Renters - Do you have to shovel?

[boomhauer]

This may get a bit off topic, but I'll try anyways.

First off, let me start by saying, I personally feel as though my MIL in insane.

Anyways, I live in a family owned house with my wife and 5 year old step son. It's a triple decker. It is owned by my wife's grandparents. We live on the 1st and 2nd floors. We rent both out and pay full rent. My MIL, lives on the top floor, pays nothing for rent, and is basically the landlord.

She's weird anyways, as she won't let us have akey to the basement so we can use the washer and dryer. She claims the closet outside the first floor apartment isn't ours, but the landlords, so she uses it for her stuff. There's other stuff, but I could go on for a while.

Anyways - One thing I don't agree with is that whenever it snows, we have to shovel the driveway. I've lived in 2 other papartments, and whenever it snowed, it was the landlord's responsibility to have the parking lot plowed. Shouldn't this be the same way, or am I wrong about that?

 

[Bob Slydell]

When I was a renter (an apartment right after college), I didn't shovel, the apartment complex had a company that did it.

But that's a traditional renting situation -- yours, being family, is far from one, regardless of whether or not you're paying full rent.

 

[boomhauer]

When I was a renter (an apartment right after college), I didn't shovel, the apartment complex had a company that did it.

But that's a traditional renting situation -- yours, being family, is far from one, regardless of whether or not you're paying full rent.

Yeah - That's certainly true.

But whereas they're on my backside if the rent is an hour late, I try to play it out as strictly as I can.

I guess more to the point being, if I lived in an apartment, the only place I SHOULD be responsible for is my own. I'm not someone who gives a toss about what the driveway looks like. Sorry, but it's not my house. if someone slips and falls - That's the landlords problem, not mine. As long as I can get my car in and out, that's all I care about.

My MIL insists I shovel the driveway so the water doesn't fill up the basement.

 

[golfgal]

When we were in our renting days, mostly the places we rented had snow removal. One apartment I lived in when I was doing my student teaching I was responsible for snow removal, but I knew that going into the deal. I paid a couple students to do it for me .

 

[Beth76]

My first suggestion would be to move out. If you can't do that, then I think you probably should shovel. Or at least shovel what you need to get your car out--just so it gets done. You're right, that it's their responsibility if someone falls, not yours. But, since it's family it's seems futile to try to fight them on this. If you're MIL is insisting that you shovel, that seems to be more a MIL/SIL thing than a landlord/tennant. Unless you want to have a big fight with the in-laws, I think you're stuck. Or better yet...move out. Although, they still may want you to come over and shovel. (I'm sorry, that's really not funny )

 

[Marseeya]

What's in your lease? I've rented 8 different houses and only one of them had snow removal or mowing. That landlord was a gem!

We rent houses, so maybe that makes a difference.

 

[boomhauer]

There's nothing in the lease. I don't even think we have one.

I just don't like being told what to do. I shovel myself and my wife out, and that's it. Some people are so anal about stuff like that. Like you have to shovel until it's bare pavement and there's not a flake on the driveway. Sorry, but I don't care. I live in New England, and it snows every week. I deal with it, shovel enough to get my car in and out, and that's it.

 

[dcgrumpy]

When I lived in an apartment complex where they were responsible for plowing and shovelling. When I rented a house we did it all. I've never rented an apartment in a house before. Do you have a lease?

 

[CathrynRose]

Anyways - One thing I don't agree with is that whenever it snows, we have to shovel the driveway. I've lived in 2 other papartments, and whenever it snowed, it was the landlord's responsibility to have the parking lot plowed. Shouldn't this be the same way, or am I wrong about that?

In the apt's Ive lived in, no - they always shoveled.

Rental HOUSES are a bit different. Generally - more responsibilty, more bills, and more maintnance, done by you (the renter)

 

[EthansMom]

Since you don't have a lease, you have a month-to-month tenency. You are able to move at any time by giving your MIL 30 days notice for any reason. And your MIL could give you notice to vacate within 30 days for any reason, like...say... you don't shovel the snow, for instance.

With a month-to-month tenency, you MIL doesn't need to have a good reason (or any reason at all) to ask you to leave, so it might be best not to borrow trouble. If MIL is too much of a pain in the neck, then find someplace else to live.

 

[mickeyfan2]

Anyways - One thing I don't agree with is that whenever it snows, we have to shovel the driveway. I've lived in 2 other papartments, and whenever it snowed, it was the landlord's responsibility to have the parking lot plowed. Shouldn't this be the same way, or am I wrong about that?

When we rented in an apartment complex, the did the sidewalk and parking lot. We had to shovel our cars out. When we rented a house (as in your case) we did all of the shoveling. IMHO you have to do the shoveling.

