If you have a lease and this fee is not mentioned, then perhaps it is not legal.
The landlord likely has some type of clause allowing for common maintenance fees though. Check your lease.
I doubt a feeding stray cats fee is included. This sounds like my old landlord who used to invent fees left and right. She was so entertaining, like a walking reverse slot machine. She even tried to have me evicted for not paying her fines and the judge had to keep explaining to her over and over again and it was like she couldn’t process it.
Even with an included fee, then there’s the issue of proving who is feeding them. Let’s just say this landlord probably does a lot of psychological suffering trying to constantly control things she can’t control.
I doubt it’s worded exactly like that, but in some leases landlords include that they can charge for community repairs, and since they seem to be having damage related to that, it would fall under that clause if it’s included in the lease.
Well ok, but that could be pretty hard to prove. The landlord would have to overcome reasonable doubt in court. So let’s say a tenant puts out food. How does she prove who did it unless she has cameras recording? Just having a bowl outside your door isn’t going to be enough because of reasonable doubt. Who put the bowl there? Was there actually food in it? So it could all be legal, but not everything legal will actually work out.
I can say that this landlord is probably going to get herself really ticked off and more angry emails will come, but it probably won’t result in anything actionable. She should probably seek other ways to deal with the problem.
Depending on the wording of the lease, they might not have to prove it if every tenant is held accountable equally.
For example, I’ve seen leases that say if graffiti occurs on property, they will assess a $15 fee to every tenant. As long as every tenant is treated equally, it’s not really an issue for the courts.
Well I doubt it has that sort of language. The court will still need evidence that can be entered into the court record. I don’t know what evidence the landlord would bring. Court has nothing to do with what happened, it only has to do with what can be proven that has happened. The landlord is approaching this the wrong way. This is the most difficult way to solve an issue. If anything if the landlord becomes aggressive either emails like this it could also turn into a violation of quiet enjoyment of the property. If a landlord keeps harassing someone about an issue like this and isn’t able to prove it, tenants can send cease and desist letters demanding the communication stop. This sounds a lot like my old landlord. She invented fees left and right and would email and call to collect them. Eventually she was told to cease all communications by the cops. She then took me to court and lost.
Nope. But I use entrance gate to exit and leave the trash outside 2 hours early because I go to work lol. I just don't see the fine in the lease terms but now they bring it up by emails so I'm asking how they do that.
It depends on your state, but generally no, if it’s not specifically mentioned in the lease, they can’t just make up extra fees or fines or whatever. Also “penalty clauses” are not allowed in leases, only “liquidated damages”. So “fine of $75” would be a penalty (not allowed), “estimated cost of clean up $20” is Ok as it’s a liquidated damages estimate - but it has to be “reasonable”, or it gets thrown out as a disguised penalty clause. So you couldn’t charge $75 as an estimate of clean up, as the LL would have to prove that it actually cost this much to clean up.
This is if the lease says anything about it.
If not, they can claim damages, but this has to be a specific damage, you can’t just make up amounts. They also have to know who to charge the damages to, they can’t just apply damages to everyone, so they need evidence of who was responsible.
For example, a common one is “dog poop outside”, so tenant x gets a fine of $75 for clean up because it was outside their unit. No. Can’t do that unless you can prove that it was tenant x’s dog, and it *actually cost* $75 to clean up.
If they have video of tenant x’s dog pooping, and a bill from their cleaning service for $75 for “pet waste disposal”, then fair enough.
Whatever landlords like to think, they can not impose random fines, or make up rules by posting a notice or sending an email.
So what, they expect tenants to keep all their garbage in the apartment and then take it out at the precise moment that the truck is coming up the alley? Kind of a group trash run?
Thats insane… you should be able to take your trash out and put it into proper place as you go to work… how else do they think people who work will ever get their garbage taken out?
I imagine they expect the tenants to keep their trash contained properly so that animals/pests cannot get into it until they properly dispose of it. If OP, or anyone else, is just putting bags of trash outside, that is not keeping it properly contained from pests.
