Rant - apartment management and dog walker

[Anonymous]

We live in an awesome apartment building and great location with our fantastic dog. Recently, however, we started having problems with apartment management being available to let our dog walker into our apartment. Per our building rules, we are not allowed to have any spare keys made or distributed. When our dog walker comes, he/she is supposed to ring to be let in and then be escorted up to our apartment. Initially, there weren't any problems with this system. But recently, I've gotten numerous texts/emails from our walker saying that she has been waiting 15-30+ to be let in, and that management has been out of the office! Today, our walker waited over 35 minutes for someone to come - and when they finally did, they told her that they have her down for coming between 1 and 1:30PM - she was there at 1:25!!! Not only is this not fair to our puppy, but we're paying a lot of money to have a service that ends up being wasted. This has happened at least 6 times in the last two months (which may not seem like much - but I feel horrible being at work knowing that my poor dog is not going to get her walk until I or my husband gets home), not to mention that we're out nearly $25/day that this happens. We've talked to our apartment management and they have not budged... they won't give us a spare key, and they say that "you can't expect us to be here all of the time." I'm at my wits end... does any one have any suggestions? Do we have any rights as tenants? Anyone else in the same situation and can sympathize?

[Anonymous]

I would have a spare key made.

[Anonymous]

It's your right to be able to have a spare key. Change the locks, make your spares, and then give management a copy as well. Tell them that when you move out, they can put the old lock back on again.

[Anonymous]

I would send a certified letter to your apartment leasing company, not management at the building, the leasing company (Charles Smith or whoever owns the building), telling them they have violated the lease on six separate occasions in the last two months. List the occasions. If they are not in immediate compliance, you will be providing a key to the dog walker.

It's up to the leasing company to get the people who work at the building in line, or come after you for the key. I suspect that you are not the only ones with this complaint.

[Anonymous]

This is an absurd rule! Since it seems like the office is empty at times, I would do this.

Initially have your dog walker wait a few min. to be let in my management. If no one is in, then tell the dog walker to "discreetly" use a spare key to get in.

Problem solved.

[Anonymous]

My dog was happier when we went from an every day walker to every other day daycare. He'd be so tired after a day of fun that he spent the whole next day zonked out on the couch.