Termination fees on apartment lease

[Gagirl]

My daughter and I reside at an apartment complex part time (3 to 4 day a wk) and are being harassed by the maintenance man.  He lives below us and specifically follows me around my apartment and chain smokes underneath me. It is so strange.  He will stay up all night and smoke beneath my bed, smoke in bathroom when I take a shower, smoke in the dining room when I’m eating.  I moved to my daughter;s room to sleep.  It was OK for two days and then he figured out I was in there and it got so crazy.  He literally smoked one after the other and was also going outside and lighting them up too but leaving them unattended.  It was insane and proved without a doubt he was harassing me.   He goes and smokes in his walk-in closet so it floods mine, the laundry room and pretty much where I’m at.  I’ve complained to management and written horrible reviews about the complex.  They won’t even come up and investigate the apartment.  I’ve only got 7 months left on the lease but this guy truly has issues.  Also, he complains on me all the time for parking crooked in between the lines, walking and whatever he can come up with.  Seriously, wish I could taser him through the floor when he lights up.  Any suggestions on how to deal with this dude? 

[Wiseman2]

9 minutes ago, Gagirl said:

I’ve complained to management and written horrible reviews about the complex.  They won’t even come up and investigate the apartment.  I’ve only got 7 months left on the lease but this guy truly has issues

Reread your lease. Is it a nonsmoking building?

Get a HEPA filter for your bedroom. 

[glows]

1 hour ago, Gagirl said:

My daughter and I reside at an apartment complex part time (3 to 4 day a wk) and are being harassed by the maintenance man.  He lives below us and specifically follows me around my apartment and chain smokes underneath me. It is so strange.  He will stay up all night and smoke beneath my bed, smoke in bathroom when I take a shower, smoke in the dining room when I’m eating.  I moved to my daughter;s room to sleep.  It was OK for two days and then he figured out I was in there and it got so crazy.  He literally smoked one after the other and was also going outside and lighting them up too but leaving them unattended.  It was insane and proved without a doubt he was harassing me.   He goes and smokes in his walk-in closet so it floods mine, the laundry room and pretty much where I’m at.  I’ve complained to management and written horrible reviews about the complex.  They won’t even come up and investigate the apartment.  I’ve only got 7 months left on the lease but this guy truly has issues.  Also, he complains on me all the time for parking crooked in between the lines, walking and whatever he can come up with.  Seriously, wish I could taser him through the floor when he lights up.  Any suggestions on how to deal with this dude? 

Don’t react anymore to his antics. You know you have seven months. Management won’t do anything about him because they need him as maintenance staff and maybe they know it’s a challenge finding anyone to work in the building if it’s a dump. I’d be concerned about your daughter most and if there’s secondhand smoke present. You as well and your lungs. 

If you park crooked park straight next time not for him but out of respect for the others. If you park straight ignore his issues. You cannot fight stupid. Don’t antagonize him or provoke him and avoid him.

Why are you part time there? Where are you the rest of the week? 

[stillafool]

How do you know he is actually following you around smoking?  He could just be a chain smoker.  When people chain smoke cigarette smoke permeates everything including furniture, clothes,  cloth, wood, even hours after you've left the place.  He may not even be home but you will still smell cigarette smoke coming through the vents.  Most apartments in buildings share the same vents.  If smoking is allowed in your building there isn't much you can do but move.  

[Gagirl]

I’ve had the heat off all winter with the ceiling fans and the windows open.  However, the heat from his apartment and the one on the other side of the wall has kept the apartment around 65 to 73 degrees.  He is definitely following me around.  My bedroom, bath and closet always smell extremely bad so I moved to the living room to sleep.  After two days he followed me in there.  It got so bad we opened the patio door.  He started going outside, lighting cigarettes and letting them sit in his ashtray and going back inside and lighting up another one.  When the one would go out outside, he would come out and light another one. We went back to my bedroom and there was no fresh smoke that night.  He does this all night long and then according to him spends $50 a month on air fresheners to air out his apartment. Wondering how he isn’t going broke from spending all his money on cigarettes and air fresheners.  We are borrowing a couple of huge industrial steel drum fans to cool the place and move the smoke out.  Hope it vibrates the heck out of his ceiling.   He has some real issues.   

[Wiseman2]

18 minutes ago, Gagirl said:

After two days he followed me in there. according to him spends $50 a month on air fresheners to air out his apartment. Wondering how he isn’t going broke from spending all his money on cigarettes and air freshener

So it's not a nonsmoking building. Then he's just an annoying neighbor who chain smokes. Stop engaging him. Stop asking about air fresheners.

Remember All places you want to move to will ask for residential references. All. So try to be polite to the management and it's staff. 

You'll struggle getting into decent places if you keep annoying the personnel and management.

They can also evict you for being a "problem" tenant. Then you'll Never get a place, and your credit will suffer severely.

Be smart, get along with people and do what you can to find another place. Keep in mind wherever you go other people may do stuff you find annoying.

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Wiseman2

[basil67]

3 hours ago, Gagirl said:

He is definitely following me around.  My bedroom, bath and closet always smell extremely bad so I moved to the living room to sleep. 

The only way that you could know if he's smoking in particular room underneath you would be if your building has air vents going from the apartment below to the apartment above.  But apartments are not built like this.  At least, not in any first or second world country which has fire safety standards. 

