# Thanks a bunch, (soon to be ex-) landlord/lady

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [April 24, 2008, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679 "2008-04-24T14:31:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![justrob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@justrob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justrob)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2008, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679/21 "2008-04-25T21:37:07Z")

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Just a quick note from the landlord side of things. In my area anyway when you shut off your utilities the utility company doesn’t actually come out and turn them off. The chargres stack up and it is the landlords responsibility to give them someone to put on a new account.

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**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679/22 "2008-04-27T00:41:41Z")

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[QUOTE=Martin Hyde]  
Little FYI, they can’t really do anything to you if you just don’t pay last month’s rent.

As a guy who rents out properties it’s not something I like, but there’s very little recourse to this.

[/QUOTE]

Well yes and no - for me. Apart from my own principle of no unsettled debts etc, there is a practical element - I am an attorney. Every time I apply for a state bar, I have to list outstanding debts. I am not sure if I will be applying to any others, but for a month’s rent, it isn’t worth it for me.

Anyway, spoke to them today. Utilities are in their name now, and we seem to be coming to at least an understanding re the whole security deposit coming back.

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679/23 "2008-04-27T06:24:26Z")

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If they are putting the house up for sale, how does that constitute a “good faith effort to rent”? 😕

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**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679/24 "2008-04-28T12:50:18Z")

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It doesn’t. But if I kick up a fuss there, we are getting into somewhat murky territory over what responsibility they have to rent before the end of the lease…

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**Author:** ![spinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@spinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spinky)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2008, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thanks-a-bunch-soon-to-be-ex-landlord-lady/446679/25 "2008-04-30T10:16:15Z")

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Maybe you could offer that in exchange for a reduction in the final month’s rent, you _won’t_ be hanging around naked in the apartment you are legally renting while they attempt to show it. 😃

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