Reader Pinky has a lot going on in her home and a lot to say about it. She bought THE book, but wants to know if the physical problems in her rental unit are worth the therapy. Brace yourselves, this is a long one...
(Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: chicago(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
Hello AT,
To sum it all up, my apartment is wheezing out its final breath and I'm overwhelmed by it. I moved here about a year ago, sucked in by the vintage charm, amazing location, and homey feel. I overlooked the fact that it is possibly the only unit in the 16-floor building that hasn't been extensively rehabbed believing that the updates were largely cosmetic and my apt. was great just as-is.
There is still lots to love about the place but as I filled out your worksheets (after buying Apartment Therapy, the book) a lot of my own problems began to make more sense. The decor is just right but I find myself involved in complicated DIY projects again and again when really the problem lies in the following:
1) It isn't meant to be a studio. It's a hacked off piece of a much larger unit and as a result I have a dining room, oversized walk-in closet, and a ton of built-ins that seemed charming but are ultimately useless because of their outdated shapes. My IKEA "china" doesn't merit display and I don't own enough cloth napkins to justify an entire cabinet of thin little drawers for their storage.
2) Literally everything is broken. My 2-inch wide kitchen features a semi-functional oven that smells constantly of gas, a temperamental microwave that uses up all the counter space, and an antique of a dishwasher that just yesterday called it quits. My windows are so difficult to open and close that my abs & arms are toned from this simple process. The ugly window AC unit seems to just spit dirt and allergens all over the place, the door won't shut, and every faucet is leaky and lacks pressure. I've placed maintenance requests but nothing ever stays fixed for more than a week or so.
I was willing to suck it up for another year until I received a list of "new rules" under my door. I guess the management is trying to "segue" into a no-pets-allowed building and I am now required to use the service entrance and elevator if my dog is with me. I can't have her in the pretty lobby (where I have to get my mail) or pretty front elevator and dogs can't be walked on the sidewalk around the building!!?!
I so apologize for the ramble but I'm so overwhelmed by all of these things and the new policies have seriously diminished my feelings of commitment to this building. When I'm here I feel exhausted and ill, not to mention angry every time I get into the service elevator with my dog. I feel like I should give up and get out - is it worth trying to salvage this disaster?
Thank you,
Pinky
Dear Pinky,
Know that you are not the only one feeling overwhelmed. That is why Maxwell wrote the book. First things first, though: Sounds like your stove/oven is leaking gas. Get it checked out! Also, we think any apartment where maintenance requests go unfulfilled is going to continue to get worse. Any readers have some sound advice for Pinky to breathe life back into a problem zone?
(photo via Chicago Uncommon)
Unless there is a compelling reason to "suck it up" for another year, I would say it is time to consider a move.
I second Norma. It's like listening to someone who's about to realize her relationship is sunk--"I love him, we have history, he is who he is and I can't change him, he has gas, he'll never love my dog, why won't he bathe daily..."
And hello! Do they own the sidewalk! What's up with not letting you walk your dog out front?
Do you know where the pilot lights are in your stove and oven? Check them (there should be one or two on the stovetop, and one in the oven) and make sure they are lit. If not, light them with a match or lighter. If they are all lit, and you still smell gas, get the building owners to check into it.
Take this as a sign... it's time to break up with this troubled relationship and fall in love anew.
Your dog is a member of your family- would you live in a building that prohibited you from bringing your child into the lobby?
Oh- and the Chicago RLTO states that landlords MUST make repairs within 14 days.
If these repairs-partucilarly the gas (safety concern) and the dishwasher go un repaired you can technically break your lease and reclaim your security deposit... I don't know if the realtionship you have with the landlord is good but it sounds like they're in violation of the ordinance . If so this stuff shouuld be documented as it stands up in court.
Also - why don't you pay handyman to fix stuff your building admin won't do, and give them the receipts and deduct the amount from your rent.
p.s. Here in Toronto (although Canada has very different property rights) 'no pets' clauses in rental units are void as per law.
Get the heck out! Although you missed the May rush of apartments (I never did figure out why the two most popular rental months were May and October), there will still be oodles of great apartments out there whenever your lease is up. I never hit the rental market at the right time, but there were always apartments for me to choose from. Other than the location and vintage charm (which can be gotten in another apartment), what exactly is keeping you there?
This is something I didn't understand about the AT book- the reader is asked to make extensive repairs yet it's geared at apartment dwellers. I don't know if there is a different attitude about this in NYC where maybe people rent more long-term but to me it would be nuts to spend my own money repairing the structure of my rental, and my landlord would just laugh if I asked for cosmetic repairs. Did this confuse anyone else about the book?
As for pinky I would advise her to move. There are so many great old charming apartments in chicago that don't all have so many problems.
Time to move! Laura is right, there a lot of great, vintage apartments out there. This one sounds like more trouble than it is worth. And all those new rules, ridiculous!!!!! Can't walk your dog on the sidewalk?!?!?! What the hell?
