Laura asks…
Should I be concerned about code violations and black mold in neighboring apartment?
I live in a 4-family apartment building (2 upstairs/2 downstairs), and the apartment on the other half of my floor has tenants moving as they discovered 10+ code/health violations. Our municipality requires occupancy permits, and i have a full, unconditional permit.
From their list of concerns the one that bothers me the most is black mold in their apartment. It is on an interior wall near the kitchen in which there is ductwork but no plumbing fixtures, they bleach it each time but you can see the spots. It is also on our shared wall, which has no plumbing in it but again ductwork (individual systems), although i do not see any mold on my side. They say that the mold is more visible when they have been gone multiple days.
Yesterday in trying to talk to the landlord about the issues he claimed no one else has complained about him and hung up on her. He has also been badmouthing them to potential landlords.
Thanks in advance for your help!
James Conley answers:
Go to landlord’s tenant law i believe he can’t he can and he would have to pay
The landlord must provide and maintain the rental property, and must obey the rules of the rental agreement. The landlord (or his/her representative) must be accessible to the tenant and must:
keep the premises up to code;
maintain the roof, walls and structural components;
keep common areas reasonably clean and safe;
provide a reasonable program for control of pests;
provide necessary facilities to supply heat, electricity, and hot and cold water;
provide reasonably adequate locks;
maintain appliances furnished with the rental unit; and
comply with any duties imposed by local laws.
The landlord may not knowingly rent property that is condemned. If a landlord fails to perform his or her duties, three types of remedies may be available to the tenant:
The right to terminate the rental agreement and move out after giving written notice to the landlord.
The right to initiate litigation or arbitration proceedings.
The right to make limited repairs and deduct their cost from the rent.
In general, before exercising any of the Landlord-Tenant Act’s remedies, the tenant: (1) must be current in rent payments, and (2) must give the landlord written notice of the defective condition.
Upkeep and Repairs
The landlord must maintain the premises in compliance with specific building codes and local ordinances; common areas must be kept clean and safe; facilities and appliances must be in reasonably good working order. Damage caused by weather, acts of God (such as earthquake, accident), or damage caused by unknown third parties are generally the responsibility of the landlord.
A tenant has certain responsibilities to keep the unit clean and safe, and may not deliberately or negligently destroy, damage or remove any part of the premises and must notify the landlord (in writing) when major repairs are needed.
Once notified of a defective condition and unless circumstances are beyond the landlord’s control, the landlord has a certain amount of time to make repairs:
24 hours to restore lost heat or water or remedy a condition that is imminently hazardous to life;
24 hours to provide hot or cold water, heat or electricity;
72 hours to repair major plumbing fixtures and, if supplied by the landlord, the refrigerator, range and oven;
not more than 10 days for other repairs
Mandy asks…
Where can I buy a new coil for my electric stove?
Me and my roommates leave a radio in the kitchen because we like to listen to it while we cook and clean. One of us placed it on the back burner for some reason and it got melted to the electric coil. There was no way we could salvage it so we had to throw it away. Is there anyplace I can buy a new one?
James Conley answers:
Lol! Silly! Call sears parts or home depot or anybody that carries stove electric heating coils. Call the first appliance repair place you see in the phone book. They go out all the time with or without a radio.
You’ll need the info for the stove to get the right part. Make/model/etc.if you don’t have the owners manual, you’ll probably have to get under the cabinents and find a name plate on the bottom of the cook top.
Thomas asks…
How do you find/install a replacement over-stove kitchen exhaust fan?
Are is making funny noises and dying. The hood is labeled with the brand Nautilus. But I’m not sure how to tell what the model is. This range is over 10 years old, so not sure what the match it up with a replacement model.
It looks fairly straightforward to replace, but any tips in that area would be great!
James Conley answers:
Answer coming up as fast as I can type…
REPLCEMENT KITCHEN HOODS:
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www.captiveaire.com
Kitchen Range Hoods
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Www.futurofuturo.com
800-APPLIANCE-San Diego
Free service call with any repair Satisfaction guarantee or don’t pay
800appliance.com
Low Rate Appliance Repair
Free service call with repair. Over 20 years experience.
Www.lowratesappliancerepair.com
HOW TO CLEAN AND REPAIR A KITCHEN RANGE HOOD:
A range hood that doesn’t adequately remove smoke and smells from your kitchen is usually suffering from one of a few common problems: The grease filter or some part of the exhaust ductwork may be clogged, or the fan may be bad. Neither of these repairs should take you much time.
Overall Things You’ll Need:
Plumber’s Snake
Ammonia
Soap
Replacement Fan
Screwdriver, or nut driver and socket
Old Toothbrush
Heavy Rag
Plastic Pan
Unclogging the exhaust system:
Instructions:
STEP 1: Remove the grease filter by sliding it out of its clips.
STEP 2: Submerge the filter in a plastic pan filled with hot, soapy water and 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) ammonia. Let it soak for at least 15 minutes. If it’s still dirty, soak it again, then rinse it thoroughly and set it aside to dry.
STEP 3: Remove the exhaust fan. Unplug the fan, then use a screwdriver or a nut driver and socket to take out the screws that attach it to the hood.
STEP 4: Clean the fan blades with an old toothbrush dipped into the ammonia-water mixture (see Warning).
STEP 5: Clean the inside of the exhaust ductwork, using a plumber’s snake with a heavy rag tied around the end. Push the snake through the ductwork. Soak the rag in the ammonia and water mixture, then run it through the ductwork. Rinse out the rag and repeat the operation until the duct appears to be clean.
STEP 6: Clean the exhaust hood that’s attached to the outside of your house. Use the old toothbrush and the ammonia-water mixture to loosen the grit and grime around the flapper plate. Make sure the plate moves freely when you’re done. If it sticks closed, it can prevent the exhaust hood from working.
STEP 7: Reinstall the grease filter.
REPLACING THE FAN MOTOR:
Instructions:
STEP 1: Remove the grease filter by sliding it out of its clips.
STEP 2: Turn on the fan and inspect the motor. It needs to be replaced if it hums rather than turns, turns very slowly, runs for a short time then stalls, or feels very hot and won’t turn.
STEP 3: Disconnect and remove the fan, following step 3, above.
STEP 4: Take the fan to an appliance store to get an exact replacement.
STEP 5: Install the new fan.
OVERALL TIPS AND WARNINGS:
Never put a grease filter in your dishwasher to clean it. You could end up with a film of hard-to-remove grease on the dishwasher walls.
Clean your grease filter monthly. It’s your first line of defense against grease and grime that can damage the fan motor and plug the ductwork.
When cleaning the blades on the exhaust fan, take care not to wet the motor. The water could short-circuit the motor when you reinstall it.
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