Laws RE: Landlord Showing Apartment to Prospective New Tenants?

[jaybeebrad]

I really don't like my landlord. Short version: been without water for over 2 weeks now, have a hearing with water bureau and my attorney scheduled for October 31st because they refused and USTRA turn-on for me as a tenant. If you want the full details on that just search the forums for my previous thread about it.

Landlord finally came by today to discuss showing the apartment to prospective new tenants. He claimed to not have my roommate's phone number (nonsense, it's the exclusive number we've used to contact him from for over a year.) I gave it to him and I informed him he would have to give 24 hours notice every time he wanted to show the apartment. There were two young women outside and I imagine he had hoped I would just let him come in without notice.

I know a lot about my tenant rights in Philadelphia at this point, but what are my rights in terms of this situation? Can I deny the right to show the apartment to new tenants? What do I say about the toilet full of human waste that I have to empty every other day by hand because I have no running water? How is he/am I going to explain that? When new tenants ask me what it was like as a tenant, I feel an obligation to tell the truth. I don't care if he rents the place or not so it's no skin off my back to be forthright, but that's probably going to piss him off.

How do I handle this situation? If you can cite your answer with a link to some kind of code online or something that would be great! Thanks...

[RittenhouseGirl]

Take a look at your lease and see what legalese it has on the subject of entering your apartment.

Other than that, a lot of landlords unfortunately try to show apartments without notice. I was in your situation when I was younger (in Center City as well) and basically demanded to be given notice after the landlord starting showing my apartment to groups open-house style.

As for what you should tell the prospective tenant, tell them what you wish. Only the landlord is under legal obligation to disclose the condition of the property.

Good luck with your situation. And I hope it is over soon.

[sharkey]

Why are you "emptying the toilet by hand?" Wouldn't it be better to lug in a couple of 5 gallon buckets or coller jugs of water, fill the tank and flush it? If you have a post 1991 toilet it only uses 1.6 gallons per flush, so a full bucket gets you 3 flushes. Even theolder toilets ususally use 3.5 gallons, so it would still work but with fewer flushes per bucket.

[jaybeebrad]

Why are you "emptying the toilet by hand?" Wouldn't it be better to lug in a couple of 5 gallon buckets or coller jugs of water, fill the tank and flush it? If you have a post 1991 toilet it only uses 1.6 gallons per flush, so a full bucket gets you 3 flushes. Even theolder toilets ususally use 3.5 gallons, so it would still work but with fewer flushes per bucket.

When I try to pour water into the tank, it just drains away almost instantly. A gallon of water disappears five seconds after I've poured it in. Filling up the actual bowl with water does not do anything in terms of getting it flushed. Where exactly would I fill up these five gallon buckets or jugs with water when I don't HAVE any running water? Do you expect me to buy gallon jugs of water at the store and lug them home on foot or by bus for every time I use the toilet, which is several times a day?

[Marc]

Do you expect me to buy gallon jugs of water at the store and lug them home on foot or by bus for every time I use the toilet, which is several times a day?

I'd start getting friendly with a local coffee shop.
/OT

[thesomersteam]

Good luck with your situation. Bad landlords like yours certainly give good landlords a bad name.

RittenhouseGirl is correct in that the specificis of landlord access such as a showing would be stated in your lease. Most leases state 24 hours notice for that. So yes, you can deny access if they just show up without any notice.

[Marquis]

I think you should have let him show the apartment so the prospective tenants could see how one lives without running water, and you could tell them not to live there because you have such a ****ty landlord.

[sharkey]

When I try to pour water into the tank, it just drains away almost instantly. A gallon of water disappears five seconds after I've poured it in. Filling up the actual bowl with water does not do anything in terms of getting it flushed. Where exactly would I fill up these five gallon buckets or jugs with water when I don't HAVE any running water? Do you expect me to buy gallon jugs of water at the store and lug them home on foot or by bus for every time I use the toilet, which is several times a day?

