RetroFedWould it be considered trespassing when my psycho landlord closes my bedroom window from the outside?
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AntiOutsideAktionI want to keep my window open because it’s my preference. My landlord wants to keep it closed because they remotely controls the house’s A/C. They’ll walk right up to my room and slam it shut whenever they visits on random days to harass us about the kitchen looking like people live here.
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The answer hinges on law, which hinges on location, location, location, so you’re asking the wrong people.
Location not specified; OP is presumed American until proven innocent.
Okay, then which state, county, and municipality should we presume?
I’m not a mind reader, it’s just easy to spot Americans online.
I would guess a state bordering one of the Great Lakes though.
It’s California. I guess it’s alright to narrow it down to basically a country within a country
You need to check on tenancy laws in your location.
It might not be considered trespassing, but it could be something else.
Here in the UK tenants have a right to “quiet enjoyment” as it is phrased in law, which means your landlord is not allowed to bother you unannounced, and if they want to come to the property they must give reasonable advance notice (usually 24 hours)
You may have something similar.
Then again, the landlord having remote-control over your A/C sounds like absolutely psycho behaviour already, so good luck with that.
Put a stick in the window on the inside to hold it open, and a camera watching everything
Nah, leave ketchup packets on the window sill with the outward facing end cut off.
In Australia that issue would fall under ‘quiet comfort’. I don’t think they’d be allowed to do that.
My location also has such a line but there’s no such thing as a law when your landlord can respond within the law to punish you for enforcing your rights.
If they are coming over in announced thats against ' quiet comfort’ theyre not allowed to do that already. Closing the window is cherry on the cake
Why do they remotely control your air conditioning?
Depends.
Consult a locally-licensed attorney for legal advice.
What if I want to find out this month and/or not spend 300 dollars?
Most law schools in the US and Canada offer free renters’ clinics. I’d recommend seeking one of those out.
What’s knowing going to do if you don’t have the ability to do anything about it? If the landlord is breaking the law, I doubt they are going to turn into a whimpering puppy if you just tell them you believe they are breaking the law. Even if you are right, it’s a threat with no teeth if you aren’t going to get an attorney involved, and if it takes a minimum of a month before you can get an attorney involved, you could wind up kicked out before you even get the legal paperwork started.
Probably not criminal trespassing, since they are the owner of the property. It may fall under tenant harassment, unauthorized entry, constructive eviction, or other laws that pertain specifically to landlord/tenant relations.
Check to see if there are any local tenant’s rights or advocacy groups in your area that offer free legal consultations. They’d be able to advise you on the local tenant’s rights laws and whether they apply to your situation.
If they remotely control the AC why wouldn’t the landlord just turn off the AC when the window was open? Seems more logical, tbh. Maybe that’s the escalation you mentioned youbwere worried about in another response.
I guess the escalation would come in a combination of becoming even more aggro, raising rent, and ‘evicting’ me aka not continuing my month to month lease.
Why haven’t you put a piece of wood in the window track yet? If you physically block the window, he can’t do it from the outside
Because that would be an escalation they would without a doubt retaliate against, and it would be immediate rather than on my terms. I really do mean my landlord is a psycho. We have security cameras in the kitchen and written instructions on pieces of paper taped everywhere. When I first moved in they banged on my bedroom door to rant at me about other people having kitchen appliances they didn’t approve and leaving a pan out. “You know what happens when I find something like this left out? It goes in the trash!”
I’m pretty sure a landlord can not do that legally most places
Just went out after they wrapped up their visit and the fucking psycho threw out all the mail that was sitting in the common area. Including a letter to someone here from the DMV.
If you’re in the us that could be mail tampering or the like. You’re absolutely not supposed to mess with other people’s mail. That’s a federal no no
You should definitely get a lawyer well versed in tenant rights. California has some of the most protective tenants rights in the US. From what you are describing I would not be surprised if a judge issues a temporary restraining order against the landlord to stay away from the property until things have been resolved.
Lock it open?
I mean, if they’ve got AC running and you have a window open you’re killing the efficiency for everyone, it’s sort of a dick move.
But if they didn’t have it running, they could just ask you nicely to close the window since they’re turning the AC on.
I don’t see anything about how the other people renting here feel, whether they would prefer windows or AC. The AC appears to be for the whole house, of which you only rent 1 room. Legally he might be in the wrong, but you’re a terrible roommate.
No, they own the building. There would at least be a question if they entered your unit, but they didn’t.