Request for Copy of Lease
My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Pennsylvania.
Must a lease manager give a copy of the lease upon demand before rent is paid?
At the time of my visit at the managers office, I did request it but she said there was none available at the time. This occured a week ago. I will make another attempt today but I suspect she wants me to pay the rent first and then hand me the lease to sign.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
A lease should have been signed BEFORE you even moved in. You should have received a copy at that time.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Pennsylvania.
Must a lease manager give a copy of the lease upon demand before rent is paid?
At the time of my visit at the managers office, I did request it but she said there was none available at the time. This occured a week ago. I will make another attempt today but I suspect she wants me to pay the rent first and then hand me the lease to sign.
Are you already living there?
Or what's the story?
Don't sign anything until you read it and understand it. Never sign anything without a duplicate sitting there. Insist on it or walk.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
No, I am not living there. When ever I go into a leasing office, is it unlawfull for a lease manager to refuse me a copy of the lease on day of the visit and before any money is paid for application or holding fee?
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
No, I am not living there. When ever I go into a leasing office, is it unlawfull for a lease manager to refuse me a copy of the lease on day of the visit and before any money is paid for application or holding fee?
It is NOT illegal. It would be not to smart on your part to hand them a dime before you have read and understand the lease. And not just some random copy of the lease. The actual piece of paper you are going to sign with all the blanks filled out.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
Thanks,
It appears to me that my problem with lease managers is not isolated. I have read many reviews on at least a dozen apartments and spoke or emailed with lease managers and there are many problems with the tactics they use on people looking for information or inspecting an apartment.
Ther are also many abuses by managers on existing tenants such as witholding security or having unskilled workers making repairs.
So one has to question why something like this has been going on for years with no intervention by government authorities that satisfies new tenants. The existing laws governing landlord and tenants is being circumvented by landlords. One of the most important things that should be in these laws should be that the lease should be given on demand before any money is exchanged.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
Thanks,
It appears to me that my problem with lease managers is not isolated. I have read many reviews on at least a dozen apartments and spoke or emailed with lease managers and there are many problems with the tactics they use on people looking for information or inspecting an apartment.
Ther are also many abuses by managers on existing tenants such as witholding security or having unskilled workers making repairs.
So one has to question why something like this has been going on for years with no intervention by government authorities that satisfies new tenants. The existing laws governing landlord and tenants is being circumvented by landlords. One of the most important things that should be in these laws should be that the lease should be given on demand before any money is exchanged.
Nobody is making you pick a certain apartment. If you don't like how they operate (like not giving you a lease to look at) then don't use them. If you pay a landlord money before you see the lease that is on you. There is no reason that there should be a law requiring it.
Sure a landlord violates the law from time to time that is why we have courts.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
Must a lease manager give a copy of the lease upon demand before rent is paid?
No law requires this. Of course, the tenant should obtain a copy of the lease at the time he/she signs it, so why would there be any need for a landlord (or "lease manager") to provide another copy every time the tenant pays rent.
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rjlocal22
No, I am not living there. When ever I go into a leasing office, is it unlawfull for a lease manager to refuse me a copy of the lease on day of the visit and before any money is paid for application or holding fee?
So...you're talking about a blank lease form that would be used if you decide to live there and if the landlord agrees to allow that? No, that's not unlawful.
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rjlocal22
So one has to question why something like this has been going on for years with no intervention by government authorities that satisfies new tenants.
I can tell you why: it's because no state legislator or an insufficient number of legislators have thought it sufficiently important to address. I can also tell you in California -- which is a state whose legislators seemingly think it is important to have more laws on the books than any other state -- doesn't have laws on the books that require landlords to provide copies of lease forms to prospective tenants or not use "unskilled workers" to make repairs. As for withholding security, every state has laws on the books to address that sort of thing, and tenants can sue in small claims court when a security deposit is improperly withheld.
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rjlocal22
The existing laws governing landlord and tenants is being circumvented by landlords.
Which specific laws are you talking about?
