for whatever reason that works. Also, when I run my dishwasher, it fills up the small sink and it overflows.

My landlord has expressed interest in removing the garbage disposal thing and just doing straight piping. Would that make it drain better and make it not puke dirt water all over my kitchen whenever I run the dishwasher?

What else can I do in the mean time?

Your landlord needs to stop slapping band-aids on this problem and hire a competent plumber to come and deeply snake your pipe at the very least, if not stick a camera down there. If your sink fills up especially when the dishwasher runs, it's more indicative of a clog that is much deeper down the pipes. It could even be tree roots invading the pipes, if you live in a house near a tree.

But no, getting rid of the broken garbage disposal won't help your current problems, at the best it will contribute less to future problems if a tenant is the kind of person who shoves tons of food down the disposal.

CatStacking
Jan 9, 2010

~A Purely Preposterous Pussy~

Costello Jello posted:

Your landlord needs to stop slapping band-aids on this problem and hire a competent plumber to come and deeply snake your pipe at the very least, if not stick a camera down there. If your sink fills up especially when the dishwasher runs, it's more indicative of a clog that is much deeper down the pipes. It could even be tree roots invading the pipes, if you live in a house near a tree.

But no, getting rid of the broken garbage disposal won't help your current problems, at the best it will contribute less to future problems if a tenant is the kind of person who shoves tons of food down the disposal.

I put nothing down the disposal and was horrified to find a bloated spounge in it at one point.

Also, using the plunger on the sink and getting splashed with dirt water is the worst. :(

Fixed Gear Guy
Oct 21, 2010

In a ketchup factory. A sexy ketchup factory.
Would this be a tenant's rights issue? You should not have to put up with non-functional plumbing. Especially if it isn't your fault.

On the other hand, garbage disposals are a loving miracle if you have one that works right. It's awesome to not have smelly poo poo lay around until the trash is full, and you don't have to pick up the little bits of corn/onion/whatever out of the sink trap (that always makes me gag). I grew up in a lovely midcentury house with literally 2 sq feet of counter space, and I think I poo poo myself when I first cooked in my girlfriend's college house which had a garbage disposal and real counter space.

I am actually moving out of a family member's house now because the shower backs up leaving my feet submerged in filthy water and the toilet needs to be plunged every time I go #2, and she's refused to call a goddamn plumber to scope and deep clean the pipes.

Brannock
Feb 9, 2006

by exmarx
Fallen Rib
Okay so this has happened in pretty much every single apartment I've lived in so maybe you guys can help me figure this out. Why does my apartment get more humid at night? Like clockwork the sun will go down and it'll get uncomfortably humid in here after being perfectly comfortable all day long.

It's not actually getting hotter - I run the AC and it's been at 74 all day long. My apartment is eastern facing and on the first floor, so I'm pretty drat well shielded from the setting sun. Yet, at 10 AM my apartment is much cooler-feeling than it is at 8 PM. (And at 3-4 PM too - for the theories about "it takes time for heat to work through the brick and concrete.")

My only plausible theory is that the cooler air is causing the air to compress and becoming more humid as a result (while keeping the same water content) - but that shouldn't be affecting the inside of my apartment since I've had the windows and patio door closed all day and, as I said before, it's still 74 degrees in here.

edit: My apartment building is certified green, energy efficient, etc and there's about fifty feet between my door and the west side of the building. Heat/humidity really shouldn't be penetrating like this, yet it behaves the exact same as when I lived in crappy places with zero insulation.

Brannock fucked around with this message at 04:45 on Sep 6, 2012

vonnegutt
Aug 7, 2006
Hobocamp.

madlilnerd posted:

I've got a problem with flies in my kitchen, not big buzzy bluebottles, but gross tiny flies. My bin has a lid (obviously not very well sealing) and is kept in a cupboard, but they're multiplying like crazy in there. Every time I open it to throw out a tea bag, another 10 fly out! I don't keep fruit or food out where they can get to it, and I'm generally very clean in the kitchen. I don't leave dirty plates out or anything like that.

