Living with slovenly roommates

[Jets4Life]

I'll be attending SAIT very shortly in order to upgrade my schooling. My question is this. I signed a 6 month lease agreement, but the problem is my rommates are.....for lack of a better word...acting like slobs. I've never lived in such a dirty place, and have to do about 90% of the chores. The landlord has came down and told the other tenants to do their part, to no avail.











I want to get the hell out of this place. I wonder if there is a stipulation in my lease or in the tenancy act that would allow me to leave with my damage deposit. The driveway is never shoveled, so I have to always shovel it, and worse, the smoker of the house leaves his butts in the cupboards, on the fridge, and tosses them in the trash. The last thing I need is a fire to start.

[2Stonedbirds]

Smoke detectors are mandatory in Alberta dwellings, yes.

[Travis Munroe]

That is awful. I am a bit OCD when it comes to a clean house but that is taking it to the whole other level. I can only imagine where you are mentally if you prefer a tidier place and are acting as a student, most likely working and essentially being a part time cleaner.

Message the CP property manager to see if he knows of any ways out....

[Slava]

At the very least buy yourself a travel smoke detector! I wouldn't be taking that risk, without question.

[killer_carlson]

The smoke detectors is a big one. Write your landlord so there is a written record. Request that you be permitted to terminate the lease, alternatively, that the fire risk be remedied immediately.

If that doesn't result in an immediate response, file at the Residential Tenancy Dispute service and seek termination of your lease.

But under no circumstances play around or delay the safety requirement.

[jar_e]

Are you a roommate or in a separate suite? You may not be covered by the Landlord Tenant Act if you're in a rooming house...which could be a blessing and a curse.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Something, something, piano wire...

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Realtor 1

Message the CP property manager to see if he knows of any ways out....

I don't think he posts on CP anymore.

[DuffMan]

Burn it down.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I don't think he posts on CP anymore.

Think he's still somewhat "active" on his forum. You might be thinking of DataDoxy, who hasn't logged in since July and last posted in June. Might be a mix up there.

[nik-]

I'm not a clean freak by any means, but standing water with dishes and food bits is one of my pet peeves. It pretty much makes me gag.

[JiriHrdina]

Kudos on the word slovenly

[photon]

Agree contact the landlord in some way there's a written record first.

You can also call the tenant help line on the Service Alberta website (http://www.servicealberta.gov.ab.ca/...-tipsheets.cfm).

Since a smoke alarm falls under the Minimum Housing and Health Standards (http://www.health.alberta.ca/documen...ng-Minimum.pdf) I think you can go to the regional health authority and file a complaint, they'll send someone to do an inspection and then the landlord would have to fix it or face penalties.

But I think they get the opportunity to fix it before you could call the agreement in substantial breach and it'd be terminated, otherwise tenants could just take out the fire detectors, claim they weren't there, and get out of their agreements.

As for the rest of it, a landlord has to meet the minimum housing and health standards, but they're a landlord, not a mom, their job isn't to enforce a certain style of living. If roommates don't share a similar standard of clean, then the only real choices are to either live with it or take care of it. Maybe try and work out a deal with your roommates to buy you beers in exchange for keeping things tidy?

It's only six months, just plan on finding a new place when it expires, and next place you'll have another thing to look for when looking for a place

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Think he's still somewhat "active" on his forum. You might be thinking of DataDoxy, who hasn't logged in since July and last posted in June. Might be a mix up there.

Oh, I just checked his sponsored forum and you're right he's still here (last posted December 18), Real Estate is the only sponsored forum I check out so I assumed he took off since I hadn't seen him post in months on regular CP. My bad.

[btimbit]

Have you tried straight up asking the landlord if you can get out? If he's come over and asked the others to keep it cleaner he might be sympathetic

[transplant99]

[CliffFletcher]

The fire hazard thing must be addressed. Hopefully it will get your out of your lease. In the meantime:

1 plate, 1 bowl, 1 glass, 1 knife, 1 fork, 1 spoon. Maybe 1 pot.

Those are yours. You clean them after you eat, and take them to your room. Keep your food separate as much as possible. Do not clean the dishes of the slobs. Do not pick up after them. Take the garbage out when necessary. That's it.

Your bedroom is your home. Make it comfortable. The rest of the suite is not your responsibility. Let the people who make the mess deal with it.

[FireGilbert]

It isn't filled until it's spilled!

[Galakanokis]

My friend would just throw his roommates unwashed dishes, leftover trash or any other filth onto the fellows bed, usually while they were sleeping in it. Problem stopped after a pile of dishes came crashing down on the guys head/pillow.

[Regulator75]

Might want to NSFW to those pics.

Nasty.