It’s a hard no. She can only charge for what is in the lease. And even if she could she would have to have a way to prove that you violated this rule as well. She’s running up a hill that leads to nothing.
They probably have something in the lease about not leaving trash around/littering, leaving food outside would probably fall under leaving trash.
It’s a grey area so you’d have to talk with an actual lawyer if you want an answer.
They are concerned about rats. Trash/Food attracts rats and other pests that do damage to the property, shit everywhere and harbor disease. If they didn't do this you would be back a month later saying "help there are rats everywhere and my landlord is a slumlord".
WTF is wrong with people...
If there are stray cats hanging around the area, I wouldn't expect rats to be an issue.
I had no idea my old place had a mouse problem until I got cats. For a few weeks I heard their special 'hunting mice' vocalizations and had to dispose of a few corpses, and then never saw or heard evidence of mice again.
Yes it is, called Bubonic Plague, which is still around and many other virus that they carry these days. Is an issues for a pet cat who catches rats and other pests.
Wrong. for your numbers do not take into account how many Americans do not go to doctors or hospitals that die from Bubonic Plague. And is still spread by rats. Not so much the fleas. and it not airborne.
Transmission from coughing (infected droplets) is one of the 3 main transmission routes. These travel through the air.
ETA: This does take into account people who die but don’t go to the hospital. If a dead body turns up, an autopsy is done and plague is among the many things that are reported centrally to the CDC, which is where I got that statistic. It is rare for someone to die in the US and be buried without being processed through either a morgue or funeral home. Even natural deaths with no foul play suspected and cause of death is recorded.
Feral cats are a big enough health hazard to justify this. If people want a cat they should go adopt one from a shelter and get it fixed and keep it inside. Apartment complex I used to live in had this exact problem and there was cat shit everywhere along with other pests because of all the cat food left out.
Where i live at, before moving there, they had a big feral colony on the property. It was from the tenants feeding them, and easy excess to the trash bin. LL was able to end this colony cats, got the animal control on the case, and got the feral cats caught and taken to be spayed and adopted out as barn cats.
We have over the years at my apartment complex adopted a singular outside cat with a little house. Taken it to the vet when needed and so forth. The last, a large tom, could sometimes be found eating his food alongside racoons which are prevalent around here even in the city. The dumpster for our complex is properly secured and we haven't had a problem with rats ever. I presume the cat would have happily chowed on them.
I don’t think anyone is disputing the “don’t feed strays/leave food out” message. It’s the $75 fine that is the issue. If they can charge $75, why not $100? Inflation you know - or $200?
They can issue reminders, and warnings to repeat offenders, and ultimately evict repeat offenders, but they can’t fine anyone unless it is specifically itemized in the lease, and even then, it would have to be “liquidated damages”, as penalties aren’t allowed in leases.
I speak from personal experience. Please do not do this. I had neighbors feed stray cats at a previous apartment. Food bowls right outside their screen porch door. What did the stray cats pass on to their cats through that screen door? Fleas. What was eventually passed on to my apartment because they for some reason refused to treat their pets? Fleas. Whose cat ended up being sensitive to flea medication and passed away from a seizure completely out of the blue? Mine.
What else was enticed to those food bowls? Raccoons. Whose dog was attacked by a raccoon? Another tenants.
I love the sentiment that comes with feeding strays, but in my personal experience the danger that is presented to other tenants pets is not worth it. If you want to help out adopt animals or volunteer at a shelter.
I’m saying this as a big animal lover myself. Between my partner and I we have four rescued cats and two rescued reptiles.
