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A tenant hands a set of keys over to their landlord.
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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Our lease said the landlord could enter with "reasonable notice." He started dropping by whenever he felt like it. So I looked up what reasonable notice means legally.
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Of course, there are emergency circumstances (gas leaks, fire, etc.) when landlords are not only encouraged but also obligated to use their apartment access. However, it's pretty easy to make a clear distinction between what is considered an emergency and what is not.
In this instance, Gary was dropping by for non-emergency purposes. He even admitted as much. Sure, he thought he had formed an amicable relationship with his tenant, but that doesn't mean that they were necessarily friends. Besides, most adults would only let their innermost circle of friends and family drop by on such short notice.
It was time for the tenant to take some action into their own hands.Yes, this would make interacting with Gary uncomfortable moving forward, but wouldn't you rather an uncomfortable but professional relationship with your landlord over one in which the boundaries are continually blurred?
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Kudos to the tenant for understanding the legal resources that were at his disposal. Sometimes, the best way to go about drawing a line in the sand with landlords, superintendents, or property managers is to demonstrate your thorough knowledge of your rights as a tenant.
Gary might not have taken this cold approach particularly well, but then again, this was the best way to professionally communicate to him to back off. What do you all think Gary's true intentions were? Was he genuinely just trying to be a decent landlord or did he have ulterior motives?
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A landlord looks at his phone while inspecting an apartment.
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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