I've heard leaving a bottle of MD 20/20 out overnight will straight up hobo murder fruit flies.

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer

Brannock posted:

Okay so this has happened in pretty much every single apartment I've lived in so maybe you guys can help me figure this out. Why does my apartment get more humid at night? Like clockwork the sun will go down and it'll get uncomfortably humid in here after being perfectly comfortable all day long.

It's not actually getting hotter - I run the AC and it's been at 74 all day long. My apartment is eastern facing and on the first floor, so I'm pretty drat well shielded from the setting sun. Yet, at 10 AM my apartment is much cooler-feeling than it is at 8 PM. (And at 3-4 PM too - for the theories about "it takes time for heat to work through the brick and concrete.")

My only plausible theory is that the cooler air is causing the air to compress and becoming more humid as a result (while keeping the same water content) - but that shouldn't be affecting the inside of my apartment since I've had the windows and patio door closed all day and, as I said before, it's still 74 degrees in here.

edit: My apartment building is certified green, energy efficient, etc and there's about fifty feet between my door and the west side of the building. Heat/humidity really shouldn't be penetrating like this, yet it behaves the exact same as when I lived in crappy places with zero insulation.

The A/C pulls the humidity from the air. If the A/C isn't running at night when it gets cooler outside, then you have nothing to pull the humidity from the air.

Imodium AD
Sep 11, 2001
wut?
A couple of things missing in the OP that I would add.


Questions to ask a potential landlord:
-Do you accept Section 8? (I personally do not want section 8 neighbors based on past experience and more recent studies.)
-Can I see the actual apartment before I sign the lease? The model they showed you is not the unit you will be renting and chances are there is a huge difference between the two, especially in the world of student housing.
-Is there a provision to break the lease? Not that you're planning on it, but knowing that getting out is a simple matter of forfeiting the security deposit and paying a fee, vs having to find a subletter, vs being on the hook for the entire cost of the lease is important.
-Can I have a grill on my balcony?
-Allergy sufferers: What size is the furnace filter? Can I replace it with a 3M Filtrete? (Hint, not if it is 15x25x1!)
-Is the cost of any utilities shared among tenants of different apartments within the same building? I have seen unbelievable schemes for this. BS like "You share electric with your neighbor and I take it out of both of your security deposits because I'm too loving cheap to get dedicated service to each unit :haw:"


Things to make sure you have when you move in:
Garbage bags
Shower Curtain and Rings

Clean the inside of the fridge completely _before_ putting food inside. Once it is loaded you will never bother and the inside of that fridge is probably disgusting.
Cleaning brush (Within a week) Get one of these and clean the coils underneath the fridge.


quote:

It's also a good idea to take photos of any damage or mess you see when you move in, just in case the landlord tries to claim you did it and screw you out of your security deposit.
Consider strengthening this language. Instead of 'just in case' say 'Assume the landlord will try to claim you...'

Comparing Utility Cost:
Call the utility provider and ask how much a given address costs. Often they will not give you specific details for privacy reasons, but instead ballpark averages based on the neighbors on that floor. I've never had a problem by just being polite. One time I was given exact numbers for the addresses I was interested in, and this saved me many hundreds of dollars when it was apparent some had zero insulation for heat in the winter.


This is very much just my opinion and not necessarily worth adding.
If this is your first apartment: Do not expect things to get fixed instantly by maintenance. Do not expect the condition to be perfect and do not hound the office with requests about things you can fix yourself, like tightening the screws on a loose cabinet door, replacing a light bulb in the bathroom, or cleaning the lint trap on your washer. When its an actual problem like plumbing/electrical/appliances/carpentry you can take them to task. (I learned to mellow out and lower my expectations as I became an experienced renter).

