dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
uniqs
23

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD

sk1939 to IowaCowboy

Premium Member

to IowaCowboy

Re: Best way to add outlets

You realise that since this is a rental you could have voided your lease by making all these changes right?

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

said by sk1939:

You realise that since this is a rental you could have voided your lease by making all these changes right?

The keyword that describes the landlord is absentee and she does nothing more than collect the rent at the beginning of each month. And sometimes she sits on the rent checks (meaning I mail the rent on the 3rd of each month and she does not cash it until the third week of the month). But her husband did call us to inquire about a high water bill, that was the result of the neighbors in the other unit continually filling and draining an inflatable kiddie pool (that is a good three feet deep and in violation of building code as it lacks an enclosure). And our neighbor complained that the landlord throws a fit about fixing anything (which is why I fix things myself). She does not do a good job when selecting tenants, we've lived here for a good ten years and she inherited us when she bought the building from the previous landlord (who was somewhat better at fixing things but you had to throw the cat in the closet when he came to the door). The new landlord is absentee but does allow cats (prefers not to have dogs in the unit, but Grandma does bring her Alaskan Malamute when she stays with us, but he is crated when left alone because he gets into things). My cat is clean but he does tear up the drywall next to the litter box and that is an easy fix (just throw some drywall mud over it and sand it smooth and I always fix it if the landlord may come over which is very rare).

As for our household, we pay the rent on time each month and have never missed a rent payment (although one check got lost in the mail but showed up three weeks later with the previous owner).

Water bill thanks to the losers (who deserve to have their kids taken by the state child protective services and runs up the water bill and probably owes back rent) in the other unit (costly and a nightmare), Having our family as tenants that can fix things, improves the unit, and pays the rent on time (priceless). If I owned this building, I would evict the other tenants in a heartbeat but evicting tenants in Massachusetts (due to the court systems here) is like pulling teeth. This neighbor is always asking me for tools and other household items and uses my picnic table (which they all but trashed) without asking. The reason I don't move is this is the better part of town and the unit is in good shape and the rent is reasonable compared to the other rental housing stock in this city (other units have higher rents, are in dismal condition, lack the amenities such as a garage and yard, and includes rats and roaches are included in the rent).

I would consider buying this building if I could (and using rental income to pay the mortgage) but I just don't want to deal with tenants (as they are a nightmare and they wake you up at 2:30 in the morning because their unruly 4 year old threw something in the toilet or don't pay rent and take you to court over various nonsense). And how do you make the mortgage payment when they are past due on rent (and you can't garnish their income to collect for past due rent or damage to the unit because they are on welfare) and in Massachusetts, you cannot discriminate against tenants who receive public assistance.

My mother has lived in rentals all of her adult like (which means I've lived in rentals all my life) and she has many horror stories about various rental units (including a neighbor in a duplex that we lived in that was always engaged in domestic violence with his girlfriend and my mother was afraid to call the police because this guy would break into our unit and harm my mother and I when I was about 3 years old). She also sued a landlord for a deposit back and never got it because he declared bankruptcy and the building got foreclosed. She also remembers the days when landlords could legally refuse families with children (and landlords did big time because they did not want to de-lead their apartments or deal with issues caused by children). Another apartment complex that my mother lived (when I was a newborn) in had a tenant that would check into the psych unit in a local hospital when she was running out of food stamps and would carry a 12 pack of beer around the complex. Considering these types of tenants, we are a landlord's dream come true.

The rental housing stories I can tell go on and on. I could start another thread with all of my (and my mother's) rental housing stories.
AVonGauss
Premium Member
join:2007-11-01
Boynton Beach, FL

AVonGauss

Premium Member

Absentee or not, I would imagine that replacing / reconfiguring breakers without the landlord's permission is probably beyond the scope of a normal lease in almost all parts of the country. Not to be a nanny, but as a tenant (and not owner) I would also be curious how that would affect inspection requirements / liability.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

Now that I remember, back in 2008 (when the landlord first bought the building off of the original landlord), I did some electrical work for the landlord in the other unit (replacing a ceiling fan and a basement light fixture) and I did not charge the landlord for labor as I cannot legally charge for electrical work since I am not a licensed electrician (just like you can give your friend/boss/significant other a haircut for free but you have to become a licensed barber/hairdresser to charge money).

As for electrical work, codes vary, the codes here are rarely enforced (the code enforcement here is almost non-existent with the large number of distressed properties that are structurally unsafe and only the worst of the worst buildings get attention such as buildings infested with rats, illegal rooming houses, buildings lacking heat/water and sewer, and housing five families in a studio apartment, etc). And the code enforcement has been cut back due to budget cuts. My mom works for the city (school system) and she had her hours cut due to budget cuts. Basically to sum it up, the code enforcement here cannot keep up with all the code violations and unsafe housing let alone inspect a new transfer panel installation or a ceiling fan installation.

The landlord's husband (who is a not an electrician) replaced the porch lights. The previous tenants in the other unit replaced the deck light with a security light.

