Well I read your story earlier and I knew the second I read it that PP was right - there's an ethnic/cultural thing going on. I'm assuming they are Asian. Sorry if that's offensive to anyone, but I cannot express how many homes I've been in that sound exactly as you describe. I feel bad for you, and I'd plan to move out as soon as your lease is up. You'll be lucky if you get your deposit back.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're not being too picky. Is that really your only question about this situation?

Well, I wanted to know if it's normal to rent a home and my have it freshly painted, carpets steamed, etc.

I'm used to buildings and I never had such issues. The apartments always look brand new when we walk in. Are homes supposed to be like this too?

When I mentioned the walls - it's neon green!!! - the real state agent for the LL looked at me and said "this is not your home, you know? You can't have it all your way." (the lease said if we paint we must return it to the original color - I noticed it when I first visited the property but I thought the tenant would paint it back, it was a playroom and now I'm left with a neon green nursery!!!!

Anyway, thank you so far for the helpful input.

OP, we are first time landlords (rented out our townhouse when we bought a new house) and we left our home immaculate. Thoroughly cleaned, reprinted, carpets cleaned, etc.

The main reason we did this (other than hoping to have a happy tenant) is that we hope to inspire the tenant to leave the house in similar condition.

Sounds like your owner is local and/or really hands off and the management company sucks. I'd be pissed if I were you! I pray that your lease says the place would be clean, free of debris, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Lol love it. So now OP is going to try to pull the ethnic card. This cannot be real.

What are you talking about? Some random PP mentioned race and the OP is a foreigner.

What country in Asia?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm paying 2K/month for rent. This is anything but a rat hole.

I just sent the email. Lets see what the agent will say.

On a side note here, someone mentioned guessing their ethnicity and I'm curious to know about that.

I'm an immigrant myself and there was quite of a language barrier during the walk through. Several times the agent mentioned they don't tolerate late payments for rent and I mentioned several times we were waiting for their bank info to set up a direct deposit and she didn't understand at all what we meant by direct deposit. She kept saying such things are tricky and it will be our fault if it didn't work.

The agent and the owner have the same origin last and first names.

Asian. The condition of the property was a dead giveaway. It's not a ethnic thing, it's just a sad truth. I've been into probably 1000+ houses in the metro area, story almost always the same. Different cultures are totally different in their approach to rental properties. And I've seen a strange dynamic with Asian clients and Asian agents - the agents are really mean to the clients.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I'm paying 2K/month for rent. This is anything but a rat hole.

I just sent the email. Lets see what the agent will say.

On a side note here, someone mentioned guessing their ethnicity and I'm curious to know about that.

I'm an immigrant myself and there was quite of a language barrier during the walk through. Several times the agent mentioned they don't tolerate late payments for rent and I mentioned several times we were waiting for their bank info to set up a direct deposit and she didn't understand at all what we meant by direct deposit. She kept saying such things are tricky and it will be our fault if it didn't work.

The agent and the owner have the same origin last and first names.

Asian. The condition of the property was a dead giveaway. It's not a ethnic thing, it's just a sad truth. I've been into probably 1000+ houses in the metro area, story almost always the same. Different cultures are totally different in their approach to rental properties. And I've seen a strange dynamic with Asian clients and Asian agents - the agents are really mean to the clients.

Lol love it. So now OP is going to try to pull the ethnic card. This cannot be real.

OP here. I'm paying 2K/month for rent. This is anything but a rat hole.

I just sent the email. Lets see what the agent will say.

On a side note here, someone mentioned guessing their ethnicity and I'm curious to know about that.

I'm an immigrant myself and there was quite of a language barrier during the walk through. Several times the agent mentioned they don't tolerate late payments for rent and I mentioned several times we were waiting for their bank info to set up a direct deposit and she didn't understand at all what we meant by direct deposit. She kept saying such things are tricky and it will be our fault if it didn't work.

The agent and the owner have the same origin last and first names.

It all boils down to the fact you made assumptions about the landlord. You ASSUMED the landlord would clean before you moved in. You ASSUMED the previous tenants would clean up after themselves. Never assume a landlord will act in a reasonable fashion! Assume they will act in the CHEAPEST fashion! The vast majority of landlords, especially since the real estate bubble, are looking to put the least amount of money into the house and take the maximum amount from you. Sorry you are learning this lesson the hard way.

OP, you answered your own question. You were desperate to move in light of the disruption hotel living made to your life, so you made a terrible decision. The house needed updating, was dirty and stank. All things you took notice of before moving in. Now that that over, the new question is where to go from here. I think you need to suck up all complaints about updating (fresh paint, child proof latches, etc...). You chose the place in spite of those unacceptable conditions, so now you have to deal. As far as the filth, take photos and show the landlord. Ask to go half on a deep clean. I agree with up-posters who said look deeper in to the mold situation. Totally not healthy for little ones. As far as people being mean, there's two sides to that coin. I think it's mean for tenants to bait and switch when they have no idea what's going on in a landlord's life. Any chance the landlord has medical issues, financial issues, family challenges, etc...? Remember, everyone is human including landlords. Somehow, they always get villified. Some may be slumlords, but some tenants are slum tenants and unreasonable. It goes both ways. One way to solve that disconnect is to be upfront about a property and not make assumptions about what should be done about a property.

i was in your situation OP. Moved into a place that ended up being really dirty. After a couple emails to the landlord I realized that waiting for him to clean/fix things was going to be a frustrating exercise and a massive headache. So instead I called a couple family members and we put in 3 solid days of sweat equity. Place was clean and spotless. Should we have had to do that no - but it was well worth it. We lived there for 5 years, and it was a great house to live in. No point wasting time getting more and more irritated - you are there now. Just do what you need to do to make it a home you love for your family.

Landlord was a pain the entire 5 years we were there. He made a lot of demands and got mad at us for things (hanging shelves, painting rooms) but never did any of the repairs we needed so we basically did all the upkeep ourselves and ignored his complaints and did as we pleased.

Anonymous wrote:^^ Yeah, but she didn't miss them in the walk through. She saw the dirt, trash left over, disrepair and stinky smell. So now she's complaining and having to get the housing authority and all of that involved. What a hassle. Word to the wise- buyer beware (that also includes buyers who are aware [like OP], but who want a magic wand after the fact).

You're also in the mean spirited team? We missed the yard and trash areas in the walk in.

My son is about to have a surgery, he's not one yet and my daughter who has been potty trained for 1 and half years is again pooping in her pants. I was done paying Marriott and I was more than ready to move. We desperately needed a home and a routine again.

They clearly didn't clean the house before we moved in. I talked to my agent and she said she has never seen it like this before. All the things I mentioned she said were expected include the deep carpet cleaning.

I'm making myself willing to meet half way and pay for half of the expenses we'll have with setting up this place. Our furniture arrives in 2 days so I'm running against time.

Thanks to the helpful responders who helped me through this.

^^ Yeah, but she didn't miss them in the walk through. She saw the dirt, trash left over, disrepair and stinky smell. So now she's complaining and having to get the housing authority and all of that involved. What a hassle. Word to the wise- buyer beware (that also includes buyers who are aware [like OP], but who want a magic wand after the fact).