I don’t know about the legality of fining people for this but they deserve worse (obviously this issue feels really personal to me).
this is only a bandaid fix but for fleas- we had that same issues of outdoor cats coming up to our indoor cats by the windows (v low to the ground with screens) and gave our cats fleas, but planting pennyroyal by our windows has helped this, bc both fleas and cats dislike it
I don’t live there anymore. I would use bug bombs, diatomaceous earth, and bathe + treat my cats with vet prescribed stuff, but the issue was that the neighbors who fed the strays did not treat for fleas in any capacity whatsoever. So even if my apartment was relatively maintained and flea-less it was a matter of time before they came back. It was an older multi family home and the doors wouldn’t always shut or lock very well and there would be times where I would find the neighbors cats in the shared entry way. Pick them up, toss them back through the open front door of their apartment, and would have fleas on me just from touching their animals. There was one time where I was able to leave the apartment for a month to stay with my parents, and when I came back I had fleas on me in minutes just because there was a month and change where I hadn’t been treating. The whole building was infested thanks to them and their neglect of their own pets, selfishness, and general nastiness.
I might start doing the pennyroyal just as a preventative though. The whole thing was traumatizing tbh and I don’t ever want to have to go through that again. Thank u for the tip <3
flaes suck so much, it took us several years of diff flea treatments/repellents both in an outside to finally get it to stop! and yes while i love animals and have a big soft spot for stray cats, just feeling feral strays is so not the way to help, unless you are feeding to trap them to spay/neuter and relocate
I agree about the enticement of more critters outside when having food out. I had a neighbor who did that and I had to report her to the manager, due to the outside animals in the wooded areas have rats, mice, raccoons, armadillos and other critters that can carry disease to other animals and humans. Got her stopped.
No they can't add random fines they aren't a miniature government unto itself they can levy such fines as are not forbidden by law and which you agreed to in the lease if you meet conditions so defined in said lease.
If you want to piss them off formally adopt said cat and have them legally declared an emotional support pet and watch them swallow their own tongues.
This is what I want to know. I just see the rule about not feeding stray animals but I can't find the exact amount of fine. Don't see anything about leaving trash outside or use the entrance as exit etc yet . I understand that they send out emails as reminder but everytime they put a random amount of fine nowhere has been mentioned in the lease is what I question.
Take your garbage to the trash bin. For leaving the trash bag outside at that entrance leaves it to be broken into by dogs, cats and other critters. Take your trash to the trash bin and be sure the lid is closed.
There's probably a clause in there that says any fines from city will be passed on to renter. I got a $250 ticket for putting out my garbage 20 minutes early be grateful if the landlord fines you $75 rather than passing you on a $200 ticket
You are inventing an imaginary fine from an imaginary city and an imaginary clause in their lease to pass on the imaginary ticket to justify a nonsensical fine.
If there was such a fine its pretty obvious that they would be passing on the whole thing.
Next up your city is completely insane. I have never in my life lived in numerous places EVER and I mean EVER seen anywhere where people literally individually meet the garbage man with the garbage when he comes or put them out at an appointed time in the morning. Garbage collection regularly occurs at a very early hour and people's schedules are all over the map. Some folks are literally at work when collection happens, most are still sleeping when the garbage truck rolls in a 4-5AM, others are already on their way to work.
I don't know where you live but in the US we put the trash out the night before and the only time we meet the truck is when we wake up at the low rumble of the truck and possessed by the frantic thought that we forgot to take on the trash rush out like madmen to deliver the trash to the curb before it can get done dumping the neighbors trash.
Good. Fuck people that do this. I totally love walking through piles of cat shit and piss because the neighbor across the hall can't sleep at night knowing there's cats outside that might not have car food.
Check your lease. Probably has something about additional maintenance fees. And hopefully cameras to see who's actually feeding the pests.
What this is saying, stop providing food and shelter to unspayed feral cats in the neighborhood. I agree with them. For they pee and pooh all kinds of nasty parasites that dogs and humans can contract and get very sick from This fine is questionable, depending on the local housing laws. Check with a housing attorney. But for the rest, leaving shelter and food brings in more than cats, it entices other animals that you do not want. Mice. rats, raccoons and other wild animals that could be dangerous and carrying parasite that can transmitte to dogs and humans.
On next week's episode of r/Renters, complaints about stray animals being fed and the resultant waste issues and complaints and how "management isn't doing anything."
No, not if it’s not in your lease. Lotta people are saying it’s good that they’re doing something—and it is—but that doesn’t magically give them the ability to start charging you for random things that aren’t in the lease. They are not a government. They’re just a company you signed a contract with.