As for the transfer panel, I have a medical condition where a power outage could be life threatening. As for the landlord and reasonable modifications, that is covered by ADA (which allows tenants to make accessibility related modifications to the unit at the tenants expense, however the landlord can require the modifications to be undone upon vacating the premises). The transfer switch was an easy install. I even watched a YouTube video of a 14 year old non-electrician installing the exact same switch.
banner
Premium Member
join:2003-11-07
Long Beach, CA

banner

Premium Member

What youtube video do you recommend for installing transfer switches?
Speedy Petey
join:2008-01-19

Speedy Petey to IowaCowboy

Member

to IowaCowboy
said by IowaCowboy:

Now that I remember, back in 2008 (when the landlord first bought the building off of the original landlord), I did some electrical work for the landlord in the other unit (replacing a ceiling fan and a basement light fixture) and I did not charge the landlord for labor as I cannot legally charge for electrical work since I am not a licensed electrician (just like you can give your friend/boss/significant other a haircut for free but you have to become a licensed barber/hairdresser to charge money).

Yup, comparing a barber to an electrician. That makes sense.
said by IowaCowboy:

As for electrical work, codes vary, the codes here are rarely enforced (the code enforcement here is almost non-existent with the large number of distressed properties that are structurally unsafe and only the worst of the worst buildings get attention such as buildings infested with rats, illegal rooming houses, buildings lacking heat/water and sewer, and housing five families in a studio apartment, etc). And the code enforcement has been cut back due to budget cuts. My mom works for the city (school system) and she had her hours cut due to budget cuts. Basically to sum it up, the code enforcement here cannot keep up with all the code violations and unsafe housing let alone inspect a new transfer panel installation or a ceiling fan installation.

The landlord's husband (who is a not an electrician) replaced the porch lights. The previous tenants in the other unit replaced the deck light with a security light.

As for the transfer panel, I have a medical condition where a power outage could be life threatening. As for the landlord and reasonable modifications, that is covered by ADA (which allows tenants to make accessibility related modifications to the unit at the tenants expense, however the landlord can require the modifications to be undone upon vacating the premises). The transfer switch was an easy install. I even watched a YouTube video of a 14 year old non-electrician installing the exact same switch.

I'm sorry, but you're delusional.
YOU CANNOT DO ELECTRICAL WORK IN THIS PLACE!!!! PERIOD!!

Mass is one of the most regulated states out there, and for you to be doing work in a rental is anywhere from wrong, to borderline criminal. That goes for her husband too. If this lady is so absentee that you cannot get basic maintenance done then report here to the renters bureau or something. Or better yet, move out.
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY

patcat88

Member

said by Speedy Petey:

Mass is one of the most regulated states out there, and for you to be doing work in a rental is anywhere from wrong, to borderline criminal. That goes for her husband too. If this lady is so absentee that you cannot get basic maintenance done then report here to the renters bureau or something. Or better yet, move out.

What useless advice. The OP clearly said he will NOT be moving out.

IowaCowboy
Lost in the Supermarket
Premium Member
join:2010-10-16
Springfield, MA

IowaCowboy

Premium Member

said by patcat88:

said by Speedy Petey:

Mass is one of the most regulated states out there, and for you to be doing work in a rental is anywhere from wrong, to borderline criminal. That goes for her husband too. If this lady is so absentee that you cannot get basic maintenance done then report here to the renters bureau or something. Or better yet, move out.

What useless advice. The OP clearly said he will NOT be moving out.

Agreed; if I moved out, I'd probably end up in some rodent infested place in a bad neighborhood with higher rents. In the city I live in (Springfield, MA), there is huge problem with absentee landlords. The reason we live here is my mom works for the school district and there is a residency requirement as a term of her employment.

sk1939
Premium Member
join:2010-10-23
Frederick, MD
ARRIS SB8200
Ubiquiti UDM-Pro
Juniper SRX320

sk1939

Premium Member

said by IowaCowboy:

said by patcat88:

said by Speedy Petey:

Mass is one of the most regulated states out there, and for you to be doing work in a rental is anywhere from wrong, to borderline criminal. That goes for her husband too. If this lady is so absentee that you cannot get basic maintenance done then report here to the renters bureau or something. Or better yet, move out.

What useless advice. The OP clearly said he will NOT be moving out.

Agreed; if I moved out, I'd probably end up in some rodent infested place in a bad neighborhood with higher rents. In the city I live in (Springfield, MA), there is huge problem with absentee landlords. The reason we live here is my mom works for the school district and there is a residency requirement as a term of her employment.

Irrelevant frankly. Do not make any further changes, as regardless of your abilities, unless you hold a Journeyman electricians license or higher for your jurisdiction, you are not qualified to make any changes, especially for an multiple-tenant dwelling. If you continue to make changes you are opening yourself up for not only lawsuits but criminal prosecution as well.
Speedy Petey
join:2008-01-19

Speedy Petey to patcat88

Member

to patcat88
said by patcat88:

What useless advice. The OP clearly said he will NOT be moving out.

What's useless was you idiotic comment. Do you know anything about Mass? I know some, and I know that electrical work is highly regulated and the penalties of ignoring these regulations are steep.
The last sentence of my post was proving a point. If things are that bad you DO have choices.