Urgent Help!

[zacearlwanderstheworld]

My wife and I have been living in a two room apartment for just short of a month. When we moved in the landlord asked if we could find people to take the other unoccupied room. We said sure and started asking friends. Everyone we showed said the room was too small for the price. We really liked the apartment so we decided there would be better chance of finding roomates if we moved into the smaller room and offered the larger room to potential tenants. Our landlord entered unanounced and flipped out when she found the rooms rearranged. She has evicted us (effective Monday April 18th- Just in time for "holy week") and has accused us of sub-letting the rooms out "Yo sé que tienen gente viviendo aquí sin pagar"- her quote. So now she is threatening to not return our deposit- a sum of USD$550! The portero agrees that it is impossible that other people lived there with us, but I am not sure he will say anything to the landlord. My wife and I speak fluent Spanish, however she talks over us when we offer our explanation.
What can we do? Thank you in advance for all of your help!

 

[Roxana]

You have different approaches:

- Threat the landlord to denounce the landord to AFIP (the tax office)

- Call Municipalidad for help (phone number is 147) and ask for further information. Based on your visa, in case you are as a tourist, contact Municipalidad, Defensoria del Turista.

- Get a lawyer, who will probably help you to send her a carta documento denying what she is doing and saying ( ASAP)

And portero's word is not going to resolve your issue.

 

[nikad]

What it is not clear is whether you did sublet the room without her approval or not. The majority of contracts forbid sublets and if you did so she is in her right to keep the deposit and terminate the contract.

 

[French jurist]

Yup, your story is not clear at all.

Can you scan/take a picture of the contract (blurring names and adress) and show it in the forum using photobucket or similar ? (the onsite picture system doesn't allow to post big pics).

There are many parameters to take into account, no need for a lawyer, but be more precise

 

[PhilipDT]

Yes please post your rental contract

 

[TrevorCito]

You have another option.... don't move out or take your time finding something else. Solve this the Argentine way!

 

[AkBill]

If you really didn't sublet the room, i would love to help you

i am without work, but not without money, until the end of may, so i need a project

there is no way we can lose !!!!! against this goddamn scam artirst..pm ME !!

 

[RichardP]

If she keeps your deposit, give the keys to some cartoneros. That's justice Argentine style.