Lease agreement help, please?

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

For a rental apartment, should mention be made in the lease agreement that maintenance/service for appliances should be made by lessor in a timely manner? Or, is this to be taken for granted? I have always lived in large communities/luxury apts, and i'm considering a small studio in a small building... but i'm kinda scared. no central a/c, wall unit. Small place, no huge apt complex w/onsite maintenance.

Any info/help is appreciated. :) Thoughts?
thx.
Angela.

[jdhill 0]

Take nothing for granted in a lease... if it ain't in writting, there is no obligation for them to do it.

J

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. - Edmund Burke

[nightjumps 1]

Ask for any promises or assumptions in writing.

[Nightingale 0]

Looks like you're probably covered, but ask a local lawyer, or have it written into the lease.


THE LANDLORD'S RESPONSIBILITIES


* Florida Statutes, Section 83.51, require a landlord to comply with the Jacksonville
Property Maintenance Code. This means:

1. The roof must not leak.
2. The walls must be weather-tight, and in good repair.
3. The stairs must be safe for normal use and maintained in good repair.
4. Windows and doors must be basically weather-tight, water-tight, rodent-proof,
and kept in sound working condition. Outside doors have to have proper
locks.
5. Window panes cannot have cracks and holes. Outside windows must have
screens.
6. Inside floors, walls, ceilings must be basically rodent-proof and kept in sound
condition and good repair, and should be safe.
7. The house or apartment must have hot water, which is connected to the
kitchen and bathroom sinks, tub or shower.
8. All houses or apartments must have a flush toilet in good working condition.
9. When cooking and heating equipment are provided by the landlord, they must
be safely installed and in good working order.
10. There must be adequate garbage disposal facilities or garbage storage
containers.
11. Every habitable room must have at least two separate floor or wall electric
outlets and, additionally, every kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and hallway
must have a ceiling or wall-type fixture, or an outlet controlled by a wall
switch near the entrance to the room.
12. All electrical systems must be in good repair and good working order.

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

hmm. Sounds like mixed opinions on this. I asked them to modify the agreement to include timely repair of appliances. Also, in their "security deposit" provisions, they included 'water damage' as responsibility of lessee, and I wanted that modify to disclude damaged caused by leaking a/c or by weather (this is Florida), which they did.

Realistically, asking for them to modify the lease shouldn't be a problem if they intended on doing timely repairs, anyhow, right? You know, just to have all bases covered. But, I suppose that realistically speaking, Nightingale's post covers "electrical systems" which must include a/c, right?

Am I just nit picking, or are these valid concerns? I suppose having worked with small amounts of legal paperwork, you tend not to accept someones word but rather require it in writing. ugh.. they are probably already thinking "tenant from hell" anyhow. lol!

Angela.

[Nightingale 0]

the landlord should be responsible for any water damage due to broken pipes/slab leaks, door and window leaks (provided you were unaware of any problem beforehand), anything not directly caused by the tenant. ditto with fire... example: you start a fire in your kitchen: you're liable to pay for all repairs to the unit. but, if it was an electrical fire started by faulty wiring, your landlord pays to fix the unit.

oh... GET RENTER'S INSURANCE. I used to lease, and I saw so many tenants get screwed because they didn't have it. The landlord is usually not liable for any damage/loss of your personal property due to leaks, fire, random acts of various deities, etc... renter's insurance is usually around $15-$20 a month and is well worth it, I assure you.

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

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the landlord should be responsible for any water damage due to broken pipes/slab leaks, door and window leaks (provided you were unaware of any problem beforehand),

Right, but shouldn't that be in writing? Honestly, i'm mostly concerned about the window a/c. I've always had central air, and there was water damage to the place where the a/c was. I guess they replaced the a/c and fixed the damage (of course, I don't know if this just entailed painting over it in which case, could that be a safety problem? mold/mildew?). I am afraid that the unit will leak or break and I will have problems with it being fixed, or with damage it causes.

Maybe I should just forget it and get a roommate in a nicer place instead. I hate this. I have 2.5 weeks to move. I have never been this last-minute before. *ugh*.

Thx.
Angela.

[Nightingale 0]

yes, he should, and the lease should reflect that.

sorry if I was unclear.

[MarkM 0]

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Maybe I should just forget it and get a roommate in a nicer place instead. I hate this. I have 2.5 weeks to move. I have never been this last-minute before. *ugh*.

Better yet, move in with the BF, make him pay all the rent and spend the money you save on jumps.

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

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yes, he should, and the lease should reflect that.

sorry if I was unclear.

Cool. Thanks:)

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

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Maybe I should just forget it and get a roommate in a nicer place instead. I hate this. I have 2.5 weeks to move. I have never been this last-minute before. *ugh*.

Better yet, move in with the BF, make him pay all the rent and spend the money you save on jumps.

lol! That's a great idea!! lol!

Angela.

[kelpdiver 2]

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Realistically, asking for them to modify the lease shouldn't be a problem if they intended on doing timely repairs, anyhow, right? You know, just to have all bases covered. But, I suppose that realistically speaking, Nightingale's post covers "electrical systems" which must include a/c, right?

The state code is concerned with habitability. I wouldn't presume that A/C is included within that, because you don't HAVE to have working A/C. It's not an essential like solid windows and running water. (even in Florida)

I would expect an AC unit provided by the landlord to be maintained by them, and damage done by it covered by their maintenance/insurance policies. I don't think it hurts to be exacting with your questions - they're definitely going to hold you to the words of the contract, save where regulations dictate otherwise.

[SkydiveNFlorida 0]

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I don't think it hurts to be exacting with your questions - they're definitely going to hold you to the words of the contract, save where regulations dictate otherwise.

So, the consensus is that it should, indeed, be in the contract, then.

So, if they won't modify it, i'll assume it is because they intended on screwing me over if something went wrong and i'll just figure something else out.

Thanks everyone!
Angela.