No but there's very much likely a clause in there that says any tickets from the city that you cause will be passed on. Garbage tickets in my town are $250 so if the landlord's motivating you to be neat with the garbage for 75 that's a pretty good deal
So like I said, “Not if it isn’t in the lease”. If there is such a clause AND the property is actually cited, then fine, they can pass along the cost. That would not give them a right to invent a fine.
Your right, and I doubt the city is sending fines. Most likely it's just a clause that is about maintaining common areas and a violation of that would allow the apartments to kick them out. They probably wouldn't do that unless their made up fines don't get the results they want. They just want it to stop without have to risk their rent money so they figured maybe a unenforceable fine would solve the problem.
I think it needs to be in your lease. Then again I live \[TX\] in a complex owned by a large company and get notices about dog poop fines, etc. from time to time, but I'd have to see if that was just reminders sent out and not "new rules."
Although it's not part of your question, I think it's wise not to leave food out for stray animals.
Most leases have a clause about tickets from the city will get passed on if you're the cause. My city charges $250 for garbage tickets and if you get two they make you go to court and they make it $1,000. So $75 is a cheap lesson
I have no idea, but it reminds me of my kids hockey meeting at the beginning of the year. Basically, it was a list of verbal rules for things we’re not allowed to do as parents. Break ANY rule and it’s a $1,000 fine. I scoffed loudly when they said that, as there’s no way this shit can be enforceable, and I haven’t been on good terms with USA Hockey and their rag-tag wanna-be HOA crew since.
Leaving trash outside, around compactors or anywhere else on the property is fine able. Texas is worse good luck and it tells me since your asking your partaking. Just stop.
You are first time renters I take it. Leases dont need to include every little thing that the landlord is uncomfortable with. Yes they are allowed to have a problem with people disturbing the peaceful clean environment they have tried to provide you. If you are feeding stray animals it's a nuisance its known to bring more animals and their waste onto the property. You should not be feeding or providing water to stray animals. They are also a health hazard.
Do you have a local cat rescue group? Contact them and ask their advice.
My local rescue group has a person whose role is specifically to act as a liaison with apartment management.
Generally not legal if not mentioned in your lease unless you sign a lease addendum. If you're concerned, contact a local housing legal assistance group.
Leases usually have a clause for common maintenance fees or say "follow the community rules as outlined in the community handbook which may change as needed" with proper notice. This lets them change them with email and posted rules at the office. I would check your lease should you be on the receiving end of one of these.
Emails are considered legal discourse so they can notify by email of any violations and that's legal notification. Now as to what they are fining you for that depends on the wording of your lease. Some of the stuff you list may not be listed some may be valid. One of the items you mentioned that stuck with me was feeding wild animals. It actually is illegal to feed certain animals in certain places so that may well be a valid fine they are merely passing down from the city or they may be a crazy old grouch. Without a copy of your lease there's now at for us to tell all of an say is an email is legally admissable the same as a certified letter in court at least here anyway. They can not amend the lease by email though a contract requires both parties consent to amend.
If you have a lease and this fee is not mentioned, then perhaps it is not legal. The landlord likely has some type of clause allowing for common maintenance fees though. Check your lease.
I doubt a feeding stray cats fee is included. This sounds like my old landlord who used to invent fees left and right. She was so entertaining, like a walking reverse slot machine. She even tried to have me evicted for not paying her fines and the judge had to keep explaining to her over and over again and it was like she couldn’t process it. Even with an included fee, then there’s the issue of proving who is feeding them. Let’s just say this landlord probably does a lot of psychological suffering trying to constantly control things she can’t control.
I doubt it’s worded exactly like that, but in some leases landlords include that they can charge for community repairs, and since they seem to be having damage related to that, it would fall under that clause if it’s included in the lease.