As a disgruntled soon-to-be former "vintage charm" renter and future modern high-rise owner, I hear your cries. Vintage charm works only when things WORK! I'm so sick of people trying to sell broken windows, crappy plumbing, and crumbling walls as "charming." This place sounds more like a fire hazard than a home. Save yourself! Go modern! Maybe your Ikea china will look better in another place that doesn't make you angry and stressed. Good luck! There are lots of great places out there!
Laura, I have noticed throughout the original apartment therapy site a very ny-centric sensibility and your point is an excellent example of that. Like the whole "spending the money you would spend on a car" example. It's because NY is its own fairyland frankly.
Having lived in both NY and Chicago I do know for fact the the Chicago Residential Landlord Tentant Ordinance (RLTO) is quite possibly the toughest and most comprehensive with respect to tenant rights.
In Chicago landlords HAVE to make repairs or they are inviolation of the law- even if they are "cosmetic" at least to a degree. City hall and the courts are clearly in favor of the tenant in Chicago and a landlord who finds themselves in court with a violation of the RLTO is often looking at multiple fines often resulting in thousands of dollars being awarded to the tenant.
Most tenants don't know their rights and landlords though they are required to provide a hard copy of the RLTO at the lease signing often don't-that in and of itself is a violation. I've found that after the olive branch fails, and pragmatic negotiation (ie: I'll paint it if you reimburse me the cost) fails, whipping out the law straightens up a landlort right quick.
Here's the RLTO
http://www.illinois-attorney.com/ordinance.htm
Hi,
Wow thank you so much for the helpful/supportive input! I realize that I should have been a bit more clear - maintenance requests are responded to but the problem appliance(s) don't remain fixed for long, probably because most of them are "vintage" as well.
The troubled relationship metaphor is so apt! I keep thinking that I can change the place or that the good parts make the bad ones "worth it". I've been mentally "cheating on" my apt. via craigslist apartment listings for a while now. Thank you again for every bit of encouraging advice!
"I've been mentally "cheating on" my apt. via craigslist apartment listings for a while now."
I love it!!
Pinky,
I have lived in Chicago 30 years now and sometimes you have to chalk it up to LESSONS LEARNED. You can't fix building problems like low water pressure at all. When I finally could afford a nice condo and went out looking. I was armed with a checklist of items on a clipboard with inkpen from previous bad experiences. Many real estate agents were flabberghasted that I checked every faucet for water pressure (and the shower)and under the sinks to see if the drains were leaking, and inspected every electrical plug to make sure it was working and not painted over or burnt, and inspected every appliance and measured rooms. My list was about 2 pages long.
I would encourage you to make up that long written checklist now before you go renting or buying.
If any rental or sales agent is unwilling to let you do a full inspection MOVE ON, they certainly will be very difficult to deal with later if they are hiding problems at the beginning.
Good Luck on finding a much more appealling living situation.
don
Life is short. Before you know it, you're 30... Then 40... 50... and so on from there. Years fly by. Don't spend another day of your precious life stressing over a rental. You don't own the place. Get out. Illness and lack of joy are number one reasons to bail - you are smart to voice your concerns - and now that you have, I think you see the next logical step. CRAIGSLIST.ORG!
:)
Holly
Someone once told me that landlords and hardware stores in Chicago are required to only have showerheads with water-saving devices. I once took off my apartment's showerhead and took a look inside. There's a disc that makes a medium-sized hole into a pinpoint. Pop that baby out. You will be so clean that it will gross you out how much shampoo build-up you were willing to live with when you couldn't rinse it out properly.
I rationalized that if I can take shorter showers, in the end use the same amount of water? (And I ALWAYS turn off the faucet while I'm brushing my teeth.)
When it came time to sublet my apartment, I turned on the shower, as I thought this would make it a sure-sell. (Would that have flabbergasted some prospects?)
Oh and Pinky... Don't keep thinking you can change the place. It's like changing a partner to make him marry you or to make her stop cheating on you. Some things are beyond our control. Other people and property owned by others, for instance. Since you have no control over the situation where you live, take charge of what you CAN improve - save the needed cash and locate a rental that brings pinky the peace and joy that you need to live a rich and happy life. I've been a renter for YEARS and I can't tell you how many crappy landlords I've dealt with. I spent time and energy trying to change the situation. It never worked out. Things only changed when I changed my thinking and realized that a rental is just that - a rental. You can decide to rent something else. We all back you up 100%!!!!
Holly
Don, I LOVE the way you think! My husband and I had a similar checklist after having a bad experience in a vintage place, namely, with water pressure, among other things. And we've only lived in Chicago for four years! A plumber came once to fix a problem (big surprise!) and said our water pressure was some of the worst he'd seen. Thanks to your line of thinking, with seasoned and experienced advice, we bought a condo with awesome water pressure -- and many other "modern conveniences"!
Of course AT is NYC-centric -- it started out there and has spread to other cities. In New York, rent control and the thought of paying a broker's fee [2 months rent down the drain!] often keep people in the same apartment for years, so sometimes it's worth it for renters to fix the things that drive them crazy, within reason.
That said, I wouldn't fix a damn thing in this place and get out now. It sounds like the only thing keeping Pinky there is inertia. Your home should not make you angry or depressed.