Imodium AD fucked around with this message at 17:45 on Sep 6, 2012

Ctrl_Alt_Delete
Nov 1, 2005

madlilnerd posted:

I've got a problem with flies in my kitchen, not big buzzy bluebottles, but gross tiny flies. My bin has a lid (obviously not very well sealing) and is kept in a cupboard, but they're multiplying like crazy in there. Every time I open it to throw out a tea bag, another 10 fly out! I don't keep fruit or food out where they can get to it, and I'm generally very clean in the kitchen. I don't leave dirty plates out or anything like that.

I don't like the idea of spraying poison around, so what natural options do I have? So far I've got a little pot with orange juice and dishwashing liquid in it (to break the surface tension), but it's only drowned a handful of flies. I made up some traps following instructions on the internet- it's a jam jar with honey and vinegar and dish soap in it, with the corner of a sandwich bag forming a little cone into it with a tiny hole in it. I put one in the cupboard in the bin and one on top of the fridge but neither seem to be working :(

I had this problem too! In addition to cleaning and making sure your trash is taken out, get a small bowl and put some apple cider vinegar or beer, and just adrop of Dawn and leave it in areas they frequent. I put both out. The dawn breaks the surface tension so the little buggers can't get away. So far the apple cider vinegar is winning, but the beer is good too. Make sure to refresh the liquid every few days to keep it smelly!

madlilnerd
Jan 4, 2009

a bush with baggage

Honey, sushi vinegar, dish soap


orange juice, dish soap


I got in today and my bedroom was teeming with the fuckers. Totally forgot I threw an apple core away in my bedroom bin.:argh:.

I've emptied all the bins, cleaned the cupboard, mopped the floor in case there's any sticky spills, and emptied the recycling just in case (I do rinse stuff before I recycle it).
I've also got a bucket with a secure lid and until the infestation clears I'm going to be putting food waste in there.

I probably do need to start taking out the trash more often. Because it's just me here at the moment, it takes a long time to fill up so I'm leaving it way longer than it should be. Today it smelt fermenty when I chucked it out. But I don't know better- never lived anywhere with this problem before. My family leave fruit out all the time, have a compost bucket (with a secure lid) as well as a bin, and have never had an infestation. Ah well, you live and learn.

BigBallChunkyTime
Nov 25, 2011

Kyle Schwarber: World Series hero, Beefy Lad, better than you.

Illegal Hen
My wife may be losing her job. She's the main income earner, and we're completely hosed mortgage-wise if it happens. We'll talk to our bank to see if they'll work with us on some sort of payment plan or deferment due to hardship, but if not we'll probably have to find renters.

How would we go about drawing up a lease, etc? Also, could the lease be month-by-month so we could move back in ASAP once we get back on our feet? I have no idea how any of this works, so any advice would be appreciated. We'd probably have the house mostly furnished, as a) we don't want to move big, heavy poo poo just to keep it in storage, and b) storage is expensive and we want to keep costs down if at all possible.

Randomity
Feb 25, 2007

Careful what you wish,
You may regret it!

madlilnerd posted:


Honey, sushi vinegar, dish soap


orange juice, dish soap


I got in today and my bedroom was teeming with the fuckers. Totally forgot I threw an apple core away in my bedroom bin.:argh:.

I've emptied all the bins, cleaned the cupboard, mopped the floor in case there's any sticky spills, and emptied the recycling just in case (I do rinse stuff before I recycle it).
I've also got a bucket with a secure lid and until the infestation clears I'm going to be putting food waste in there.

I probably do need to start taking out the trash more often. Because it's just me here at the moment, it takes a long time to fill up so I'm leaving it way longer than it should be. Today it smelt fermenty when I chucked it out. But I don't know better- never lived anywhere with this problem before. My family leave fruit out all the time, have a compost bucket (with a secure lid) as well as a bin, and have never had an infestation. Ah well, you live and learn.

Pour bleach followed by boiling hot water down all your drains. Including the bottom of your dishwasher if you have one.

Ashcans
Jan 2, 2006

Let's do the space-time warp again!

