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I feel like my landlord is definitely manipulating me here. (hexbear.net)

submitted 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) by Angel@hexbear.net to c/chat@hexbear.net

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But I'm easy to gaslight, so I need input from others.

My landlord came over today and saw that the wooden cabinet of my sink has endured some water damage. Of course, this means that the wood has broken down a little. However, ultimately, this is a cosmetic issue. The cabinet isn't any more or less functional because of this. That being said, it's still understandable that she wants it to be fixed.

Now, she is saying that she has to get someone to replace the whole sink.

To me, that seems overkill for one portion of a wooden cabinet with some water damage. She says that it can cost $300 USD or more, and she wants to take this out of my security deposit.

A part of me deeply feels like this is a manipulative attempt for her to get more money out of me than actually necessary.

I texted her that I'm seeking DIY solutions because I do not think that a cosmetic issue is so urgent that we need to impulsively seek such a pricey fix like that. So far, she hasn't responded, but I don't know what she'll say.

Is this a bunch of bullshit?

Update: I will not DIY so that I'm not held liable for any fuck-ups I do, but I drafted a text I will send her tomorrow letting her know that, legally, she has no evidence to use this against me in a way that makes her able to charge for it. Therefore, I refuse to take financial responsibility for it. Fuck landlords.

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[–] Speaker@hexbear.net 21 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (5 children)

Review your rental contract, consult your local tenant's union, consult the housing board. Ask the latter two if they can connect you with any legal resources, and see if you can find a human-readable version of your local housing ordinances. It's very likely

she can't take it out of your security deposit unless you're moving out; a deposit is not a savings account she can pull from, it's a way for the leech to make themselves whole at the end of a contract
you're not responsible for the damage or the repairs thereof unless you broke something to make it happen or your rental contract specifically states that you are; if the contract does say you are, then she shouldn't be contacting anyone to fix it, anyway, since you would be the party responsible for fixing it (and can therefore find the cheapest contractor in the area to fix it)
she may be doing something illegal in all this, which might be in your favor
if she does insist the sink be replaced, she's the only one paying unless you sign something saying otherwise

Landlords are also not supposed to be just "dropping by", so check the notice period in your rental contract to see if she's in violation.

Do not perform any DIY, or you will become liable. Do not spend any money or sign anything related to this matter without legal representation. Do not volunteer your resources in any way or admit fault. Do not let your landlord enter the premises without notice, and definitely do not let them poke around the place without notice. Cross-check everything in your rental contract with the tenant rights protected by your local housing ordinances, since leeches love to write an illegal contract.

[–] Angel@hexbear.net 9 points 4 days ago (3 children)

Thanks for the tips!

[–] Speaker@hexbear.net 8 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I made a few other minor additions for resources and things to keep in mind so you may want to reload the comment, but for the most part the advice is the same. Godspeed on this tedious and stressful part of the protracted people's war. 🫡

[–] Angel@hexbear.net 6 points 4 days ago (1 children)

chickpea

[–] Speaker@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago

The particular gotcha I've seen commonly in rental contracts (mainly for apartment buildings rather than other constructions) is that the tenant can be on the hook for plumbing issues within whatever the boundary between the space you're renting and the rest of the building is. I got very lucky with a toilet issue in an apartment building I lived in because the problem was like 6 inches past the point in the plumbing where it would have been "my problem", so it was up to the landlord and the management company to sort it out.

Also, if you happen to have pictures from when you moved in, it might be worth checking to see if the issue is older than your tenancy.

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