Dave’s at the SF Appeal to answer your questions every Wednesday, so send them to him at tenant@sfappeal.com
I have lived in a particular flat in the Mission for about 3 years. It was in horrible shape when I moved in, but my partner and I cleaned it up. The landlord always comments on how great it looks.
The problem is that there are a number of maintenance issues that never seem to get addressed. There are some wiring issues in the front of the flat where the lights don’t work. The roof leaks in several places, as well as the windows. The linoleum in the kitchen is peeling and there is a chronic mold problem in the bathroom (tub needs to be re-grouted).
Also, it doesn’t appear that we have regular trash service as we throw it out on our back stairs and it doesn’t get taken away every week. He also has refused our request for our FREE recycling and composting bins. I’ve written a couple of letters and I pretty much get a flat out “no” (in terms of the lights, flooring, garbage bins) or it takes him months to get anything done (like the roof, which is still a work in progress).
I almost want to call an inspector to force him to make the fixes, however I’m afraid that we will have to move out for an extended period of time and we risk losing the place. Our landlord only owns one rentable property, the rest of the building is his small business.
His main excuse is a lack of funds, which I can sympathize with. However, I would like to know what our options are. As I mentioned, the place was pretty much in worse condition when I moved in so I’m not sure if a “decrease in services” rent reduction is the way to go.
