Property Manager Adding Fees Durning Lease

[HPB]

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: NJ

I renewed my lease a few months ago and I really regret doing so, this year this asses have really shown their true colours. Anyway, I have a dog with me and pay a 25$ a month pet fee for him, well I recently gotten a letter from them that anyone with a dog will be paying an extra 10$ a month to pay for a contractor group to go around picking up the dog crap cause some people refuse to clean up after their dog. The only fees in my lease for the dog say 25$, what options do I have in this case? Can I break the lease and then sue them for breaking it (increasing fees not agreed to) and have them cover the cost of me moving out?

[lill]

No you can not break your lease over this nor can you make the landlord liable for moving expenses.

They are not breaking the lease. Simply make them aware of the clause in your current lease and refuse to pay the increase.

Double check your lease to make sure that added fees would not be added for tenants that do not pick up after their dogs.

[HPB]

The thing is, its not just for those that don't pick up after their dogs. It's for anyone that has a dog listed on their lease. That is, anyone that rents there with a dog will be forced to pay this increase regardless if they pick up after their dog or not. Moreover, they want to increase the fines for anyone caught not picking up after their dog, which leads me to believe this is just a scam fee they are adding.

I don't have a problem picking up after my dog and its a matter of them just randomly adding fees after the fact of a signed lease (contract).

[SChinFChin]

This reminds me of a story I read while I was vacationing in the UK, a similar situation, dog owners picking up the crap, vs. dog owners who doesn't.

What that UK management company did was to ask all dog owners residing in their vicinities to submit a sample of dog crap for every dog they own, and the PM company will submit the sample for DNA testing, and maintain a DNA data base of all the dogs.

Then, when the crap contractor picks up crap, then, the crap is sent in for DNA testing, and the offenders will be sent a bill.

I have to say that this probably a far fairer way of handling it. Of course, there is a cost passed along of doing all this DNA testing, maintaining the database, and I'm not sure when it's all said and done, it'll save anyone money.

In fact, as landlord, I get summons for recyclable garbage placed in regular cans, and tenants point fingers at one another as the offender. I told them if it continues, I'll have to keep a DNA database of my tenants so I can check out the garbage, just like the way dogs are handled.