# Apartment issues



## Dubandit (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi all

Don't come on here often but looking for some advice. Been in our apartment for over 6 months now. The bath has a jacquzzi built in which hasn't worked since we've been here.

The landlord had the broken pump removed pretty quickly but has not had it replaced in all this time leaving us without a bath and an ugly smashed up surround. I've been in constant contact with LL to get this sorted but she claims the pump is discontinued and there are no others that would fit. She also refuses to have a new bath installed due to cost.

Apart from shouting at her on the phone (she lives in the UK) what else can I do? If we leave she'll have to have it sorted in order to re-rent. We have a seperate shower but for 6 months without a bath plus the jaquzzi, which was a selling point, I'm not getting my rental value. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Dubandit said:


> She also refuses to have a new bath installed due to cost.


Dubai in a nutshell.



Dubandit said:


> If we leave she'll have to have it sorted in order to re-rent.


No, she'll tell the next poor sucker that she's waiting on the part to be delivered and it'll be installed as soon as it arrives until she gets the rent cheque. 



Dubandit said:


> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


You're not going to get the matter successfully concluded, just applaud her for her wise vision and excellent business skills and move on with your life.


----------



## Mr Rossi (May 16, 2009)

Gavtek, stop being so negative the OP can.... can.... oh, I don't know.

Maybe one of the Dubai happy clappers can answer this thread.


----------



## Felixtoo2 (Jan 16, 2009)

Plan on removing something of more value than your deposit as you may not see that again either by the sound of it.


----------



## wandabug (Apr 22, 2010)

Have you asked Facilities Management in the building how much it would cost to replace the pump?
How old is the building? It may be covered under snagging?


----------



## Dubandit (Oct 31, 2011)

Why can I not see the responses to this in a thread like I can for any others? If I do it through the email link it just keeps refreshing and never stays open long enough to read it. Now I remember why I don't come on here often.


----------



## Dubandit (Oct 31, 2011)

wandabug said:


> Have you asked Facilities Management in the building how much it would cost to replace the pump?
> How old is the building? It may be covered under snagging?


It's about 5 years old but could be worth a shot as at least they may be able to trace to the original suppliers.


----------



## Dubandit (Oct 31, 2011)

Felixtoo2 said:


> Plan on removing something of more value than your deposit as you may not see that again either by the sound of it.


You're probably not wrong there, as an unfurnished place though not much to take apart from a fully functioning jacquzzi bat... oh wait, how are you at removing work surfaces?


----------



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Dubandit said:


> Why can I not see the responses to this in a thread like I can for any others? If I do it through the email link it just keeps refreshing and never stays open long enough to read it. Now I remember why I don't come on here often.




I think you will find that is not a problem with the forum but probably at your end.. I always use the email link and never have any problems..


----------



## twob_1982 (Aug 21, 2012)

I would have the work undertaken yourself, at your cost, provide the Landlord with the details of the cost both beforehand and after, and then set off the amount you paid against the next year rent. Additionally, if you vacate at the end of the term, you can hold over for the value of this amount, plus the security deposit


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Dubandit said:


> Why can I not see the responses to this in a thread like I can for any others? If I do it through the email link it just keeps refreshing and never stays open long enough to read it. Now I remember why I don't come on here often.


 
Do you have a bb? Have had that issue the last few months. Given up reading the forum on it. No problems WITH ANY other forum... no idea why this one does it.


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

twob_1982 said:


> I would have the work undertaken yourself, at your cost, provide the Landlord with the details of the cost both beforehand and after, and then set off the amount you paid against the next year rent. Additionally, if you vacate at the end of the term, you can hold over for the value of this amount, plus the security deposit


Things dont work like that here. If you signed a contract to pay x, you have to pay x. You cant withhold an amount because you had to fix something.  Will wind up getting the op in trouble if they try to do that. They can choose to fit it themselves, to live with it, and then REMOVE things from the apartment to make up for it and the deposit she/he probly isnt going to get back, but not paying isnt an option.


----------



## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

Technically, removing stuff in lieu of the security deposit, would also land you in trouble. While I understand the sentiment and reasoning, remember unfortunately this is a landlord-heavy market, the rules are in their favor and these kind of things would get messy. Just do a stop-payment on the check you gave for the security deposit, that would be the most efficient and least messy option.


----------



## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

You can not do a stop payment on a check here, once you have given it. Banks will almost never issue the stop payment, unless there is police involved and fraud.


----------



## Lita_Rulez (Nov 4, 2010)

Dubandit said:


> Hi all
> Apart from shouting at her on the phone (she lives in the UK) what else can I do? If we leave she'll have to have it sorted in order to re-rent. We have a seperate shower but for 6 months without a bath plus the jaquzzi, which was a selling point, I'm not getting my rental value.
> 
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated.




You are from the UK. She is from (and in, if I understand correctly) the UK. Around here, it actually can be a good thing to deal with someone abroad rather than a local on these issues.

There are 2 ways to look at it.

A. She is actually honest, and is willing to do the job, but is being told by whoever is managing the apartment (or dealing with the "after sales") for her here that all she can do is wait for a new pump to become available.
Ask her what price she is willing to pay for fixing it, and as you are on site, offer to get it done yourself for this price. If it is a little more, it'll be out of your pocket, but it will get done, and everyone comes out of it a winner.

B. She is a crook, and is just yanking your chain. Things then become less of a nicety, and more of a nuisance business. I would get as much paper accumulated as possible against her, and kindly remind her that there are several ways you can get her in trouble, both here and back home. 

- Here, despite all what other posters can say about it being a "landlord heavy" market, it is an expat heavy market as well. And when people want to rent, most of them do try and get information about the place. You may not be able to prevent her from renting the place ever again, but with word of mouth, social networking sites and sites like dubizzle, it is not that hard to give a bad reputation to a building or a Landlord, and make it much harder for them to rent the place quickly and/or at the rate they expect. They will always find someone in the end, but if you cost them 2 or 3 months, a discount on their expected return on investment, and a less favorable cash flow, instead of a meaningless phone call twice a month, it may not be worth the hassle for them anymore.
They also need to understand the their asset's worth is conditioned by how you use and maintain it on an everyday basis. A security deposit only goes so far in getting the place ready for renting again...

- Back home, well, I don't know how lenient a court would be to entertain a lawsuit for refusing to fulfill the landlords duty towards another British citizen if it is in another country, but even if it does not go the distance, it is still a nuisance to have a lawsuit filled against you for future business. And again, the cost of it may end up being a month or two of the rent...
You also never know, with this kind of foreign investor into a tax free place like Dubai, exactly how they declare this portion of their revenue to their tax department. Having a Lawsuit filed for not upholding the standards of their rented apartment might be a bad idea for someone who is getting the money from said rental on, say a Jersey account...


I'd personally go the nice route first, and try to get it solved amicably by doing more then my share here. But in the end, the extra energy can be spent making things better for every one, or worst for them. They just need to understand that you'll be putting in the extra energy, one way or the other.


----------



## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

True, expats (the customers in this scenario) are 'heavy' in their own sense, as you pointed out (Word of mouth etc..). The 'landlord-heavy' part comes in when going into legal recourse kind of situations, which the context I mentioned that in. 

*Just wanted to clarify my point.


----------

