Do you think apartment complexes should be sued for failure to provide services aside from maintenance?
Maybe this is an attorney general matter.
I’m in a what should be considered a nice upscale complex (though to be sure, I’ll be out when the lease is up or sooner) When I got here, not that I really cared, the little business center was shut and some gym equipment wasn’t working. Now, the gym universal is a mess making over 1/2 the equipment in the small gym not operating properly. But get this, now they’re putting up a sign that they are closing the laundry facilities permanently in 90 days.
People are paying good money to live here. This sort of thing is happening all over Florida. I don’t mean that something is down a few weeks, I mean permanently. I think it constitutes a fraud to be advertising facilities that the complexes don’t keep operating.
What’s a renter to do?
It might not be in my lease, but these things are advertised in those flashy little renter guide booklets.
I did hold onto a booklet Chatsplas.
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9 Responses to “Do you think apartment complexes should be sued for failure to provide services aside from maintenance?”
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Contrary to what some answerers are saying, the truth is that if they "hold themselves out" as having these amenities, even just in their advertising– then yes, they are responsible for providing them. It doesn’t matter whether they mention them in the lease or not (unless your lease states that the apartment complex does not guarantee that the amenities will always be available, or words to that effect).
Find copies of those original renter guilde booklets and brochures to serve as proof that they advertised their apartment complexes as providing these services. Make a copy of the ads, take them to management, and tell them that you feel you are entitled to a reduction in rent since these services are not available to you as promised, and that as a result you will incur additional expenses on top of your rent (gym membership and laundry services) that you are already paying for IN your rent–in other words, you’re paying twice over for the amenities that were promised when you moved in there. Decide in advance how much you feel your rent should be reduced (perhaps go a little lower for negotiation’s sake).
If that doesn’t work then yes, you can take legal action. Got just $50 you can talk to a lawyer (your county has a Lawyer’s Referral Service where you can pay a lawyer about $50 for 1/2 hour of consultation. My family has used this service 4x in 3 different states, always with good results). It’s definitely worth doing.
Another option is to get together with all your neighbors and demand immediate repair of the gym and the laundry facilities. The complex would be foolish NOT to listen to you all because they’re going to start losing current tenants really fast AND they’re going to have a tough time replacing tenants because NO ONE wants to live in a big apartment building that doesn’t provide LAUNDRY services! If they don’t take immediate action, then tell them that you and your neighbors will take your story to the local newspaper (local newspapers love stories like this–Big Mean Landlord vs. Nice Local People).
PS: Bear in mind that are that they’re probably going to start dropping their rental prices for new tenants, but NOT FOR YOU unless you speak up. "Be a Squeaky Wheel." Best advice I ever got.
"When I got here, not that I really cared" - so you knew about it….
The laundry thing sucks though.
if your lease says that they have a gym and laundry services you can sue them for breach of contract
To answer your question…only if your lease or rental agreement states such things as laundry rooms and fitness centers are part of the lease. I’ve never signed a rental agreement that states laundry rooms are part of the service provided and always will be. A property owner can discontinue that service at his or her discretion unless the law, lease, or rental agreement states it must be provided.
READ your lease, carefully.
See if you can locate advertisement by complex from when you leased.
If your lease and advertising listed amenities such as gym and laundry, they have an obligation, during the term of the lease to keep them operating, to fix them when they break down.
However, these are not issues of habitability, making it harder to claim they broke the lease entitling you to move out.
ASK for rent abatement. Take them to small claims court. Good chance of prevailing.
These Items you mention are considered "amenities" they are a benefit they are not a right. Hot water, water, heating, AC, clean living conditions are a right, they would be considred something of an issue, however, no, I don’t think that an apartment complex should be "sued" because they fail to keep "amenities" open due to vandalism or having no money to "fix" the items.
Yes, it sucks about the laundry, do you not have a hookup in your unit? If not then chances are a lot of people will be vacating at lease end, however, they are not obligated by law to keep these items open simply to apease the renters, if they cannot afford to keep these items going then they have no choice, when people look to move in they will be notified that there are no laundry facilities.
You don’t have a case I’m sorry but they should not be sued because you have to now find other laundry facilities.
Sad…just sad….
The Attorney General will dismiss you as a crackpot. So will any lawyer.
If they fixed everything you’d be complaining about the rent increases. You cannot sue as those are amenities which are not required.
Yes, the apartment owners should be sued. But, this is not an attorney general matter. It is a private breach of contract matter between the tenant and the landlord. Situations like yours are intended for small claims court.
Go to the management and ask for a reduction in rent. If they don’t give it to you, take your case to small claims court.
It may not be fair but those things are all legally amenities & not legally required to be included. It is legal to remove an amenity & the tenants are not legally entitled to any rent reduction or other compensation. It does not matter if they were listed in any advertising or booklet. There is nothing a tenant can do about the removal of an amenity. Not fair - but legal.