Some landlord issues you may run into with your landlord might be neglecting maintenance, failure to provide a rent book or receipts for payments, or failure to meet minimum physical standards. If any of these are the case, you can contact the US Department of Housing or a similar state organization. Tenants have certain rights that are protected by these organizations, and they can help to enforce proper practices by incurring fees and other consequences upon your landlord.
As you a trying to work things out with your landlord, no matter what the issue, be sure to keep careful documentation in writing of all communications. After an initial verbal conversation (that you can make note of and date), make any follow-up requests in writing, and keep a copy of all of your requests for service or maintenance. Keep check stubs and bank records of everything you pay your landlord. If your landlord responds by email, letter, or phone call, make a note and record the date. If your landlord never responds, be sure to record that as well, noting the time that goes by without a response. If the landlord issues get escalated and require legal mediation, your records will be the most important evidence you have. You want to be thorough and make sure there is no room for here say in your case.
If the case does escalate, it will follow a certain legal process until it is resolved. The case will first go to mediation, which means that an impartial third-party will help you and your landlord come to an agreeable solution for both. The goal is to come to an acceptable solution that requires further legal action. A copy of the mediation will be sent to both parties, and they are then expected to follow the stipulations that have been agreed upon.
If either of the parties does not agree to mediation, the case will proceed to adjudication. In this case, a judge makes a decision regarding the dispute. You and the landlord will each decide if you can agree with the decision. The adjudicator will investigate the case for both sides, and once a decision is reached, both parties will have to respond their cooperation with the decision in writing within 21 days.
If any parties do not cooperate, a Tenancy Tribunal may be called to issue and enforce a determination order. This is the last resort. Hopefully, a satisfactory solution can be reached in the early stages of any dispute. It is best to communicate directly and professionally with your landlord or property manager and be a good tenant by paying rent on time and cooperating with any legal requests that your landlord has for the St. George rental property.
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