Atlanta Apartments

So you’ve signed a lease and settled into an Atlanta apartment you love. Everything’s great, right? Well, unfortunately, that’s not always the case. Disagreements can arise between tenants and landlords that can make even the cutest Atlanta apartment in the nicest location a miserable place to live. If you are a renter, you have a legal obligation to pay your rent and respect the landlord’s property. The landlord is also legally required to provide a safe, clean and functioning place for you to live. If you truly feel that your landlord is not living up to his part of the bargain, there are some actions you can take.

First, be sure you read your lease thoroughly and understand what it says. It should give you instructions for how to report a malfunction in your Atlanta apartment and indicate a reasonable amount of time for repairs to be performed. When a problem develops in your residence, be sure to follow the guidelines you were given. Calling about a leaky faucet late at night or early Sunday morning will not make the landlord or maintenance people think fondly of you. On the other hand, if there is a serious or dangerous problem, if you smell gas or notice water running under the shower all over the bathroom floor, for example, use the emergency number you were given to contact authorities right away.

Documentation

When you follow accepted procedure for requesting maintenance, and still do not get any results, you need to start documenting your actions. Record the time and date of each call you make. If nothing happens, take a picture of the problem, if possible, and save it. You can photograph backed-up sinks, ants or other bugs in the kitchen, peeling paint, and other problems. Sometimes the use of a video camera can document banging pipes or a bathtub that takes hours to drain. Be sure you use the date stamp function on your digital camera or video recorder, and if the trouble persists, take a new picture every week to prove it. The more information you have on hand, the better your case will be.

While you are waiting for repairs, do not make the mistake of thinking that you should withhold your rent to compensate for the poor maintenance. That will only put you in violation of your part of the lease agreement and make it more difficult to get the action you need. If you have asked for repairs and waited for two weeks, you should send the landlord a letter stating exactly what the problem is. Tell him that you have been documenting your requests and that you expect prompt action to resolve the issue. Consult online sources to find out the laws regarding tenants’ rights in your state, and don’t be afraid to let the owner of your building know that you have been doing your homework. The knowledge that you are informed and willing to stand up for your rights will often galvanize a landlord to action.

Tenant’s Organization

If you live in a building with an active tenant’s organization, by all means, take your concerns to the board. You are likely to find a sympathetic audience there with a system in place for addressing your grievances. If there is no renter’s group, you might want to think about starting one. Talk to a few neighbors and see if others are experiencing problems similar to yours. If they seem to have an interest in doing something about their complaints, set up a time for a meeting, but if you get the idea they only want to sit around and grumble, don’t waste your time. Persistence and professionalism on your part will probably result in your problem being fixed, and if not, be ready to take your landlord to small claims court.