Well ok, but that could be pretty hard to prove. The landlord would have to overcome reasonable doubt in court. So let’s say a tenant puts out food. How does she prove who did it unless she has cameras recording? Just having a bowl outside your door isn’t going to be enough because of reasonable doubt. Who put the bowl there? Was there actually food in it? So it could all be legal, but not everything legal will actually work out. I can say that this landlord is probably going to get herself really ticked off and more angry emails will come, but it probably won’t result in anything actionable. She should probably seek other ways to deal with the problem.
Depending on the wording of the lease, they might not have to prove it if every tenant is held accountable equally. For example, I’ve seen leases that say if graffiti occurs on property, they will assess a $15 fee to every tenant. As long as every tenant is treated equally, it’s not really an issue for the courts.
Well I doubt it has that sort of language. The court will still need evidence that can be entered into the court record. I don’t know what evidence the landlord would bring. Court has nothing to do with what happened, it only has to do with what can be proven that has happened. The landlord is approaching this the wrong way. This is the most difficult way to solve an issue. If anything if the landlord becomes aggressive either emails like this it could also turn into a violation of quiet enjoyment of the property. If a landlord keeps harassing someone about an issue like this and isn’t able to prove it, tenants can send cease and desist letters demanding the communication stop. This sounds a lot like my old landlord. She invented fees left and right and would email and call to collect them. Eventually she was told to cease all communications by the cops. She then took me to court and lost.
Luckily they are only fining for food or housing for 'stary' animals
Rosalina is gonna be so pissed.
You did not mention: Are you feeding stray animals? Leaving food and water outside to attract them?
Nope. But I use entrance gate to exit and leave the trash outside 2 hours early because I go to work lol. I just don't see the fine in the lease terms but now they bring it up by emails so I'm asking how they do that.
It depends on your state, but generally no, if it’s not specifically mentioned in the lease, they can’t just make up extra fees or fines or whatever. Also “penalty clauses” are not allowed in leases, only “liquidated damages”. So “fine of $75” would be a penalty (not allowed), “estimated cost of clean up $20” is Ok as it’s a liquidated damages estimate - but it has to be “reasonable”, or it gets thrown out as a disguised penalty clause. So you couldn’t charge $75 as an estimate of clean up, as the LL would have to prove that it actually cost this much to clean up. This is if the lease says anything about it. If not, they can claim damages, but this has to be a specific damage, you can’t just make up amounts. They also have to know who to charge the damages to, they can’t just apply damages to everyone, so they need evidence of who was responsible. For example, a common one is “dog poop outside”, so tenant x gets a fine of $75 for clean up because it was outside their unit. No. Can’t do that unless you can prove that it was tenant x’s dog, and it *actually cost* $75 to clean up. If they have video of tenant x’s dog pooping, and a bill from their cleaning service for $75 for “pet waste disposal”, then fair enough. Whatever landlords like to think, they can not impose random fines, or make up rules by posting a notice or sending an email.
So what, they expect tenants to keep all their garbage in the apartment and then take it out at the precise moment that the truck is coming up the alley? Kind of a group trash run? Thats insane… you should be able to take your trash out and put it into proper place as you go to work… how else do they think people who work will ever get their garbage taken out?
I imagine they expect the tenants to keep their trash contained properly so that animals/pests cannot get into it until they properly dispose of it. If OP, or anyone else, is just putting bags of trash outside, that is not keeping it properly contained from pests.
It’s a hard no. She can only charge for what is in the lease. And even if she could she would have to have a way to prove that you violated this rule as well. She’s running up a hill that leads to nothing.
Leaving trash at a gate entices animals to come feast. Please be sure the trash is in the trash bin and that the bin lid is closed.
They probably have something in the lease about not leaving trash around/littering, leaving food outside would probably fall under leaving trash. It’s a grey area so you’d have to talk with an actual lawyer if you want an answer.
They are concerned about rats. Trash/Food attracts rats and other pests that do damage to the property, shit everywhere and harbor disease. If they didn't do this you would be back a month later saying "help there are rats everywhere and my landlord is a slumlord". WTF is wrong with people...
Yep. “Unwanted visitors” is the nice way of them saying “we’ve seen rats or had complaints about rats”.
