Please help: issues with landlady

[Iri]

Good morning all,
No time to write a long post, so just a few quick questions for now: is there a legally established minimum temperature at which the landlord is required to provide heating, even before the regular heating season? If not, is it legal for a landlord to refuse to provide you with heating when you let them know you need it? My room has been freezing cold for the last 3 days or so, and my landlady took the heater away from me because she doesn't want to pay electricity. Also, she comes inside my room without my permission to open the window although I told her I don't need it open when I'm out because the room gets cold by when I return, and she opened a drawer yesterday. Can I report her for that? If yes, is it legal to run my laptop camera inside my room to record her when she enters? She is also extremely scrougy about how much water and light I use. I didn't sigh a paper contract when I moved in, but we agreed that I would be staying for three month and nothing was said about me paying any part of a utility bill -- in this case can I use unlimited amount of water, gas and electric? Thank you in advance for the answers.

 

[Rich One]

In the case of a leased room inside an apt. The Landlord may limit to One the number of showers per day, the use of space heaters, and control the use of light . If someone walks out at night leaving the lights on, will be reprimanded. Where a split Aircon exists if you walk out twice leaving the Aircon on they will remove the Remote Control! this is true with Airbnb (my experience)

Report her to the Police for what ? for entering you room ? she has to clean. If something is missing then may can complain.


Without a written contract ? legally established temperature .. try to make friends with her , or your life will be impossible. Love or Leave it

 

[Jerbo]

We assume you have prepaid the three months?

 

[nikad]

A room rental? You are at her mercy, the only alternative is to move to a different place.

 

[Ceviche]

You are a dead fish. Count your days.

 

[mmoon]

How much time is left of your three months? Winter Is Coming. Unless you can use and hide an electric blanket somewhere, I think you're SOL. If you have no contract and haven't prepaid (unless it's a total deal), I would move.

 

[sergio]

If there were a law about minimum heat it would surely be a minimum of 40 C judging by how Porteños love overheated, airless spaces.

 

[Ceviche]

If there were a law about minimum heat it would surely be a minimum of 40 C judging by how Porteños love overheated, airless spaces.

well said!

 

[Iri]

How much time is left of your three months? Winter Is Coming. Unless you can use and hide an electric blanket somewhere, I think you're SOL. If you have no contract and haven't prepaid (unless it's a total deal), I would move.

No, luckily, I only paid one month, and I'm surely moving. My friend who is also my Spanish teacher is helping me find a place. The only problem I have to deal with is how to survive for the next ten days if the temperature doesn't go up. I measured it in the morning with a digital thermometer app - at 10.30 am I had 17 degrees inside and cold air flow from the window that doesn't close tight to the frame. Gooogle displayed exactly the same temp outside. At 8 am, when I woke up it felt much colder than that. It gets better at about 12 pm and same cold by 8 in the evening. I am a freelancer working from my laptop and very sensitive to cold (one of the reasons I left Russia) and I have to stay inside during the coldest morning hours for work and obviously the coldest night hours before bed. I'll try talking to her and if it doesn't help I guess the only solution for the remaining days is to buy a smaller heater and put it into the luggage bag that I keep empty in the closet when I'm outside, meanwhile using all the electric and water in the room and my bath as much as I need and some more, so she enjoys the amount on the bill she is saving on affter I'm out.

 

[garryl]

If there were a law about minimum heat it would surely be a minimum of 40 C judging by how Porteños love overheated, airless spaces.

Why is that ? I have an Argentine tenant in SF, he turned the heat to the max, still felt cold, now I see it's Portenos thing.