tenant rights
anybody have knowledge of know of a good website that outlines tenant rights, particularly in Pennsylvania which I've been told has some of the best tenant rights.
basically I've been living in the same place since last April. about 18 months. cupcake moved in this past August.
well without going into a long story. I have a really shitty front porch that is quite delapidated (sp?). like it literally looks like it could crash on my head any day now. today I noticed that the landlord received a letter from the department of Licenses and Inspection. I'm wonder if they're being threatened. I kind of hope they are!
we have no door knob on the bathroom door. not only not a knob, not even a hole. so you can't even stick your fingers through it and pull it closed or what not.
and our back door. well let's just say I know a lot of squats with a better, more secure, back door (and front porch!) than we have. it must be a century old. literally. so many different people have put different locks in it, there's so many holes in it (some plugged up by play-do!) and right now, the doorknob is essentially non-functioning, and the only "lock" on the door is a slide-lock (not even a really durable one!). I can put a master-lock on the outside, but if I do that and I'm inside, I have to go all the way around the side of the house to unlock it.
it's a seriously fucked up situation.
we really like the neighborhood though, and aside from t hese major problems, we kind of like the house. I know, it sounds weird. we re-signed the lease in September, and they still havne't given us a copy of it (I have the original from last april). I know they agreed to give us a new back door and even put in storm windows, but it's now november and still have not heard from them.
I was wondering if anyone has done a rent strike? what do you need to do before that? we were thinking of giving them a letter saying we want so and so done and until it is, we'll put rent in escrow.
I dunno, any advice would be appreciated.
oh also, I think it's state law that the landlord is supposed to supply 68 degree heat through the winter. how is this determined? our gas bill is usually around $45 except in the winter. in the wiinter it gets as high as $200, and we keep the heat low!
basically I've been living in the same place since last April. about 18 months. cupcake moved in this past August.
well without going into a long story. I have a really shitty front porch that is quite delapidated (sp?). like it literally looks like it could crash on my head any day now. today I noticed that the landlord received a letter from the department of Licenses and Inspection. I'm wonder if they're being threatened. I kind of hope they are!
we have no door knob on the bathroom door. not only not a knob, not even a hole. so you can't even stick your fingers through it and pull it closed or what not.
and our back door. well let's just say I know a lot of squats with a better, more secure, back door (and front porch!) than we have. it must be a century old. literally. so many different people have put different locks in it, there's so many holes in it (some plugged up by play-do!) and right now, the doorknob is essentially non-functioning, and the only "lock" on the door is a slide-lock (not even a really durable one!). I can put a master-lock on the outside, but if I do that and I'm inside, I have to go all the way around the side of the house to unlock it.
it's a seriously fucked up situation.
we really like the neighborhood though, and aside from t hese major problems, we kind of like the house. I know, it sounds weird. we re-signed the lease in September, and they still havne't given us a copy of it (I have the original from last april). I know they agreed to give us a new back door and even put in storm windows, but it's now november and still have not heard from them.
I was wondering if anyone has done a rent strike? what do you need to do before that? we were thinking of giving them a letter saying we want so and so done and until it is, we'll put rent in escrow.
I dunno, any advice would be appreciated.
oh also, I think it's state law that the landlord is supposed to supply 68 degree heat through the winter. how is this determined? our gas bill is usually around $45 except in the winter. in the wiinter it gets as high as $200, and we keep the heat low!