Adjacent apartment packed with people

[dparm]

So it's come to my attention that the tenants in the apartment next to me have one of those situations where there's WAY more people living there than should be. I continually see a bunch of different people coming and going -- looks to be extended family or something like that. Probably 5-6 people in what I think is just a 1 bedroom (maybe 2, there are a few on this floor I think).

They're ridiculously noisy -- probably because there's too many people living there.

I know that there are rules in the leases about how many people can live in one apartment, and who exactly can live there. You have to list out the tenants for the background and credit checks. I suspect these people are skirting those rules.

What recourse do I have?

 

[Mr Nice]

Live in a house.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Much of your recourse would probably jeopardize your safety.

 

[dparm]

The problem is that it's going to be almost impossible to prove this. If I try to raise the issue with the leasing office, even they would have a difficult time figuring it out -- and if I'm wrong or they can't reach a conclusion, I look like a complainer.

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Live in a house.



Thanks, except that's not really an option at the moment.

 

[Dakota1820]

talk to the landlord about it?

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
Much of your recourse would probably jeopardize your safety.


+1.

I'd just write an anonymous note to the management and see where it goes. If it keeps up, then you might go more formal as a basis of getting out because you're a professional paying to live in a good place and they can't provide it with raucous neighbors.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Sometimes you can have that problem if you live in a house near an apartment.

I get woken up all the time by people in the same apartment complex as I am ... they're 3 buildings over. Just the way the acoustics of the apartment work the sound echos like crazy.

 

[dparm]

I think I'll take the anonymous note route. What they're doing is illegal -- and it's illegal for a reason.

If the landlord can't/doesn't do anything about it by the time my lease is up in May, I'm not renewing. And I'll be letting their corporate office know, too. I guess I'm fortunate that I'm not home Monday through Thursday.

 

[andrewg]

You could politely speak to them and tell them of your concerns (hopefully they speak English).
Talk to your landlord with a copy of the lease in your hand with the section on noise highlighted. Ask him/her if they could please enforce the lease agreement with the noisy tenants.
Check local noise ordinances.
Call the police.
Document everything....including noise recordings. Go to small claims court and break the lease.

 

[Mr Nice]

Rent a house after your lease is up.

Call management and complain about the noise.

 

[Spazdog]

I had a similar situation many years ago.

I couldn't stand my roommates, but couldn't afford a decent apartment on my own. I found an 333 sq-ft efficiency for about $300 mo (in 1991 dollars)

The apartment next door had 5 men and 2 women living in it with a few kids.

There was no furniture. Just mattresses on the floor with pathways to the bathroom and kitchenette.

The women discovered I could speak pidgin Spanglish. The came over to borrow things continuously. Sugar, flour, milk, coffee, bread...etc.... but they always made good on it. They would bring me chicken mole', tamales, desserts...etc...

It was noisy, but once I got to know them I discovered that they were good, honest, hardworking people. Just collectively trying to get to a better place in life.

 

[mongo161]

I had the same thing going on in one of my apartment buildings. Couple's, from the third world, would sign a lease as husband and wife and then the next thing I found out is sets of bunk beds were being delivered to these apartments in the building.

Upon a surprise visit....Some of these apartments had over 20 people living their in "shifts". Some worked the night shift and would use the beds during the day, some worked the afternoon shift and would occupy the apartment day and night while some worked the day shift and they would occupy the apartments at night.

As a landlord, by law, I'm responsible for the property. I ran them off by letting them know that I had some friends in ICE/INS, immigration who paid all of these apartment dwellers a visit......and had a "talk" with them.

They left in a hurry.....and left the place a wreck. All of their foods must have been "deep fried" because the kitchen was covered in cooking oil and the bathroom was filthy. Their are very stiff fines, for the landlord, for harboring a load of people in apartments suitable for 4 people.

Each lease that I have outstanding, has the right of the inspection with 12 hour notice spelled out in bold letters before anyone get in.

End of story.

 

[JustinH]

I bet the city has some sort of code enforcement.

Surely there is a code out there for the amount of people living in a unit.

 

[hate2work]

Tell your landlord/leasing agent that you're going to call the fire marshall and talk with him about the apartment that's breaking the fire code/occupany rules.

If there is no action, then actually call the fire marshall. They love enforcing those kinds of rules.

 

[simple_gifts]

There may be local ordinances regarding this; my parents live in Harrisonburg VA which has a lot of immigrants in the turkey processing places. City put in an ordinance about the number of "unrelated people" living simultaneously in any one apartment, specifically targeting these types of situations.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Live in a house.



Duh! It's so simple!

 

[Mr Nice]

rg200amp,

Are you being snarky or agreeing with me ?

 

[dparm]

My parents had a neighbor who pulled the same [censored], so don't kid yourself.

Clearly four families living in the same SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING. The street is always packed with all their cars. They're gaming the system so they don't pay extra taxes for all the kids to go to school. It's about 20 people living in one house.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
rg200amp,

Are you being snarky or agreeing with me ?



Let's be serious, renting a house is typically more expensive, your utilities are higher, plus you have to also take care of landscaping, snow removal, etc.