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rjlocal22
One of the most important things that should be in these laws should be that the lease should be given on demand before any money is exchanged.
I've never heard of a situation in which the landlord requires a rent payment from a prospective tenant before a lease was signed (and the prospective tenant obviously would be free to refuse to pay in such a circumstance). So what's the issue? Are you suggesting that a landlord should be required to provide a form of lease before taking an application/screening fee? I can't imagine any legislature would be in favor of that. Why? Because any tenant who wants to see the lease form before paying such a fee is free to ask for it and refuse to pay the fee if the lease form isn't provided. It's not like a landlord can compel an unwilling prospective tenant to pay fees.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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PayrolGuy
Sure a landlord violates the law from time to time that is why we have courts.
This should go down as one of your society hating classics.
Per your advice: Sure landlords on very rare occasion might break the law or try to get over on someone, but do not try to better educate yourself to avoid those folks, just let them do what they do, and when you get screwed by them, just sue them.
BS advice that would only come from an anonymous person.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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Harold99
This should go down as one of your society hating classics.
Per your advice: Sure landlords on very rare occasion might break the law or try to get over on someone, but do not try to better educate yourself to avoid those folks, just let them do what they do, and when you get screwed by them, just sue them.
BS advice that would only come from an anonymous person.
Go away, troll boy.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
"Quote"' Which specific laws are you talking about?
The loss of right to sue in small claims court to recover money spent on tenant repairs.
The loss of security when landlords claim for damages is overstated or non existant.
I have water backing up into my kitchen sink and bathtub when ever the upstairs neighbor drains their sink. I complained about this back in February and it is still not fixed. This is because they sent their own maintenance person to fix it but he did not possess all the tools to properly diagnose the problem.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
Now you are talking about problems that have nothing to do with your original question.
https://www.equalhousing.org/wp-cont...er-in-PA-3.pdf
There is a nice link to your rights as a Penn tenant.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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PayrolGuy
Correct but you did ask!
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
I don't think I did and if I did I certainly didn't mean to.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
"Quote"' Which specific laws are you talking about?
The loss of right to sue in small claims court to recover money spent on tenant repairs.
The loss of security when landlords claim for damages is overstated or non existant.
I have water backing up into my kitchen sink and bathtub when ever the upstairs neighbor drains their sink. I complained about this back in February and it is still not fixed. This is because they sent their own maintenance person to fix it but he did not possess all the tools to properly diagnose the problem.
None of this responds to the question I asked (which specific laws are you talking about). The way to answer that would be to cite specific laws.
As for the sink situation you described, it sounds like an excellent reason to move.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
Have you tried to offer some $$$ for a copy of the lease?
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
"I will make another attempt today but I suspect she wants me to pay the rent first and then hand me the lease to sign. "
From your previous postings you seem to have had a difficult time in terms of finding a rental property but what you suspect may be totally inaccurate and management may simply have been out of leases at your initial visit.
Before you get too paranoid about all of this why don't you call them up and ask if they now have copies that you can review before handing over any rent money (assuming you are at the point of signing a lease)?
Gail
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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gail in georgia
"I will make another attempt today but I suspect she wants me to pay the rent first and then hand me the lease to sign. "
From your previous postings you seem to have had a difficult time in terms of finding a rental property but what you suspect may be totally inaccurate and management may simply have been out of leases at your initial visit.
Before you get too paranoid about all of this why don't you call them up and ask if they now have copies that you can review before handing over any rent money (assuming you are at the point of signing a lease)?
Gail
According to his post, he hasn't even applied yet.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
It appears if I want to live in certain area, I will have to play by the landlord terms and not bring any of my own to the table. However I will insist on reading the terms of the lease befor I pay any rent or security.
Re: Request for Copy of Lease
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rjlocal22
It appears if I want to live in certain area, I will have to play by the landlord terms and not bring any of my own to the table. However I will insist on reading the terms of the lease befor I pay any rent or security.
Your terms are simple: if I don't like your term I walk away. No one has to play your game and you don't have to play theirs...but your the renter and their the rent so...