what would you do?

United States
September 8, 2007 5:01am CST
I have a new landlord that just hired a rental company to collect the rent for him. This man we as renters have never met and has been our landlord for 8 months now. We never had his phone number for emergencies only an P.O. box address to send payments to by check only so we all had to open a checking account if we did not have one. Now that this rental company has taken over 3 months ago we now have a "signed lease" stating NO PETS ( I have had my cat for 4 years ) NO GRACE PERIOD ( we always had 10 days from the past landlords ) $50 extra for air conditioning - $50 extra for any electrical usage other then normal usage ( my husband is on a c pap machine ) PLUS a state tax on our rent!!?? My husband and I have rented here for 21 years and have gone through 4 landlords 3 of which were great but this one is a slum lord. In all the years we have rented we have had to fix what ever needed to be fixed and always got it taken off of our rent. Now this rental company told us that they can not fix anything unless the landlord ok's it first. I had the health inspector come to my apartment and he had 9 pages of things that needed to be fixed in 3 months and as of today nothing has been done but the maintance guys were here 2 days ago to tell me that they got the ok on the pipes leaking in the basement!!?? The health department inspector is due back tommarrow to re inspect my apartment and nothing has been done. My husband and I were told by a lawyer friend of our that we could hold the rent back in a checking account until the things were fixed and so we did and now it is almost due again and we have not got a letter or phone call stating that we did not pay for August. I personally called the rental company yesterday to tell them that I had saw a roach and a mouse in my apartment after 3 tentants moved out and they said they would have to get ahold of the landlord which may take a few days as he is hard to reach. So in the mean time what would you do? would you hold 2 months rent? get rid of your pet? pay extra for electric ( all utilitie included in rent) and air? Fix the things on the list knowing there is no refund? bug bomb your apartment so they can run into someone elses and then come back? Get a copy of the lease? get ahold of the health inspector to report the bugs and mice? or take the 2 months rent and move out? I used to love where I live but lately it seems that they rent to anyone willing to give them a check and do not care who lives here. I am going over to the rental company today and ask for a copy of my lease that I was told I signed which I did not because I never seen this landlord. Then I am calling the health inspector and have him add mice and roaches to the list. Then I am going to have our lawyer friend send a letter to the rental company and to the p.o. address for the landlord stating why they have not received payment. Then go around and ask if anyone else has roaches or mice in their apartments. I know of 1 renter that is moving at the end of the month because she can not afford to pay $50 a pet extra per month. She has been there for 8 years now. It is a 6 unit apartment house but their is only 4 of us renting as the other 2 units moved out this past month. So advise me here on what to do please. thank you Brenda
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