Renters have rights, we are renting the property and have the right to expect privacy and no one has the right to violate that. As for my landlord criminal charges will end his career, should have thought of that before he stalked.

CINDY

I only have but a few items to mention in this posting,

1- Check the news online, you will see how one tenant ( in San Antonio, TX) found a camera in her ac vent after she just moved in her apartment.

2- I want to rescind my permission to my landlord forbidding them to enter our apartment when we are not at home. Unless it is an emergency and police or fire department representative is present.

3- In that notice I am also stating they notify me of future maintenance prior to them entering so we may be home.

Reason for the 2nd & 3rd is at the moment they saw me leave my home was less then 5 mins prior to my husband returning home from work. When he started to undress in our bedroom, he found a strange man in our back bathroom. He found out it was the plumber and manager gave him permission and the key when we were out. But did not again notify us of him coming. This seems to be an on going thing with our manager and maintenance here at our apartment complex. I would like to know what I can do. What are my legal rights here in San Antonio, TX. In our last apartment complex in another state. We have noticed that everything we spoke of privately in our home was back in the office. So we decided to check the apartment, low and behold we were being bugged. So we moved out of there right away. I want privacy, I feel I pay rent to live somewhere for my privacy and feel I deserve it.

Get a surveillance camera & hope to catch an image of the offender.

my Perv is the maintaince man

I live in an apartment in North Dakota in which maintenance has almost walked in on me being almost naked 3 times in the last year!

The 1st encounter, I was laying in bed taking a nap after class when I heard my front door unlocking, I had just enough time to jump out of bed and put a towel on to open the door when maintenance then tried telling me my dryer was broken and tried forcing himself into my apartment to double check (at the time I was actually using the dryer), my landlord gave the guy the wrong apartment number and said that the tenant wont be there!

2nd Encounter, again I was sleeping and maintenance knocked and then I heard the unlocking of my door, once again I had just enough time to wrap myself up and got to the door as he was opening it! Maintenance took so long to get around to the repair that I found a way to repair it myself!

3rd Encounter! I was home sick, taking a bath when I pop my head out of the water to hear maintenance walking into my apartment! They did knock, but how am I supposed to hear them with my head underwater!

The next day I approached my landlord and requested a chain be put on my door to protect my personal privacy while I am in my apartment. My landlord told me that having a chain put on my door was against fire code and they wouldn’t do it. If I did it myself they would charge me for a new door and frame when I move out! Is it illegal for my landlord to deny me a chain on my door?

For each of these encounters I had no prior notice to them coming to the apartment until they either they unlocked the door or knocked. The second encounter was requested maintenance, but it was more than a week after the request was made.

The exceptions that do not require notice are emergency situations, and any regular maintenance specified in the lease agreement.

New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Division of Codes and Standards Landlord-Tenant Information Service
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Providing the landlord with a key
If there is no lease provision or written rental rule requiring a key to be given to the landlord, a tenant is not required to provide a key for the landlord. In New Jersey there is no law that requires a tenant to give a landlord a key to the rental unit. There is also no law that prohibits a landlord from keeping a key to a rental unit. A tenant disputing the landlord’s right to a key can simply refuse to provide the landlord with a key. The landlord may then seek an action for eviction based on the tenant’s refusal to comply with reasonable lease provisions. The judge would then decide if it is reasonable for the tenant to supply the landlord with a key.

Forcible or unlawful entry and detainer A landlord shall be guilty of an unlawful entry and detainer, if the landlord enters the rental premises peaceably or forcibly and then detains (keeps or takes possession of) the property by force or the threat of force or if the landlord enters the rental unit and removes the tenant’s personal property without the consent of the tenant or a judgment from the Superior Court of New Jersey. If a landlord enters a tenant’s unit while the tenant is not home, this is considered forcible entry.
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sample letter:

your name
address (including apt #)
phone number

date

Landlord name/company
address

Landlord name/Company,

I am requesting that you immediately repair my door and change my locks as this interferes with my safety and well being. I am requesting that this repair/change be taken care of in __hours and I will be present for this. I request that you immediately respond in writing as to when this will take place. I also request that management be present, or another maintenance person preform the work.

On (approximate if you don’t remember)_____ , 2008, your maintenance person came to my apartment unannounced, when he saw that I was there, he dismissed himself quickly-this activity caused me to be very concerned as the lease states: page ___, paragraph ___, section _____ that maintenance personnel:(write where it may pertain to you and when they must notify you). Then state that you were not notified by written notice of a leak check, nor a phone call or knock on the door. This individual is found loitering outside my door prior to my departure for work and this activity is very suspicious. He often loiters with a suspicious looking individual. This activity make me feel _________________. From now on if I feel threatened by this individual or if unlawful entry into my apartment dwelling is made I will call the police department for my own safety. To employ such an individual is not right and you should consider your options as an individual of this nature could cause your apartment housing considerable liability issue.

Sincerely,

your name ( you could include pictures as an attachment)

0BVIOUSLY, IT’s NOT BE PERFECT, JUST TWEEK IT UP, GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO RESPOND-IT MAY TAKE A DAY. IF THEY DO NOT RESPOND: contact a real estate attorney who can help with landlord/tenant issues. Some give free advise and will let you know if you have a case-I’m sure you would if your landlord doesn’t respond. This should give you plenty of right to leave that apartment complex without oweing a penny! The attorney may write a letter to threaten to allow you to break lease because of above issue-and send it to them. At that point you would give notice and run!!

Good luck, and keep all copies to/from landlord

I rented a room at a house with the landlady. It was on a month-by-month basis.

I gave her verbal notice several months in advance that I planned to leave late May to take a medical licensing exam, and asked if it was okay to leave my belongings in the garage in storage until June 20. She agreed to that, although, I didn’t put it in writing (big mistake!).

Throughout the 2 years I paid for this room, she has done unauthorized entries, used my room as a shortcut to get to the garage, and even let her family and DRUNK FRIEND sleep in my bed (this was without my knowledge, I found out through that friend of hers, that she slept in my bed while I was away).

Recently, in the past 2 weeks, she began forcing herself into my room. I told her that I am in the middle of studying for final exams and to please give me privacy. She has been verbally abusive and bullied me into letting her paint my room, while I was studying (and asked her not to), and of course, this being a health issue. Not only that, my belongings have been tampered with and everything.

So, I decided after more disagreement and more fees she began to stick me with, I gave her a written notice that since she has continually harassed me, trespassed, allowed her friends and family members to SLEEP in my room while I was out of town without my consent, I have decided to take my belongings with me on May 27th, and to not leave them here until June 20. In addition, I refused to pay her for rent in June.

She has now been swearing at me, calling me names, and leaving me threatening notices on my door saying that she is going to sue me because I gave her 2 weeks written noticed instead of 30 days, etc etc (even though she acknowledged in writing that I did give her verbal notice).

Do I have grounds to break my lease with her? I think I have every right to feel threatened and uncomfortable when I am being harassed, invaded, and people that are not maintenance people coming in and sleeping in my room.