I live in Maryland for the time being, and my landlord has decided to sell/sold my apartment (it’s going condo). I’m graduating and leaving town in a few weeks, so I don’t really care what happens to the place after the lease is up. However, he has recently decided to start making some renovations to the place (I’m pretty sure it was a selling point with the people who agreed to buy it). The first day the contractors showed up, without any advanced warning from anyone, I told them to bug off. The next day we got a letter from the landlord saying that work would begin on such and such a date, and that according to the lease he has “the right to enter the property, by force if necessary, to make repairs, alterations, additions, inspections (and pretty much whatever else he could think of).”
I did some research online though, and as near as I can tell, I don’t have to let him make any alterations unless they jeopardize the integrity of the rental unit (i.e. a load bearing wall is rotting out), or would qualify him as a slumlord (i.e. he can fix a broken furnace). So, what’s the deal. If these contractors come back, can I tell them to bug off again? If they ram the door down, can I call the cops? I don’t want to end up in court paying all sorts of fees if I don’t have a legal leg to stand on, but then again, I would like to make things as difficult for the “lord of the land” as possible.
I know it sounds like I’m being an jackhole, and a nice person would try to be more accommodating, but: 1) he’s been nothing but condescending and presumptuous during the whole process. 2) We let him remodel the kitchen over break because we weren’t here and it didn’t interfere with our lives. 3) As I said I’m graduating shortly. I’m up to my armpits in projects, papers, finals, interviews, job searches, resumes, senior panic, and, if I survive, some hardcore partying. The last thing I want to be worrying about at night is “I wonder if they’re coming to tear down the ceiling tomorrow.”
What’s your lease say? Mine says they can come in whenever they want if it’s essential, but if they give us some kinda notice, then they can come in whenever to do whatever.
IANAL, but I suspect if you signed the lease, you’re stuck.
Researching Landlord-Tenant Law in Maryland
Maryland Tenants Information
Bottom of last link has state contact numbers for help and questions.
I’ll say it three times… check the lease, check the lease, check the lease. In college towns, landlords will screw over their short term tenants the best way they can giving them close to no privacy.
Many times in a college town a landlord writes in a lease that he may enter any time that he wants without fair warning for repair, inspection, or whatever he feels like. It’s all in the wording.
For future reference, before signing a lease there is NOTHING that says you can’t draw a line through certain items that you do not agree with while asking the landlord for his approval on your change. Since this is a legal contract, both parties have their say.