ghook
Mar 6, 2007, 06:16 AM
My landlord is slow to act on issues in the house. So much so, I stopped calling for minor repairs, which I do myself, and only ask for resolution to the one serious issue. The ground is low around the house and we get ground water coming in from the seam between the basement door and the outside steps to go up to ground level. There is a sump pump and french drain that does not work well in heavy rains. That's when we get a nice flow coming in under the door down the basement floor like several branches of a river to the sump pump.
This issue has been going on for two years. Everything they do are cheap stop gaps that are temporary fixes. Two examples: they painted inside wall with sealant (water ran over the paint in the next heavy rain) and now they make two holes in the wall of the outside steps to have the water go into the drain to shallow french drain to the sump pump. Plus this is the third cheap sump pump that has been placed in the house.
Now I found mold in several areas of the basement and in the one of the bedrooms above it. The landlord sprayed it with bleach and told us to continue to do it, but you can see it is embedded in the paint and in the joints of the cinder blocks. A contractor friend mentioned getting an inspector, but why should I pay for this?
Just the past four months my allergies aren't settling down with my medication, my daughter is having issues with nasal congestion that has been going on just as long and we are due to have a new baby in the house soon.
What steps can I take to get the landlord to finally resolve this issue. We have decided to move if they do not fully repair it this year. With the baby coming and our health concerns is there a way we could get out of the lease early if we do not receive satisifaction this time?
This issue has been going on for two years. Everything they do are cheap stop gaps that are temporary fixes. Two examples: they painted inside wall with sealant (water ran over the paint in the next heavy rain) and now they make two holes in the wall of the outside steps to have the water go into the drain to shallow french drain to the sump pump. Plus this is the third cheap sump pump that has been placed in the house.
Now I found mold in several areas of the basement and in the one of the bedrooms above it. The landlord sprayed it with bleach and told us to continue to do it, but you can see it is embedded in the paint and in the joints of the cinder blocks. A contractor friend mentioned getting an inspector, but why should I pay for this?
Just the past four months my allergies aren't settling down with my medication, my daughter is having issues with nasal congestion that has been going on just as long and we are due to have a new baby in the house soon.
What steps can I take to get the landlord to finally resolve this issue. We have decided to move if they do not fully repair it this year. With the baby coming and our health concerns is there a way we could get out of the lease early if we do not receive satisifaction this time?