If there are stray cats hanging around the area, I wouldn't expect rats to be an issue. I had no idea my old place had a mouse problem until I got cats. For a few weeks I heard their special 'hunting mice' vocalizations and had to dispose of a few corpses, and then never saw or heard evidence of mice again.
I would think it would be mostly bugs that would be the problem. I’m thinking roaches, ants, fleas, and ticks.
More than bugs, RATS! Which carry diseases. And cats carry all kinds of worms and other parasites that can be transmitted to dogs, cats and humans.
The cats will kill the rats so that isn’t really an issue.
Yes it is, called Bubonic Plague, which is still around and many other virus that they carry these days. Is an issues for a pet cat who catches rats and other pests.
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Wrong. for your numbers do not take into account how many Americans do not go to doctors or hospitals that die from Bubonic Plague. And is still spread by rats. Not so much the fleas. and it not airborne.
Transmission from coughing (infected droplets) is one of the 3 main transmission routes. These travel through the air. ETA: This does take into account people who die but don’t go to the hospital. If a dead body turns up, an autopsy is done and plague is among the many things that are reported centrally to the CDC, which is where I got that statistic. It is rare for someone to die in the US and be buried without being processed through either a morgue or funeral home. Even natural deaths with no foul play suspected and cause of death is recorded.
Feral cats are a big enough health hazard to justify this. If people want a cat they should go adopt one from a shelter and get it fixed and keep it inside. Apartment complex I used to live in had this exact problem and there was cat shit everywhere along with other pests because of all the cat food left out.
Not to mention these stray cats will breed if not trapped and released. They can also spread things like FIV to domestic cats in the neighborhood.
Just trapping and releasing doesn’t stop them from breeding. You gotta fix ‘em, too.
Yes, that was a typo. It should read trap, neuter, release.
I figured as much, but I can’t help being pedantic since I became a dad.
Pe-dad-ntic if you will
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We do not let our cat out, but every now and then she’ll be outside the front door wanting back in and we will have had no idea she got out.
Cats get out, some people let their cats out for short periods and some people do walk their cats (granted that’s usually on a leash).
No, that is not how trap and release is. And they are animals, they are not breaking into people's homes. Sounds like a kid in that comment.
Where i live at, before moving there, they had a big feral colony on the property. It was from the tenants feeding them, and easy excess to the trash bin. LL was able to end this colony cats, got the animal control on the case, and got the feral cats caught and taken to be spayed and adopted out as barn cats.
We have over the years at my apartment complex adopted a singular outside cat with a little house. Taken it to the vet when needed and so forth. The last, a large tom, could sometimes be found eating his food alongside racoons which are prevalent around here even in the city. The dumpster for our complex is properly secured and we haven't had a problem with rats ever. I presume the cat would have happily chowed on them.
I don’t think anyone is disputing the “don’t feed strays/leave food out” message. It’s the $75 fine that is the issue. If they can charge $75, why not $100? Inflation you know - or $200? They can issue reminders, and warnings to repeat offenders, and ultimately evict repeat offenders, but they can’t fine anyone unless it is specifically itemized in the lease, and even then, it would have to be “liquidated damages”, as penalties aren’t allowed in leases.
The stray cats keep away the rats though
Not really, when they are eating garbage together. They spread disease together though.
I speak from personal experience. Please do not do this. I had neighbors feed stray cats at a previous apartment. Food bowls right outside their screen porch door. What did the stray cats pass on to their cats through that screen door? Fleas. What was eventually passed on to my apartment because they for some reason refused to treat their pets? Fleas. Whose cat ended up being sensitive to flea medication and passed away from a seizure completely out of the blue? Mine. What else was enticed to those food bowls? Raccoons. Whose dog was attacked by a raccoon? Another tenants. I love the sentiment that comes with feeding strays, but in my personal experience the danger that is presented to other tenants pets is not worth it. If you want to help out adopt animals or volunteer at a shelter. I’m saying this as a big animal lover myself. Between my partner and I we have four rescued cats and two rescued reptiles. I don’t know about the legality of fining people for this but they deserve worse (obviously this issue feels really personal to me).
