How do I deal with a crazy landlord?

[fifs2]

Sorry to hear about your potential LL issues but hope with all of the great advice from the French jurist etc that you are well armed to battle it. You may still lose your deposit but by reporting them to afip you will in years be happy you didnt just roll over and let them cheat you. We sadly didnt access this site 4 years ago and let ourselves be steam rollered by a seemingly delightful lady (overy tanned and a chain smoker but very jolly nonetheless!) who wouldn´t cough up the deposit for our son´s appt. in spite of us not only having taken care of the place but also having added value by painting the appt., buying new kitchenware etc. Everytime we pass her office the last meeting comes back to me and how helpless we felt just walking away and allowing her to basically steal from us. Be warned: her office is Rosa Dawi propriedades in Arenales.

 

[nikad]

Hmmm on top of that you can always go to the electric company and ask for copies of the latest bills just go there with an id and rental contract

 

[SaraSara]

Everytime we pass her office the last meeting comes back to me and how helpless we felt just walking away and allowing her to basically steal from us. Be warned: her office is Rosa Dawi propriedades in Arenales.

Good warning.

 

[jaime_jensen]

Did you sign a lease in Spanish? If you signed an actual "rental contract" then you actually do have some legal rights here though I'm sure your landlords figure you will not utilize.

I am an expat and I handle rentals here, so I've definitely heard some crazy stories from clients in previous situations.

Your contract should state a maximum amount of utility usage per month. I wouldn't be surprised if your landlord tries to deduct for certain damages because if they are shady then that is what they are notorious for doing to foreigners. I agree that you should definitely have a couple Argentines with you (preferably tough guys...jaja) and even better an Argentine lawyer. Email this guy: [email protected] he is a local attorney starting a practice to help out expats running businesses here...I'm sure he can offer advice if not help.

Good luck!

 

[dennisr]

Think a lot of these outfits forget the Internet is a two way street. It is so very important to post bad experiences on as many sites as one can find. It is without a doubt the most powerful tool available to a consumer. I had a go around with Hotels.com and when I started posting my problems with their services, I gained their undivided attention. In the beginning they threatened me with lawsuits. It was sweet. In the end, received a full refund and then some. Like to think of it as punitive damages.

 

[travis]

Just a note to mention an honest landlord. I rented from this guy, Gustavo 2 different times and never had a single problem. He owns the apartments which are well maintained. He returns the exact same bills you give him for the deposit on the day you move out.

http://www.flatsinba.com.ar/

 

[SaraOR]

Thanks again for all of the suggestions. They gave us $400 back and told us maybe we'll get more back later after they see the final electric bill (I'm sure we won't). We tried to fight them, but they didn't budge at all, even though they acknowledged that the contract said they'd pay all the expenses. They claimed to be representing the owner and said they couldn't do anything else. It makes sense that they would favor the owner over us since they have to maintain a relationship with the owner, but they still seemed to have admitted that legally they shouldn't have taken any of our deposit... Anyway, we're really glad it's over and glad to have gotten the majority of the deposit back.

 

[SaraSara]

Congratulations, SaraoOR.

As a warning to other renters, why not post the name of your landlord?

 

[AlexfromLA]

So how did the threats of calling the afip pan out ? Did you actually try it ?

Sounds like they were reasonable enough. Also note, you could have asked them to call the utility company and get a verbal confirmation on what the electric bill would be. That way you wouldn't have to wait for the full refund.

 

[mini]

Thanks again for all of the suggestions. They gave us $400 back and told us maybe we'll get more back later after they see the final electric bill (I'm sure we won't). We tried to fight them, but they didn't budge at all, even though they acknowledged that the contract said they'd pay all the expenses. They claimed to be representing the owner and said they couldn't do anything else. It makes sense that they would favor the owner over us since they have to maintain a relationship with the owner, but they still seemed to have admitted that legally they shouldn't have taken any of our deposit... Anyway, we're really glad it's over and glad to have gotten the majority of the deposit back.

You should out them! When they see the bad "press" they are getting on the internet they will give back the rest of your deposit!

A toaster will not throw your electricity bill out of whack. It probably won't even be noticed! Anyway, if they feel that strongly about it they should take the toaster out of the apartment...