I’m posting this here in IMHO becasue I don’t think there’s a definitive answer- it’s not really a legal question about renting. I’m just curious about what other Dopers with more renting experience would suggest, if anything.
I’m set to move in to a new studio (more of an efficiency, but in Boston everything including closets is a ‘studio’) apartment. Due to the grace and favor of my parents, I have two apartments (my current one and the new one) available to me in June. The previous tenant of the new apartment has alreday moved out and I have the keys, and could theorectically move in now.
When I first came in to ask for the keys, the rental agent/landlord- Stan*-told me he had been to look at the apartment and that, in his opinion, it was in dire need of new paint. At this point, I had only seen the apartment for a brief period of time with the previous tenant standing around looking impatient, and I hadn’t been focusing on such details. Now that I’ve seen it, he’s right, it desperately needs painting.
After Stan tells me he’s put the apartment on the schedule to be painted, he notes that the former occupant has also burned the counter and wall behind one of the burners in the dinky two-burner “stove” unit. He says that the more he thinks about it, the more he thinks it would be a good idea to replaced the whole “kitchen” (a cabinet, a sink, the two burners with more cabinets underneath the sink and burners) and put in new stuff, including an actual countertop (as of now, the “countertop” is the top of the mini-refrigerator). He marks this up on the maintenance schedule with the painting, and says they will do them both at once (makes sense).
I note that since I won’t be residing in the apartment for most of June (my old apartment is half of a two bedroom and it is much nicer), it would be cool if they could at least start the work in June. Stan looks pained. I decide not to press him.
I returned today to ask about another issue- namely, the apartment is furnished and he had verbally promised me that one of the included furnishings was a dresser. There is no dresser. Instead, there is an 18" high shelving unit that looks like it was designed to hold CDs.
Stan doesn’t remember saying anything about a dresser. What’s there is what the apartment comes furnished with, no more, no less. Great. I already own a dresser, so no big deal, but with Stan now a proven liar to me, I get queasy before I ask my next question- has he figured out a time frame for the kitchen replacement and painting?
July, maybe. Which I take to mean, in late July when I ask again, he’ll put me off till August, and then until October when the busy September season has died down, ad nauseam. This for a repair that I didn’t even ask for, that he volunteered to do, but that I now agree, having seen the apartment in its pristine condition, is a very good idea.
Now, these aren’t really ‘necessary’ repairs, because I can live without new paint and the kitchen does work, it’s just really shitty. So I don’t think there’s any legal action or threatening that can be done. However, I don’t want this maintenance put off forever, and I’m convinced he could do it earlier if he felt like it. He just doesn’t feel like spending money on his apartments and cutting into his profit. My main question is, does anyone have advice on tactics to ‘encourage’ him to speed up? I can’t find a new apartment because of my extrememly limited budget and the tight Boston housing market. My bf has rented from this same agency and dealt with this same Stan character for 3 years without anything sketchy happening, so I’m not worried that he’s a horrible landlord, but clearly he’s got my over a barrel and he knows it. However, if anyone knows of resources to research landlords’ track records, I’d be interested, because my bf is the least demanding tenant ever, so his experiences may not be typical.
In a nutshell, I don’t think there’s any way to ‘fix’ this situation, but I’m looking for advice and encouragement. Thanks in advance.
*name changed