Landlords

[eofelis]

We have a similar thing going on and I was just thinking of posting about it.

We have lived in this apartment for 5 years (month to month). I'm starting to hear things about the landlord selling the place and the new owner want to make these into condos. We have a small real estate boom going on here (due to oil and gas drilling) amid all the housing crisis in the rest of the country.

There was a surveying crew here this week. I asked them what they were doing and they were surveying and measuring it for condos, they said.

My landlord ok an ok guy (not great, but ok). A fellow tenant we are friends with has been doing carpeting and flooring work in the landlords house and the landlord has not said anything about the sale of the apt buildings. There are a couple of elderly ladies here that have lived in the complex for 20+ years.

I'm not sure what people look for in condos. These apts are in ok to mediocre condition. Most are <1000sq ft. They all need new windows and doors. The windows are single pane and let the cold in. Heat had been included in the rent, so they all heat off one or two boilers. They also share water heaters. Can condos do that? None of them have washers and dryers in them, they have to use a common room of them.

There are not many apartments for rent in this town now, especially for renters with 2 cats. I hate to move out of this neighborhood, we are friends with many folks here in the complex and in some of the houses nearby. This is walking distance to many things for us also.

[tulip]

We have a similar thing going on and I was just thinking of posting about it.

We have lived in this apartment for 5 years (month to month). I'm starting to hear things about the landlord selling the place and the new owner want to make these into condos. We have a small real estate boom going on here (due to oil and gas drilling) amid all the housing crisis in the rest of the country.

It sounds like that is what's happening based on all your info. There may be laws that govern if/how/when tenants can be removed for condo conversion. It's worth checking into. At the very least, you should be entitled to some relocation...but you say you are month-to-month, so without a longer lease, those rules might not apply. Still worth finding out, though.

[tulip]

I'm a landlord and a renter (long story). I think I'm a pretty good landlord, and I know I'm a good tenant, probably because I'm also a landlord (and vice-versa). I am looking forward to purchasing the condo I've reserved so that I can not be a tenant anymore, however. I'm finding it hard to make this apartment a real home for me, since I can't do what I want with it. It's also expensive, and my condo will be alot less.

[mimitabby]

after being evicted twice in two years, we decided never again and bought our first house. The first eviction was without cause (the land lady decided that the house I was living in was finally nice enough for her own daughter after i fixed it up) and with a 2 week old baby we had to find another place to live. I'd lived there for 3 years and had never been even a day late with the rent.
the second time was due to my husband's less than stellar reaction to the landlord the day that he went into the small building which we used as storage and laundry room and painted the inside of it without covering our things. He also re-hooked up the washing machine backwards so that we were washing our baby's diapers in COLD water and couldn't figure out why he was getting such nasty rashes.

-happy homeowner.

[divingbiker]

I like to think that I'm not an evil or stupid landlord. I've got a property management company that handles the rental for me, and I've never said no to repairs or upkeep, except when a new tenant wanted me to cut a hole in the basement wall and install an egress window, when we explicitly told them before moving in that the basement was not a legal bedroom.

So I hope my tenant doesn't think badly of me, but as long as the rent comes in on time I don't really care.

[mimitabby]

I certainly don't think all or even most landlords are evil or bad; I just prefer to have that modicum of control over my life that you don't get as a renter.

if i want to put a hole in my wall or paint a horse mural on it, I don't like having to get permission

[Melalvai]

I like to think that I'm not an evil or stupid landlord. I've got a property management company that handles the rental for me

I bet "property management company" is a key phrase here. All of our landlords have tried to that themselves, and were utterly incompetent.

Sorry for the vitriolic attitude. Between this, and some unrelated stuff going on, I've had a rotton week. I probably should have put it on the Dear So and So thread instead of making its own thread.

[maillotpois]

We have lived in this apartment for 5 years (month to month). I'm starting to hear things about the landlord selling the place and the new owner want to make these into condos. We have a small real estate boom going on here (due to oil and gas drilling) amid all the housing crisis in the rest of the country.

There was a surveying crew here this week. I asked them what they were doing and they were surveying and measuring it for condos, they said.

I'm not sure what people look for in condos. These apts are in ok to mediocre condition. Most are <1000sq ft. They all need new windows and doors. The windows are single pane and let the cold in. Heat had been included in the rent, so they all heat off one or two boilers. They also share water heaters. Can condos do that? None of them have washers and dryers in them, they have to use a common room of them.

(Caveat, all my information is based on California law, but the UBC applies to everyone so I am fairly confident in making generalizations.) Condos can't share water heaters, boilers, etc. so condo conversion will often involve a substantial amount of construction - new plumbing and gas lines, for example. Depending on how old the apartments are, the construction can be substantial - taking the units down to the studs to upgrade for revisions to the building codes including firewalls (new drywall), new windows, doors, roofs and exterior siding. From what you've described, these units simply couldn't be sold as condos in the condition they're in. They don't meet code.

I would not expect that anyone could live in the units while conversion is going on. If your lease is month to month, I would not be surprised if the new owner terminates the lease. Sorry.

[tulip]

(Caveat, all my information is based on California law, but the UBC applies to everyone so I am fairly confident in making generalizations.) Condos can't share water heaters, boilers, etc. so condo conversion will often involve a substantial amount of construction - new plumbing and gas lines, for example. ...

Not the case in Virginia. But it's more cost effective to renovate when all the units are empty. There are laws (in US) about relocating tenants, but with month-to-month, I don't think it applies.