You can usually find a standard lease for your city/state online or possibly with other pre-drafted legal stuff at somewhere like staples. This sort of thing will not be great and obviously not tailored to your situation, but it'll be cheap or free and most form leases are weighted toward the landlord. You should also look up the laws for your city/county/state regarding landlord duties and responsibilities, as well as the processes for stuff like eviction. A lot of landlords don't bother doing this, and if you mess up and a tenant goes after you for it, it can hurt a lot. The best idea would be to consult with an attorney, but I understand that you probably don't have the cash for that.

You can make a lease for whatever time period you want. A lot of leases are set up for a fixed period, and then go month to month unless renewed. Note that if you want to make it straight up month-to-month, you will drive away some renters. I have a family, and moving is a huge pain in the rear end. I am not going to move into a place if the landlord can ask me to leave a month later, I'd rather take a worse place that I know I can be in for a year.

Leasing it furnished is similar. That can be appealing to some people, but a lot of people have their own stuff they will want to bring in (and not pay to store) and so having it full of your crap is not always a selling point. You should also keep in mind that anything you leave in the house is subject to your tenant's use and abuse. Great-grandma's china cabinet might be a pain in the rear end to move, but you should balance that against having a tenant stumble into it drunk or their kid scratching it up with toys.

Juriko
Jan 28, 2006
Also look into the rules of your locality. In many cases there will be avenues to end a renters tenancy if you, the owner, wish to occupy the unit regardless of lease length.

Imodium AD posted:

Questions to ask a potential landlord:
-Do you accept Section 8? (I personally do not want section 8 neighbors based on past experience and more recent studies.)

That isn't a study. It is an article that has no data or real sources, and has been shot down numerous times for failing to point out things like the fact that, in the same time period, Memphis experienced a massive increase in adult unemployment, a huge jump in childhood poverty, and the fact that section 8 voucher users tended to move to only marginally better off neighborhoods, meaning that in he face of severe economic depression they were the first to start showing signs of stress.

Juriko fucked around with this message at 13:37 on Sep 7, 2012

psydude
Apr 1, 2008

Juriko posted:

Also look into the rules of your locality. In many cases there will be avenues to end a renters tenancy if you, the owner, wish to occupy the unit regardless of lease length.


That isn't a study. It is an article that has no data or real sources, and has been shot down numerous times for failing to point out things like the fact that, in the same time period, Memphis experienced a massive increase in adult unemployment, a huge jump in childhood poverty, and the fact that section 8 voucher users tended to move to only marginally better off neighborhoods, meaning that in he face of severe economic depression they were the first to start showing signs of stress.

Sketchy articles aside, I've lived next to or right across the street from Section 8 housing for about a year now and I agree that you should make every possible effort to avoid it or any landlord that accepts it.

Ashcans
Jan 2, 2006

Let's do the space-time warp again!

I'm assuming that 'Can I have a grill on my balcony' is sort of a trick question, because grilling on the balcony is really obnoxious to bordering units (particularly above you) and is often also a huge fire hazard.

Flash Gordon Ramsay
Sep 28, 2004

Grimey Drawer

Ashcans posted:

I'm assuming that 'Can I have a grill on my balcony' is sort of a trick question, because grilling on the balcony is really obnoxious to bordering units (particularly above you) and is often also a huge fire hazard.

Most localities have adopted the international fire code which prohibits grills on balconies or decks of structures containing more than two attached dwelling units.

BigBallChunkyTime
Nov 25, 2011

Kyle Schwarber: World Series hero, Beefy Lad, better than you.

Illegal Hen
Thanks for the information, guys. It's been very helpful.

I know lawyers by rule are are expensive, but if we go to one who specializes in drawing up leases and such is that going to be more expensive than most lawyers? Again I realize this varies on a case-by-case basis, I'm just asking as a general rule.

If you guys were us, what would you do in regards to the house rental situation? If we get back on our feet relatively soon, do we just wait out the renters?

Selling our house is not an option, as we declared a bankruptcy two years ago but got to keep our house. Still, no bank in the world is going to touch us, so if we want to keep it, renting it out is really the only way to go.

