[concern renter]

I have been renting to own for three months now. For three months I have had leaks in both bathrooms. Repairmen only temporarily fix the problem - today there is still leaking. They are coming tomorrow to look at one of the bathrooms. Can I put my rent in escrow if not fixed this month? Can I get out of the agreement if not properly fixed soon? I don't know what the problem really is because the owner only allows the repairmen to talk to him. Please advise.

[excon]

Hello renter:

Some state allow you to put your rent in escrow. Others don't. You can find your states landlord tenant laws at the top of the real estate page on a "sticky note".

The repairman don't have to explain anything to you. Right now it's HIS house. But, if it keeps leaking, I'd keep calling him.

excon

[Fr_Chuck]

And if you are standing there watching them, you mean the repair man will not discuss the problem with you. If you are planning on buying the home, I personally would demand that I be told what was wrong or they were not disclosing info about the home.

[rockinmommy]

Did you put down a large down payment? Or are you just renting with the option to buy at this point? I guess what I'm asking is what's different about your agreement from a standard lease?

At this point I would recommend following your state's laws, like excon suggested, and try to get out of the lease and move on. This doesn't sound like a good person to be doing business with.

Also, to protect your rights you need to be conducting all communication with the LL in writing. That way you have a paper trail to fall back on in the event of needing to sue him, or if he would come after you for any reason.

[concern renter]

Yes, I did put down a large down payment. Thanks for your comments. I am consulting a lawyer to see my options.