 

[boomhauer]

Since you don't have a lease, you have a month-to-month tenency. You are able to move at any time by giving your MIL 30 days notice for any reason. And your MIL could give you notice to vacate within 30 days for any reason, like...say... you don't shovel the snow, for instance.

With a month-to-month tenency, you MIL doesn't need to have a good reason (or any reason at all) to ask you to leave, so it might be best not to borrow trouble. If MIL is too much of a pain in the neck, then find someplace else to live.

She doesn't want us to move. She'd be miserable if we did. She's a lonely, miserable person who think her daughter should live with her forever.

Honestly, I could care less if she kicked us out. It's not like we're getting a break on rent or anything. We could find a much nicer place for the same amount of money. Only reason I stayed there was the convenience of short distance to work. Other than that, nothing keeping me there.

 

[EthansMom]

She doesn't want us to move. She'd be miserable if we did. She's a lonely, miserable person who think her daughter should live with her forever.

Honestly, I could care less if she kicked us out. It's not like we're getting a break on rent or anything. We could find a much nicer place for the same amount of money. Only reason I stayed there was the convenience of short distance to work. Other than that, nothing keeping me there.

Tell her that if she doesn't hire a snow removal service and give you the keys to get access to the washer and dryer, you're outta there.

You couldn't pay me enough to live with my own mother let alone my MIL.

 

[Beth76]

You haven't mentioned anything about your grandparents-in-law. They're the ones that own the house; they're ultimately responsible--not your MIL. Couldn't you consider it a personal favor that you shovel for them. I'm assumming they're elderly and couldn't do it themselves and you could give them a break on having to hire someone. I know that if my grandfather was living close to me (he's no longer alive), I would make my husband shovel his driveway and sidewalk for him (or maybe do it myself).

 

[mudnuri]

depends on what your lease says- and I'm guessing you dont have one.

My lease states that plowing of the main driveway/yard will be done as part of our rent, however shoveling the steps/walkways/common area's are to be done by the tennants.

So we have to shovel 3 steps and a porch, which is covered, the walkway to the laundry room, and in front of the garbage room door.

And we have to shovel the end of the driveway if we want to get out before the plow guy gets here....or if he comes and the plow truck comes by again, and you like the muffler intact on your car.

Brandy

 

[bicker]

Yup, it all comes down to the lease: No lease, no obligation on the part of the renter. Now, if the landlord doesn't shovel, the landlord is liable for damages incurred by anyone who might get hurt on the landlord's property.

 

[CathrynRose]

She's a lonely, miserable person who think her daughter should live with her forever.

.

What are you talking about?? My mom doesnt own a house, or apartment building!!!


What? Someone else ACTUALLY has a mother as bitter and, lonely and miserable as mine??? The two of them should move in together....where exactly are you located???

 

[Alicnwondrln]

good luck with this one
you could not pay me to live with my MIL

why wont she share the washer and dryer? If she expects you to do that stuff she should give you a lease

 

[Bob Slydell]

She doesn't want us to move. She'd be miserable if we did. She's a lonely, miserable person who think her daughter should live with her forever.

Honestly, I could care less if she kicked us out. It's not like we're getting a break on rent or anything. We could find a much nicer place for the same amount of money. Only reason I stayed there was the convenience of short distance to work. Other than that, nothing keeping me there.

Your problems go WAY deeper than not having a lease, then.

 

[boomhauer]

You haven't mentioned anything about your grandparents-in-law. They're the ones that own the house; they're ultimately responsible--not your MIL. Couldn't you consider it a personal favor that you shovel for them. I'm assumming they're elderly and couldn't do it themselves and you could give them a break on having to hire someone. I know that if my grandfather was living close to me (he's no longer alive), I would make my husband shovel his driveway and sidewalk for him (or maybe do it myself).

I don't feel the need to do anything for them. They charge us alot of money for rent, and they don't do crap in that house. Everything that breaks - We pay for it. Tub gets clogged - We pay the plumber. Heater breaks - We pay the repairman. We get termites - We pay for the exterminator. They don't do a thing.

They always say they will, but we've learned - They just say that because they know we'll just give up from waiting so long, and do it ourself.

They get away with it with us. They tried to rent that bottom apartment out for months to absolutely no avail. Noone would put up with what we do there. Imagine moving into an apartment and having the landlord say:

1.You have to shovel.
2.You don't have access to the basement.
3.You have to share cable and pay for half of it with me.
4.You can't have access to the shed.
5.You can't have access to the storage right outside your apartment.

Sure, she can say all that, but that's exactly why she never rented it out. She's as delusional about her posistion as "landlord" (even though she's not the landlord) as she is about everything else in life.