help with rental agreement

mom60
Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:32:59 +0000

One thing that has not been mentioned in the various renting threads. Something I had not thought of even though I have worked in the field.

Check out the landlord. My friends D is currently involved in a nightmare experience. 4 soph girls looking for an apartment in Berkeley. Housing is tight. They look at lots of things along with hordes of other students. The girls want to handle it. They find an apartment. Of course they must pay for June,July and August even though they will not be in town. They sign the lease, pay a large deposit and the June rent. This was done in early May. The girls do not get the key. The landlord asked when they planned to move in. They say mid August. He writes this on the top of the lease. In late June one of the girls calls the landlord and says she is coming up to Berkeley and wants to get the keys and will be staying at the apartment for a week. The landlord says NO. You said you were not moving in till Aug. She calls the Rent Control board and finds out that this landlord has many complaints and judgements against him. Just a bad guy. This girl decides she does not want to live in the apartment. This leaves the other 3 in a dilemma. Do they bail and try to get their deposits back. Have to find a new place or pay the other girls share. I have not talked with my friend to find out what is happening now. I am sure in tight markets this is not unusual. The landlord is running the show since he knows if the girls bail he keeps their deposit and can easily rent out the apartment. We figure he has the apartment rent out this summer and is collecting rent from two sets of tenants.