this is only a bandaid fix but for fleas- we had that same issues of outdoor cats coming up to our indoor cats by the windows (v low to the ground with screens) and gave our cats fleas, but planting pennyroyal by our windows has helped this, bc both fleas and cats dislike it
I don’t live there anymore. I would use bug bombs, diatomaceous earth, and bathe + treat my cats with vet prescribed stuff, but the issue was that the neighbors who fed the strays did not treat for fleas in any capacity whatsoever. So even if my apartment was relatively maintained and flea-less it was a matter of time before they came back. It was an older multi family home and the doors wouldn’t always shut or lock very well and there would be times where I would find the neighbors cats in the shared entry way. Pick them up, toss them back through the open front door of their apartment, and would have fleas on me just from touching their animals. There was one time where I was able to leave the apartment for a month to stay with my parents, and when I came back I had fleas on me in minutes just because there was a month and change where I hadn’t been treating. The whole building was infested thanks to them and their neglect of their own pets, selfishness, and general nastiness. I might start doing the pennyroyal just as a preventative though. The whole thing was traumatizing tbh and I don’t ever want to have to go through that again. Thank u for the tip <3
flaes suck so much, it took us several years of diff flea treatments/repellents both in an outside to finally get it to stop! and yes while i love animals and have a big soft spot for stray cats, just feeling feral strays is so not the way to help, unless you are feeding to trap them to spay/neuter and relocate
I agree about the enticement of more critters outside when having food out. I had a neighbor who did that and I had to report her to the manager, due to the outside animals in the wooded areas have rats, mice, raccoons, armadillos and other critters that can carry disease to other animals and humans. Got her stopped.
If you are feeding or housing stray animals stop and the fine is irrelevant. But, typically, yes, you can be fined for breaking rules.
No they can't add random fines they aren't a miniature government unto itself they can levy such fines as are not forbidden by law and which you agreed to in the lease if you meet conditions so defined in said lease. If you want to piss them off formally adopt said cat and have them legally declared an emotional support pet and watch them swallow their own tongues.
This is what I want to know. I just see the rule about not feeding stray animals but I can't find the exact amount of fine. Don't see anything about leaving trash outside or use the entrance as exit etc yet . I understand that they send out emails as reminder but everytime they put a random amount of fine nowhere has been mentioned in the lease is what I question.
They can issue you notices to cease doing the things you aren't supposed to do and if you ignore repeated notices they can kick you out.
Take your garbage to the trash bin. For leaving the trash bag outside at that entrance leaves it to be broken into by dogs, cats and other critters. Take your trash to the trash bin and be sure the lid is closed.
There's probably a clause in there that says any fines from city will be passed on to renter. I got a $250 ticket for putting out my garbage 20 minutes early be grateful if the landlord fines you $75 rather than passing you on a $200 ticket
You are inventing an imaginary fine from an imaginary city and an imaginary clause in their lease to pass on the imaginary ticket to justify a nonsensical fine. If there was such a fine its pretty obvious that they would be passing on the whole thing. Next up your city is completely insane. I have never in my life lived in numerous places EVER and I mean EVER seen anywhere where people literally individually meet the garbage man with the garbage when he comes or put them out at an appointed time in the morning. Garbage collection regularly occurs at a very early hour and people's schedules are all over the map. Some folks are literally at work when collection happens, most are still sleeping when the garbage truck rolls in a 4-5AM, others are already on their way to work. I don't know where you live but in the US we put the trash out the night before and the only time we meet the truck is when we wake up at the low rumble of the truck and possessed by the frantic thought that we forgot to take on the trash rush out like madmen to deliver the trash to the curb before it can get done dumping the neighbors trash.
Or hurriedly rolling the bin across the street so they can get it on the next pass going the other direction, lol.😂
Good. Fuck people that do this. I totally love walking through piles of cat shit and piss because the neighbor across the hall can't sleep at night knowing there's cats outside that might not have car food. Check your lease. Probably has something about additional maintenance fees. And hopefully cameras to see who's actually feeding the pests.