BigBallChunkyTime fucked around with this message at 18:27 on Sep 7, 2012

Ashcans
Jan 2, 2006

Let's do the space-time warp again!

Landlord/Tenant law is hardly the high-flying area of law, because anyone who works in this field is basically going to be dealing with random dudes who walk in off the street and don't have piles of cash. It may still cost you, but its low to mid end law.

You should find the contact information for the Bar Association for your city (or, if you live in a small town, the state bar association). Generally they will have a referral service where you can call and tell them what sort of help you need, and they'll give the contact information for a lawyer in that field near you. One of the reasons to do this is that with a bar referral, many lawyers will give you a free or very cheap consultation, which lets you get in the door. For something like they should be able to give you a price for the work easily.

As for what to do in your situation, I'm not really sure what the details are. It sounds like you are planning to find a place to rent that you can afford on your income, and rent out the house to cover the mortgage? If that is the setup, then I would just plan to do that for six months/a year. If you get back on your feet relatively quickly, you can spend that time building up a cash reserve to protect you in the future. The other alternative I would suggest is to forgo renting and see if you can get a boarder instead. Basically rent out one or two rooms in the house to supplement your income. If you think you can do this, it's easier than having to move out and lets you stay on-site to keep things in check.

glompix
Jan 19, 2004

propane grill-pilled

psydude posted:

Sketchy articles aside, I've lived next to or right across the street from Section 8 housing for about a year now and I agree that you should make every possible effort to avoid it or any landlord that accepts it.

Also agreeing with this. Not every person renting with Section 8 is going to be an rear end in a top hat, but one generalization I feel safe making is that people tend to respect property more in affluent areas. The worst is a Section 8 community with kids. They will get bored and throw rocks at you and your expensive new car, and there's not much you can do about it.

Fixed Gear Guy
Oct 21, 2010

In a ketchup factory. A sexy ketchup factory.
Ditto on avoiding Section 8 housing, but this is really rolling a can of worms down a slippery slope. The idealist in me agrees with Jacbson mixed income housing, but that tends to only work in heavily urbanized areas with a lot of diversity and a healthy bit of gentrification.

In the real world, I would avoid a Section 8 apartment complex or really any slummy place in general. Sure you can rent for a heck of a lot cheaper but Is it worth the trouble? Label me a racist, classist, or whatever but it's just no secret that low-income apartments TEND to include loud, rude neighbors who are up at crazy hours, drugs, tomfoolery in the parking lot, neighbors and landlords who don't care for their property and let it look like poo poo. It doesn't matter what color the tenants are, but this has almost always been true in my experience. If you have seen a low-income complex full of perfect angels who keep their properties tidy and don't have screaming matches at 2 am then good for you.

Also don't forget to bring toilet paper upon move-in. It's no fun to be stuck in that position.

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Imodium AD
Sep 11, 2001
wut?
That's pretty much how I feel about ever living near section 8 or undergrads again. There was a time in my life when I lived in the student ghetto but I would rather not if I can avoid it.

The grill on the balcony is not necessarily a trick question. In my locality it is allowed with certain restrictions (20lb tanks are prohibited and usually the landlord prohibits charcoal if they allow a grill at all). I never had a problem when my neighbors grilled but hadn't considered that some people dislike the smoke. At my last apartment this was the norm.

PR Newswire posted:

Source
The 2006 International Fire Code prohibits the use of charcoal and gas grills on combustible porches or within 10 feet of combustible construction. Contact the local building or fire department to see what applies in your community.


This explains a lot of the answers landlords have given me to this question. Funny, my insurance underwriter never asked for this. Heh.

Another thing to do on your walkthrough BEFORE signing the lease:
* While standing in the apartment look at your cell phone and see if you get a signal. If it's iffy test to see if it completes a call, especially if its a garden/ground level unit.

Imodium AD fucked around with this message at 04:16 on Sep 9, 2012

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