Renters Rights - Florida

[aidan80 9]

We rented a house for about a year and were under a lease. In the lease (which seems very standard) it stated we where responsible for maintenance of the property, lawn.. etc and we had to cover any repairs for the first $100 and the landlord would cover anything after that.

My question is, we left the property over a month ago and were told by the landlord he wanted his 30 days notice in writing before we could officially vacate. As we where about a week too late he kept the last months rent we paid plus he's keeping the final months rent of $800 (total is $1600) so we ended up with the place for another month even though it's empty. He knows we're not living there, he knows we switched everything off and he knows we want our security deposit back too.

We had a storm and part of the fence came away, it's old in some sections and the wood is rotting. Now this nob is telling us you have to fix that section of fence or else he's keeping the costs of repairs from the security deposit minimum is $100. The damage was storm related while we are where moved out not intentional and was due to wear and tear over many, many years. Can this ####### really demand we repair his old rotten fence he had no intention of replacing or can we fight it? I know it's only a hundred dollars but he's basically raped us already and I can't take any more of it. The man I once thought was nice and decent is a fuking leech.

[MrsCat 6]

I don't know anything about Florida specifically but . . . .

Aidan, the fence thing just doesn't seem right. I would argue that (unless specifically defined in your contract) maintenance refers to repairs around the house typically associated with renter wear and tear. In this case, the fence blowing off is not something typically associated with usual wear and tear. Holes in the wall, scratches, clogged drains - those are normal wear and tear.

The fence is outside the scope of regular maintenance of the property.

As for the keeping of the additional rent, it sucks, but that seems about right. He was entitled to one full months notice, and unfortunately you were shy by a week. As most renters take possession at the beginning of the month, it puts him in a position where he may be unable to rent it out for several weeks.

He sounds like a total nickel-and-diming azzhole.

[hxxrmonkey 0]

I think if you're responsible for maintaining the property, including the lawn, unfortunately it includes the fence. You are officially renting the property this month, and you've paid for it for the month. If you were only maintaining the building and not the grounds it might be different... Sorry I know it's a ######, but there's not much you can do, especially if you signed a lease. Just let the a-hole keep his extra $100 and be glad all ties are cut and move on.

[aidan80 9]

Thanks for the responses both of them seem correct to me as to what I'm thinking back and forth. On one hand yes we signed the lease therefore he keeps the extra rent per the 30 days notice but the fence thing is in a grey area. Yes we're still "renting" the place but we shouldn't have to repair his old fence that he admits was rotting and coming down anyway? I don't think I'm letting him keep the $100 I'll nail it back up even though by right I shouldn't have to repair his junk. I wish we could warn any future tenants about this nob and to note everything in the lease. We didn't think to at the time because he said ohh the fence is old and I'll get it fixed. I didn't know that meant with our money as we're leaving. I'll know next time note every tiny little crack and spot on everything.

I'm still annoyed about the last two months rent I was hoping he'd say ok you paid for one month, 3 weeks are left I'll deduct one week out of your last months deposit and refund the rest but no. He said right away I need 30 days and I have your last month on file.. I should have known right there he'd be wanting to keep yet more of our money. I think the one thing that pushed us out the door on that place as rent prices started dropping was when the landlord offered to lower our rent by $25 a month, we tried not to laugh at him as we looked for other places to live! A friend of ours had their rent taken down by $150! Down from $750 to $500 a month? grrr... I'll be extremely cautious of landlord for the rest of my days after this, greedy little b@stards.

There I feel better now... onward to lowes for some cheep wood!

[hxxrmonkey 0]

Actually Aiden, I think you're right, repairing the fence yourself is the best plan, good thinking!

Thanks for the responses both of them seem correct to me as to what I'm thinking back and forth. On one hand yes we signed the lease therefore he keeps the extra rent per the 30 days notice but the fence thing is in a grey area. Yes we're still "renting" the place but we shouldn't have to repair his old fence that he admits was rotting and coming down anyway? I don't think I'm letting him keep the $100 I'll nail it back up even though by right I shouldn't have to repair his junk. I wish we could warn any future tenants about this nob and to note everything in the lease. We didn't think to at the time because he said ohh the fence is old and I'll get it fixed. I didn't know that meant with our money as we're leaving. I'll know next time note every tiny little crack and spot on everything.

I'm still annoyed about the last two months rent I was hoping he'd say ok you paid for one month, 3 weeks are left I'll deduct one week out of your last months deposit and refund the rest but no. He said right away I need 30 days and I have your last month on file.. I should have known right there he'd be wanting to keep yet more of our money. I think the one thing that pushed us out the door on that place as rent prices started dropping was when the landlord offered to lower our rent by $25 a month, we tried not to laugh at him as we looked for other places to live! A friend of ours had their rent taken down by $150! Down from $750 to $500 a month? grrr... I'll be extremely cautious of landlord for the rest of my days after this, greedy little b@stards.