I'm afraid that building maintenance will not take you seriously as the complaints don't make any sense.  

[stillafool]

On 3/20/2022 at 11:44 AM, Gagirl said:

He lives below us and specifically follows me around my apartment and chain smokes underneath me. It is so strange.  

I could understand if he lived above you and you heard footsteps but how do you know he's following you around when he lives beneath you?

[Gagirl]

There is no doubt the dude is harassing me.  He has called me racist names, called my daughter names because of her sexuality, made sure we hear him having sex [ ]  and lets his dog bark all day.  When I told the management about all that, his petty complaints on me stopped all of the sudden. Not sure why.   Now it’s just the smoking.  As soon as I got home today, he started smoking in my room.  I pay full price for rent, he pays none and since he’s an employee can pick another unit where  he would be happier not living under my demographic as we’ve heard him say.  
 

As far as being a good little tenant, I could care less about that.  I own property somewhere else and use that address as the last known so no references needed.  My brother is about to get off probation and will be spending the summer at our place.  Wonder if he will be so open with his nastiness then?  

Edited March 22, 2022 by a LoveShack.org Moderator
language

[glows]

It must be both infuriating and frustrating smelling smoke at home if you’re a non-smoker. Think: seven more months. Where to then?

Edited March 22, 2022 by glows

[Wiseman2]

7 hours ago, Gagirl said:

  I own property somewhere else and use that address 

Why not stay there?

[stillafool]

11 hours ago, Gagirl said:

 I pay full price for rent, he pays none and since he’s an employee can pick another unit where  he would be happier not living under my demographic as we’ve heard him say.  

Maintenance men don't have the luxury to pick and chose which apartment they would like to stay in.  He is paying for his rent through his work and it's doubtful they are going to fire him because of you.  Someone said above you only have 7 more short months there so I guess you'll have to put up with it or move.  Again I don't understand how you know where this man is in his apartment when he lives below you.

Edited March 22, 2022 by stillafool

[Wiseman2]

11 hours ago, Gagirl said:

 made sure we hear him having sex [ ]  and lets his dog bark all day. .  As soon as I got home today, he started smoking in my room.

See a physician for a complete evaluation of your physical and mental health. Discuss the second hand smoke and the belief that he is deliberately moving around to send smoke specifically to certain rooms in your apartment.

[Gagirl]

I have to pay termination fees on an apartment lease.   The landlord won’t let me pay the termination fees.  She told me they would return the funds to me if I tired.  What the heck is that?  How do I pay the fees then?  After dealing with Covid and all the drama, I just want to pay the fees and move on but, it looks like they want to drag it out and cause a lot of drama.  Not sure why a landlord would want to do that instead of just taking the money. 

Edited April 26, 2022 by a LoveShack.org Moderator
alter title to fit content

[SingFish]

Do they have a corporate office you can contact @Gagirl?

 

[basil67]

Who told you that you have to pay termination fees?   What does your contract stipulate?

Does your country have a tenants advisory board who could clarify? 

[Happy Lemming]

It is possible the landlord is just following the laws for your state/locality. 

Do you know if your landlord accepted any Government bailout money??  That could be the issue.

All you can do is document the fact that you wish to pay them the money you owe them. Send them a certified letter with return receipt explaining that you want to pay the money you owe.  Keep copies for your records!!

If the matter does go to "rent court" you can show the judge/magistrate that you attempted to make the required payments and they would not accept your funds.

[Wiseman2]

23 hours ago, Gagirl said:

I have to pay termination fees on an apartment lease.   The landlord won’t let me pay the termination fees.  

Do you mean you're trying to get out of the lease? What exactly are "termination fees"? 

How long is your lease for and are you trying to break it? If you break a lease you may or may not be responsible for the remainder of the payments and you certainly wouldn't get your security deposit back.

[]

Edited April 27, 2022 by a LoveShack.org Moderator
Merged threads

[stillafool]

I don't understand how a landlord can make you pay temination fees unless it's specific in your lease.  Is that something new now?  Most rental deposits include 1st and last month rent and cleaning fees.  This is to prevent tenants from leaving without paying their last month's rent.  

[Wiseman2]

1 minute ago, stillafool said:

I don't understand how a landlord can make you pay temination fees unless it's specific in your lease. 

Perhaps she means "early termination fee". That is when someone tries to break a lease and get out of paying the remainder of the lease they are usually obligated to pay.  A lease is a legally binding contract, including financially and specifics. If someone wishes to get out of a  lease they can ask to pay the early termination fee, or get an attorney or pay the remainder, or be sued for the remainder. In most cases the security will not be returned because breaking a lease is a breach of contract.

[Alpacalia]

8 hours ago, stillafool said:

I don't understand how a landlord can make you pay temination fees unless it's specific in your lease.  Is that something new now?  Most rental deposits include 1st and last month rent and cleaning fees.  This is to prevent tenants from leaving without paying their last month's rent.  

Yes, that's weird.

My property includes first and last month's rent in addition to the security deposit in the event my tenant breaks the lease early and there's damages to the property.

OP - have you asked what was the reason that your landlord won't accept the termination fees? What does it say in your lease exactly?

 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Alpacalia

[ShyViolet]

It makes absolutely no sense that you believe he is "following you around your apartment" when he lives BELOW you.  I'm sorry but these sound like paranoid thoughts.