The tank is supposed to hold water until you open the flapper by turning the toilet handle. If the tank does not hold water, then you have a plumbing problem separate and in addition to the problem of not having water. As far as obtaining water, isn't there one friend or aquaintance on the block that would let you fill some buckets up by hose? Or, you could offer to pay them? Gotta be better than hand bailing the bowl.

[lucidinnature]

This is martyrdom at its finest.

They had water, and instead of just leaving well enough alone while finding a new place? They called the water company and said the landlord illegally turned it back on. Could have just left well enough alone until moving out.

[Marquis]

Sounds like more societal ills draining our country of natural resources at the behest of greedy parents, eh?

[AsYouWere]

This is some wild and crazy stuff: getting your own water turned off and almost a year later still there cleaning the toilet out by hand. Where's that get dumped? BTW if the tank won't hold water you can buy a new flapper or just dump a bucket directly into the bowl. Hook up a rain barrel under a downspout for chrisakes.
I'm surprised anyone was allowed to live there without any sanitary facilities so maybe that's another good complaint for the tenants to make.

[lucidinnature]

Sounds like more societal ills draining our country of natural resources at the behest of greedy parents, eh?

You're starting to sound a little wacky with talk like that.

[lucidinnature]

An even crazier thought... just move before getting the water shut back off?! Wacky thoughts, indeed.

This is some wild and crazy stuff: getting your own water turned off and almost a year later still there cleaning the toilet out by hand. Where's that get dumped? BTW if the tank won't hold water you can buy a new flapper or just dump a bucket directly into the bowl. Hook up a rain barrel under a downspout for chrisakes.
I'm surprised anyone was allowed to live there without any sanitary facilities so maybe that's another good complaint for the tenants to make.

[19147]

Just use the bucket. Cut out the middle man. Take the seat off of the toilet and put it on the bucket. See how the potential new tenants like that!

[lucidinnature]

Just use the bucket. Cut out the middle man. Take the seat off of the toilet and put it on the bucket. See how the potential new tenants like that!

Hell, he's moving on the first so the last couple days should be easy since there will be plenty of water for everyone!

[jaybeebrad]

This is some wild and crazy stuff: getting your own water turned off and almost a year later still there cleaning the toilet out by hand. Where's that get dumped? BTW if the tank won't hold water you can buy a new flapper or just dump a bucket directly into the bowl. Hook up a rain barrel under a downspout for chrisakes.
I'm surprised anyone was allowed to live there without any sanitary facilities so maybe that's another good complaint for the tenants to make.

A year later? I don't know who you're talking about, but this has been going on for two weeks. Not a year.

[AsYouWere]

A year later? I don't know who you're talking about, but this has been going on for two weeks. Not a year.

Sorry about that I misread your previous situation and am glad it's only been a couple of weeks which is still a long time without water. If you can find a trash can (or two) without holes and somehow divert a downspout into it that might help until the service is restored. If you dump at least a 1/2 full bucket in the bowl all at once that will flush it, then slowly add more to bring it up to level.
Either the flapper is stuck open or it needs a new one which is easy to fix with the tank empty. I bring the old flapper to match up the new one ($4-) just to be safe. Sometimes it's just the handle/ chain gets hooked up.
Good luck with the situation.

[gideon]

the LL should have to give you at least 24 hour notice. in my lease, its only in emergencies that they can enter the place i rent, otherwise they have to make an appointment.

you should be able to sue your LL for no water - possibly treble damages. I would look into that. also, when he shows the apartment, you can say that there hasn't been water for two weeks. that would count as disclosure. yes it would piss him off. unless you have reason to fear him, why not do it?

[annie]

Isn't a big part of this problem that the OP doesn't have a written lease, only a verbal agreement?

[sharkey]

Isn't a big part of this problem that the OP doesn't have a written lease, only a verbal agreement?

Not generally, assuming she has paid by check and/or has receipts (as proof of the landlord-tenant relationship) the verbal lease is legallysufficient. However, as far as specifics, then yes the lack of a clear writen lease could hurt. For, example, if the LL claimed that the water is the tenant's responsibility under their agreement and it is up to the tenant to get service in her name that would negate the complaints made above about the LL not supplying water.