Tenant/Landlord Dispute

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by redrunner+2

I lived in a 2 family in Queens and we took out our own trash. I don't think we had a recycling bin. We just bought clear plastic bags and used those for recycling. I don't think it is that unusual.

So you took your own trash outside to the garbage cans or you took your own trash to the curb on collection days?

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by emmaduet

What is a landlord's responsibilty in terms of maintanace around the house???
I live in a 3 family house, with the landlord's son living on one of the floors.
There used to be bins outside to throw out the regular trash, paper and plastic recycling and I would throw out the trash there not to let it linger in the house. The landlord's son would not take out the trash bins for weeks and the garbage would pile up outside spilling out of the garbage bins. Recently, the landlord's son took AWAY all the bins!!! I am still putting my garbage on the ground in the area where the bins were as it is not my responsibility to take out the trash during pick up days, my rent does not have a reduction for me to do custodial maintenance around the property nor is it stipulated in my lease. My questions... is this against the law? (NYC) What are my options?

Why don't you just ASK the LL?

Are you afraid of him? I mean it's one of the SIMPLEST questions to ASK the LL or his son:

"Hey, what do I do with the garbage?"

There, see how easy that was??

[redrunner+2]

Took our own trash to the curb on collection days and put out our own recycling. I didn't take the other tenants stuff out and I remember bcs they did a messed up job of the recycling. One time my landlord got a ticket and I didn't pay it. I passed it along to him (the other tenants didn't speak much English) and told him I had tried to explain it to them. But it wasn't an issue for me.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by marilyn220

Why don't you just ASK the LL?

Are you afraid of him? I mean it's one of the SIMPLEST questions to ASK the LL or his son:

"Hey, what do I do with the garbage?"

There, see how easy that was??

That's true!

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by redrunner+2

Took our own trash to the curb on collection days and put out our own recycling. I didn't take the other tenants stuff out and I remember bcs they did a messed up job of the recycling. One time my landlord got a ticket and I didn't pay it. I passed it along to him (the other tenants didn't speak much English) and told him I had tried to explain it to them. But it wasn't an issue for me.

Was it discussed before you moved in or was it in the lease that all tenants are individually responsible for bringing their own garbage and recycling to the curb? How many apartments were in the building? What did you do with your trash in between collection days? Were there trash receptacles outside or did you use plastic trash bags for your trash? Yes, the ticket is only for the landlord.

[redrunner+2]

It was a 2 family row house in Queens and the landlord did not live on site. I don't think we really discussed it ahead of time bcs the other apartment was empty when we moved in. There was a can outside and we put our trash in it and put it to the curb on collection day. I'm able bodied and so were my roommates so it was not a burden.

It was actually a sweet deal compared to the full service co-op building full of psychos that we moved into. The best part of taking out your own trash is there is no one to tip at Xmas!

But yeah, asking the landlord is a good start. Maybe there was some miscommunication between the landlord and the son?

[Earthsangel]

I live in a 2-family house on the 2nd floor. I need to ask if it is my responsibility to take my garbage and recycles to the curb on collection days or is it the responsibilities of the landlord who is got a staying in the house. I have sublet one of the rooms out and received a ticket for mixed up garbage bags. My landlord told me its my responsibility to pay this fine.

I refused to pay as there is no prove to say that I'm responsible. Please confirm if this is my responsibility in taking out the garbage to the curb. I'm a tenant on the 2nd floor.

[I_Love_LI_but]

Originally Posted by Earthsangel

I live in a 2-family house on the 2nd floor. I need to ask if it is my responsibility to take my garbage and recycles to the curb on collection days or is it the responsibilities of the landlord who is got a staying in the house. I have sublet one of the rooms out and received a ticket for mixed up garbage bags. My landlord told me its my responsibility to pay this fine.

I refused to pay as there is no prove to say that I'm responsible. Please confirm if this is my responsibility in taking out the garbage to the curb. I'm a tenant on the 2nd floor.

Who is got a WHAT staying in the house? Your sentence is unintelligible.

In general, if the landlord lives in the house too, they take care of putting the garbage and recycling bins to the curb (but YOU will have to separate your recycling yourself and put that in the bins and put your own garbage in the cans outside ... the landlord will not come to your apartment, take your trash and separate your recycling for you ... if you want that, move to a luxury building with porter service).

If it is only tenants in the house, it can go two ways:

One tenant is responsible for doing this and gets some money off the rent for doing so.

Each tenant brings their own to the curb on the appointed collection days.

Who has been taking care of trash and recycling so far?

Also, why did YOU happen to get the ticket? It is the landlord/property owner's ticket, however, if a tenant was the one who screwed up (and they can prove it), the landlord/property owner can ask the tenant to pay it, but cannot force him to do so. In order to force the tenant to pay, they would have to take the tenant to Small Claims Court and go before a judge and see if they win.

Was it a day when only garbage and recycling from your apartment was put out? Was your sublet tenant the one who screwed up the garbage and recycling? I am asking because you mention this out of the blue (that you have your own tenant in the apartment) and ordinarily that is not connected to your question.

If it was you and/or your sublet tenant who screwed up the garbage and recycling, the classy thing is for either of you to pay the ticket ... whoever actually did it, even if technically there is no "proof" against either one of you. Otherwise there will be nothing but ill will with the landlord and that is not a good thing. For instance, the landlord will probably not renew your lease, of if you are a month to month tenant, give you 30 days to move out.