Renter with questions about month-to-month ending
We've been renting from relatives for several years now. Recently a large family issue has split the family groups apart and as a result there's a lot of bad blood - those who are not on one particular side aren't welcome by those seeing the other side of the coin.
We originally rented one property of theirs with a years lease that was just rolled over through the years (no signing of additional leases/agreements). Roughly six years ago they offered us to rent a larger property of theirs for the same price - we did, and we moved over. No other contract was signed, it was just assumed by all to be a continuance of the first.
As timing would have it, if we were to go by the original lease, our last month on a 12-month cycle would be this June. With the bad blood, things have become increasingly tense and unfriendly. Today we received a certified letter from our landlord relative that we must decide now if we wish to go on a month to month at an increased rate or a year at an increased, though slightly less expensive route than the first. The cover letter stated that our lease was up the end of June, but that we need to select an option and then start paying these new increased rates.
My statement here should be that the end of April this individual crossed a major line in the family battle, and I stated that we would could not continue to be in relationship with them (and I guess implied tenancy), they continued, and we haven't spoken since... this certified letter stated that I gave notice on that day verbally.
OK - now that you have some of the background - we can't up and move a 4-bedroom household with several animals. We've been looking for, and have placed an offer to buy, on places to live.
Here's my questions:
1) If our lease is "up" at the end of June, is rent due June 1st at our old rate or the new one if we choose *not* to sign either option provided in the certified letter?
2) If we choose to go the month-to-month route does she have the right to start that month-to-month in June, since the cover letter implied that June was part of our current agreement (would it null that one and start her higher rated option immediately)?
3) Because we were family, several conversations about the house (repairs, for example) were verbally given back and forth... including repairs/improvements we've done to the house. There were two-three bigger ticket items (like the spring in the automatic garage door broke a few months ago... we fixed one to the tune of a couple hundred dollars out of our own pocket at the last house when it rusted through... she said she couldn't afford fixing it here, and I've not had the money to put into it). Preparing to leave soon, what should I do with the list of items that still require repairs?
4) Another item I don't know what to do about is a brand new dishwasher we purchased when the old model that came with the house broke. The landlord looked at it and declared it unfixable, but it was also around the holiday season last year and didn't have the cash to replace it. Because we didn't want to be without one, we said we'd buy one for ourselves, acknowledging that we'd take it with us if we ever moved. For tax purposes, they charged the model we selected on their credit card and we paid them back for it via check (we have the cleared check with it's note stating that it was inpayment for the dishwasher). I fully plan on taking it with when we move because it was a special model I found/wanted. What do I need to do with this? Do I include a formal note stating that I'm walking away with it and include copies of the checks? (I also have an email from her stating that her CC bill arrived and that I needed to make the payment for the dishwasher by X date.) Do we have to replace this dishwasher with yet another one, or should that be their worry?
4) The state I live does not require a landlord to walk through the rental property with the tenant. I don't know how I feel about this - if I should push the issue or not. However, I do plan on hiring a professional cleaning service to come after we vacate just to have something that states that the place was clean when we left (yes, at this time I don't trust that the landlords wouldn't try to withhold our initial security deposit... not even sure if we'd get it since that deposit was on the original house we rented from them.) Should I push for the walk through or not?
Preparing rental before *we* end our lease - Questions
I'm trying to leave a bad rental situation as smoothly as possible.
I plan on hiring a cleaning service before leaving our rental home, just to make sure everything is fine. Because we have animals, I will also have the carpets cleaned - while there aren't stains/accidents from the animals, I know that I can smell "dog" when entering other people's homes, and assuming I've adjusted to the smell of my cats.
We're also not leaving on the best of terms (and the LLs are family members who are getting a bit spiteful regarding personal matters).
I'd like some advice on what repairs would be my responsibility before moving out. Here are some of the things wrong with the house, which we have several times had conversations about with the LLs before the family split happened.
1. Garage Door's spring snapped due to age
2. Bathroom tile grout replace (tile itself in good condition), it wasn't the prettiest when we moved in.
3. Dishwasher died. They refused to pay for a new one. They charged it on their card and we paid them in full (canceled checks). Do we keep it? If yes, do we replace with another model?
4. Blind cord broken - can we just repair this, or do we need to buy new blinds?
5. Worn carpet (we've lived here several years... again, no stains, but if a carpet cleaning doesn't have it bouncing back?)
6. Wood Floors in bedroom - there is some slight wearing in one area (the bed's "feet"). Also, other than the typical washing, should we have it professionally cleaned?
Also - when we moved almost all of the windows only had blinds (horizontal or vertical). No curtains. We placed curtains in all the rooms. Are we required to leave behind our curtain rods? I'd like to take them with. The vertical blinds in one room broke (sliding glass doorway)- they were sticking all the time, and one day when trying to open, they just snapped. We didn't bother to replace because we put curtains up instead. Would it be better just to let them charge us (or take it from our deposit) or buy something ourselves and install?