# Landlord dilemma (lawyers welcome) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 8, 1999, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531 "1999-09-08T18:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 1999, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/1 "1999-09-09T05:30:00Z")
I currently share a house with several roommates in DC (I am young so it’s alright). We get along for the most part. Anyway, recently (this last weekend) I went camping and one of the roommates (the landlord roommate) assumed that it was alright for other people to stay in my room since I was not going to be there. I had a problem with it so I locked my door and went out for the weekend. Well this really pissed him off so he gave me an eviction notice yesterday. Anyway, have any of you had that type of experience or have any ideas what type of laws are out there to protect me? Unfortunately, I never signed a real lease, but I think there are some basic tenants rights that should be covered. Any assistance would be appreciated. Also, any evil paybacks would be appreciated as well. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Propski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5e9695/32.png) [@Guy\_Propski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Propski)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/2 "1999-09-08T18:21:00Z")
Most lease include a clause that says the landlord has the right to enter your premises, provided he give you notice. He did give you notice. I’m not enough of a lawyer to say whether this clause is enforcable in an unwritten lease, but since it is his property, he has the right to enter it. The moral–ALWAYS GET IT IN WRITING! ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/3 "1999-09-08T18:28:00Z")
Never signed a lease? I believe (WAG alert!) that this means you have almost zero rights here… * * * Brian O’Neill CMC International Records [rockuniverse.com/cmc/cmc.html](http://rockuniverse.com/cmc/cmc.html) ICQ 35294890 AIM Scrabble1 Yahoo Messenger Brian\_ONeill ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/4 "1999-09-08T18:39:00Z")
You’re screwed. A person renting without a lease from a roommate is different, legally, from a person renting without a lease from a traditional landlord in most jurisdictions. In some limited cases you may have a right to a certain amount of time before you get out, but that’s usually it. If your “landlord” was stupid enough to serve you with an _actual_ eviction notice (one delivered by a city marshal, etc. as opposed to a note telling you to vacate), you may be able to establish some rights because your attorney could show that the “landlord” _believed_ that you had at least some rights available to a traditional tenant at the time he leased to you. A quick call to your local Legal Services Corporation office can give you more specific answers. But it doesn’t matter. This is not a legal situation, it’s a social one. And it’s untenable. Get Out. For your own sanity. * * * Livin’ on Tums, Vitamin E and Rogaine ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/5 "1999-09-08T18:55:00Z")
Cubbie: Before you leave, take a last good, long look around the whole house; do it with the eye of a building inspector looking for code violations. In most jurisdictions, there must be screens on all the windows, a smoke alarm outside each bedroom, etc. Were you paid up at the time the ‘landlord’ decided to let someone else use your space? See if you can manipulate him into admitting it in the presence of someone who can act as your witness. He had no business telling you he was going to let somone else use your room, and _you_ have every right to expect reasonable privacy. His right to going into your room, after notifying you, certainly does _not_ extend to letting someone else use it, when you have told him no. As someone else suggested, assuming you are indigent or nearly so, confer with somone from Legal Services. ---
**Author:** ![SqrlCub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SqrlCub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SqrlCub)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/6 "1999-09-08T19:11:00Z")
I don’t mind him coming in, it is a roommate situation afterall; however, the problem is that he let people sleep in my bed after I told him no. I want to get out anyway, I just want him to be as inconvenienced as possible by my leaving without myself actually breaking any laws. This person has a problem with boundaries and always did, it is just coming out in more vindictive ways lately. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/7 "1999-09-08T19:27:00Z")
What state? What country? Laws vary, but anyway… First, whether you sign something or not doesn’t matter. If you pay rent & can prove it, you have certain rights. Despite what the people here say, you have the right to privacy, of your property & your room. The owner has the right to enter with a 24 hour notice usually, on certain days, usually M-F, unless they have to get in cause of smoke or something. He doesn’t have the right at all to use your property. Spend $20.00 next time & get abook called Tenants Rights, or check your library. What a horrible place to stay. ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 1999, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/landlord-dilemma-lawyers-welcome/7531/8 "1999-09-08T19:27:00Z")
Sqrl, I’d say chalk it up to experience before the issue gets any more personal. If, as you say, this person has trouble with boundaries, you may be better off (and safer) being FAR AWAY from them. Good luck!