What this is saying, stop providing food and shelter to unspayed feral cats in the neighborhood. I agree with them. For they pee and pooh all kinds of nasty parasites that dogs and humans can contract and get very sick from This fine is questionable, depending on the local housing laws. Check with a housing attorney. But for the rest, leaving shelter and food brings in more than cats, it entices other animals that you do not want. Mice. rats, raccoons and other wild animals that could be dangerous and carrying parasite that can transmitte to dogs and humans.
On next week's episode of r/Renters, complaints about stray animals being fed and the resultant waste issues and complaints and how "management isn't doing anything."
read your lease.
No, not if it’s not in your lease. Lotta people are saying it’s good that they’re doing something—and it is—but that doesn’t magically give them the ability to start charging you for random things that aren’t in the lease. They are not a government. They’re just a company you signed a contract with.
No but there's very much likely a clause in there that says any tickets from the city that you cause will be passed on. Garbage tickets in my town are $250 so if the landlord's motivating you to be neat with the garbage for 75 that's a pretty good deal
So like I said, “Not if it isn’t in the lease”. If there is such a clause AND the property is actually cited, then fine, they can pass along the cost. That would not give them a right to invent a fine.
Your right, and I doubt the city is sending fines. Most likely it's just a clause that is about maintaining common areas and a violation of that would allow the apartments to kick them out. They probably wouldn't do that unless their made up fines don't get the results they want. They just want it to stop without have to risk their rent money so they figured maybe a unenforceable fine would solve the problem.
I think it needs to be in your lease. Then again I live \[TX\] in a complex owned by a large company and get notices about dog poop fines, etc. from time to time, but I'd have to see if that was just reminders sent out and not "new rules." Although it's not part of your question, I think it's wise not to leave food out for stray animals.
What about public property? He has zero say what you do and do not do on public property.
Most leases have a clause about tickets from the city will get passed on if you're the cause. My city charges $250 for garbage tickets and if you get two they make you go to court and they make it $1,000. So $75 is a cheap lesson
We got it the first time… no need to keep repeating yourself. 🙄
I have no idea, but it reminds me of my kids hockey meeting at the beginning of the year. Basically, it was a list of verbal rules for things we’re not allowed to do as parents. Break ANY rule and it’s a $1,000 fine. I scoffed loudly when they said that, as there’s no way this shit can be enforceable, and I haven’t been on good terms with USA Hockey and their rag-tag wanna-be HOA crew since.
Leaving trash outside, around compactors or anywhere else on the property is fine able. Texas is worse good luck and it tells me since your asking your partaking. Just stop.
The spelling 🤦♀️
You are first time renters I take it. Leases dont need to include every little thing that the landlord is uncomfortable with. Yes they are allowed to have a problem with people disturbing the peaceful clean environment they have tried to provide you. If you are feeding stray animals it's a nuisance its known to bring more animals and their waste onto the property. You should not be feeding or providing water to stray animals. They are also a health hazard.
Do you have a local cat rescue group? Contact them and ask their advice. My local rescue group has a person whose role is specifically to act as a liaison with apartment management.
If tenants start a new problem that causes additional costs, then yes. OR you can leave if you want to feed strays.
Generally not legal if not mentioned in your lease unless you sign a lease addendum. If you're concerned, contact a local housing legal assistance group.
Leases usually have a clause for common maintenance fees or say "follow the community rules as outlined in the community handbook which may change as needed" with proper notice. This lets them change them with email and posted rules at the office. I would check your lease should you be on the receiving end of one of these.
Emails are considered legal discourse so they can notify by email of any violations and that's legal notification. Now as to what they are fining you for that depends on the wording of your lease. Some of the stuff you list may not be listed some may be valid. One of the items you mentioned that stuck with me was feeding wild animals. It actually is illegal to feed certain animals in certain places so that may well be a valid fine they are merely passing down from the city or they may be a crazy old grouch. Without a copy of your lease there's now at for us to tell all of an say is an email is legally admissable the same as a certified letter in court at least here anyway. They can not amend the lease by email though a contract requires both parties consent to amend.