There I feel better now... onward to lowes for some cheep wood!

[aidan80 9]

Actually Aiden, I think you're right, repairing the fence yourself is the best plan, good thinking!

Thanks for the responses both of them seem correct to me as to what I'm thinking back and forth. On one hand yes we signed the lease therefore he keeps the extra rent per the 30 days notice but the fence thing is in a grey area. Yes we're still "renting" the place but we shouldn't have to repair his old fence that he admits was rotting and coming down anyway? I don't think I'm letting him keep the $100 I'll nail it back up even though by right I shouldn't have to repair his junk. I wish we could warn any future tenants about this nob and to note everything in the lease. We didn't think to at the time because he said ohh the fence is old and I'll get it fixed. I didn't know that meant with our money as we're leaving. I'll know next time note every tiny little crack and spot on everything.

I'm still annoyed about the last two months rent I was hoping he'd say ok you paid for one month, 3 weeks are left I'll deduct one week out of your last months deposit and refund the rest but no. He said right away I need 30 days and I have your last month on file.. I should have known right there he'd be wanting to keep yet more of our money. I think the one thing that pushed us out the door on that place as rent prices started dropping was when the landlord offered to lower our rent by $25 a month, we tried not to laugh at him as we looked for other places to live! A friend of ours had their rent taken down by $150! Down from $750 to $500 a month? grrr... I'll be extremely cautious of landlord for the rest of my days after this, greedy little b@stards.

There I feel better now... onward to lowes for some cheep wood!

The fence repairs didn't go well.. isn't easy to get a post into sand and have it stable. Looks like the rat will eat up another $100 for repairs to his rotten fence. I have to try not to let it get to me and push on because I really want beat him good looking for this. This feels like theft bare arsed theft in broad daylight too. Maybe I'll get a few Guinness tomorrow night and try to relax after being robbed!

[hxxrmonkey 0]

Well, that's really a shame...

But you're right, try to relax and move on. Hey, you're finished with the jerk, no more of this, and now you'll know for the future. It's done with, so try not to let it ruin the rest of your day/week, etc.

[TiffandDai 0]

To be perfectly honest if the person you are renting from carries insurance on that house most policies cover fence damage (subject to policy deductible). The most hopefully you should be out is the $100. If he tries to keep back your security deposit I would try and fight him. If you have renters insurance I would also check the languange in your policy because it *may* cover this sort of damage if the landlord is deeming the rot to the fence as maintenance.

Good Luck!

PS I am in Florida so feel free to ask me any questions!

[aidan80 9]

To be perfectly honest if the person you are renting from carries insurance on that house most policies cover fence damage (subject to policy deductible). The most hopefully you should be out is the $100. If he tries to keep back your security deposit I would try and fight him. If you have renters insurance I would also check the languange in your policy because it *may* cover this sort of damage if the landlord is deeming the rot to the fence as maintenance.

Good Luck!

PS I am in Florida so feel free to ask me any questions!

I'd say your right enough. He wanted to keep a minimum of $100 for the fence we again told him that the fence was rotting when we moved in and he knew it. He actually decided to return the deposit in full.. that was until today we did our move out inspection. He went on again about the fence and acted like he was going to do a U turn on the $100. He even had the nerve to tell us we had to fill up the gas tank (used for cooking and water heater) as he wanted to test the cooker and water heater. He went on about how it wouldn't be fair to rent the place without hot water. Nothing in the contract about the filling anything up with gas, cost us close to $500 just to get it filled up.. almost half of that was fee's, service charges and taxes we're not paying it again just to make his place more appealing. That and the last people that moved out told us they'd leave what was in it for us if we wanted it so we said ok. They actually paid for the few months of hot water we had not him. I think he's pissed now because he'll be out close to $300 just to just some gas in the tank! My heart bleeds for him alright... what a #######

We got all our money back and I put it into the night deposit right away lol I don't want him to find something else to winge on about. I'm still really shocked at the man, we where like perfect tennants.. always paid on time never late even once, kept the place very clean, had the carpets done, changed the A/C filters (previous tennants had what looked like a whole cat on theirs when we moved in).. kept the grass short, insects out of the house and fixed the odd thing that went wrong. He should considder himself lucky... well I'd love it to be a lesson to him but it won't be. Good luck to him renting it now the market is flooded with nice cheap property... am sure he won't be getting no $800 a month for a 2 bed 1 bath in the middle of nowhere!