Moving on Monday, can't reach landlord

bruin

I'm moving into an apartment on Monday with a couple friends. Or at least that's the plan... see we've been trying to reach our future landlord for about a week and she hasn't once picked up her phone (calling at least once a day). I've left messages with my name and number and she hasn't called back.

We just need the keys from her. I'll keep calling, but say we don't talk to her by Monday, what do we do? Roll up to the apartment with all our stuff and just hope she's there to let us in? I'm assuming she has lots of properties to deal with, and September 1 is when everyone moves, so she could not be there.

Mr. Pokeylope

Have you signed the lease yet?

Grimm

Or have you given her any money yet? Does she have an office? If she does, i would suggest going to see her in person as soon as possible.

bruin

We have signed the lease, and we have given her money

I don't believe she has an office, or if she does I don't know where it is

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

JebusUD

Call multiple times in one day. Then see of you can find some kind of alternate number or address for her in the phone book.

Al_wat

Did you ever meet at the house with the landlord?

I've heard of a lot of scams where someone advertises a place on the internet, when they aren't even the landlord. They get all the money from the (supposed) tenants, who then either try to move into a place already occupied by rightful tenants or have a really hard time finding the landlord for keys come move-in time.

supabeast

If I were you I would start looking for a new place and send the landlord a letter, via certified mail, that by not giving you the keys she was preventing you from moving in, and thus you believe her to be in violation of the lease and and choosing to terminate it and not move in.

bruin

Al_wat wrote: »

Did you ever meet at the house with the landlord?

I've heard of a lot of scams where someone advertises a place on the internet, when they aren't even the landlord. They get all the money from the (supposed) tenants, who then either try to move into a place already occupied by rightful tenants or have a really hard time finding the landlord for keys come move-in time.

We met with her at the apartment twice, she had keys to get in and everything. At this point I'm less worried that we've been scammed and more worried that we're not going to be able to get in on time (which is a violation of the lease, yes). She has been flaky before, when we were trying to get in touch with her about just having a pet.

Improvolone

There is a good chance that if you contact the police, they will be able to get in contact with her. This may jeopardize having a cool landlord, but it sounds like shes screwy to begin with.

desperaterobots

Maybe try calling local real-estate agencies (if you know she works for one) and ask if she works there; explain why if you need to.

And good luck, I just moved in to a place with pretty much the most useless landlord I've ever dealt with. We've had a leak in our bathroom ceiling since day 1, coming through the electrical work in the ceiling, and it still isn't fixed.

DeShadowC

desperaterobots wrote: »

Maybe try calling local real-estate agencies (if you know she works for one) and ask if she works there; explain why if you need to.

And good luck, I just moved in to a place with pretty much the most useless landlord I've ever dealt with. We've had a leak in our bathroom ceiling since day 1, coming through the electrical work in the ceiling, and it still isn't fixed.

Wow that would suck. My landlord lives next door, and the property manager just a mile down the road. If something needs fixed its fixed that night.

desperaterobots

Yeah, me and my housemate have only ever had private rentals until now, and they fixed anything and everything within a day. I had to make at least 10 calls and write 10 emails (to every address at the real estate agent) before someone came to fix some fairly necessary shit, like, say, the shower curtain rail that fell off the water-damaged bathroom ceiling!

And I'm paying through the nose because the housing market here is ridiculously tight. Bleh. Sorry, don't mean to de-rail.

TexiKen

If a landlord won't even be attentive while you're attempting to move in, they probably will be even worse when trying to get maintenance done.

If you've been trying for a week to call her, there may be some ground to break the lease. Look at what you signed. I would consider finding another place, because this is a good foreshadowing of things to come. No sensible Landlord does not take a week to respond to tenant requests.