AVVO ANSWER: Tenant wants to sue landlord after house is condemned as unfit for human habitation.

No. 1,411

Notice to Quit must Be in writing and hand-delivered; but may be waived in the lease.

No. 1,410

Noisy Neighbor? Consider Moving.

No. 1,407 Here’s an AVVO Answer Question I answered today. The noisy neighbor problem is a common one in apartment buildings and is especially vexatious when the Landlord will do nothing about it. In some communities, the Landlord has an incentive to evict a noisy tenant because the municipality will charge the owner ( landlord) […]

The Executor or Administrator of the Estate of a residential tenant may terminate the lease early.

No. 1,404 The Landlord and Tenant Act was amended in 2011 to give the executor or administrator of a deceased tenant who was the sole resident of a residential unit the right to terminate the lease upon 14 days’ written notice to the landlord. The termination will be effective on the last day of the […]

ZONING: Can a zoned single family residence be rented for short-term occupancy?

No. 1,380 SLICE OF LIFE, LLC v. HAMILTON TOWNSHIP ZHB, 164 A.3d 633 (2017) The Township Zoning Officer issued an enforcement notice charging Slice of Life, LLC with violation of an ordinance creating a single family residential district where the property [Property] was located by “[u]se of [the Property] as Hotel and/or other types of transient […]

Qualified Tenant Cannot Be Rejected under Seattle City Ordinance.

No. 1,379 The City of Seattle has adopted an ordinance requiring a landlord to accept the first qualified applicant. The idea is to screen out all housing discrimination, including unconscious bias. Of course, we can all think of reasons for rejecting a prospective tenant that are hard to quantify, like a bad attitude. No matter […]

A dialogue: Does a Broken Toilet Seat Not Replaced by Landlord in a Month Create an Uninhabitable Condition?

No. 1,362 Here’s a question that appeared the other day in the AVVO forum where landlords and tenants pose questions to lawyers. Attorney Leslie Margolis and I answered the question at about the same time and we then traded comments. Unfortunately, I don’t have my comments available to reprint, but hers are better anyway. Consider […]

When Should a Court Award Treble Damages Under UTPCPL?

No. 1,362 E.S. MANAGEMENT v. GAO et al., 2017 PA Super 362 (November 15, 2017 A group of students, all citizens of China, were searching for housing for the 2014-2015 school year at Carnegie Mellon University. While still overseas, they asked a friend to look at an apartment being advertised by E. S. Management. E. […]

What Does It Mean to “Attorn”?

No. 1,353 Not what you think. Its not what attorneys do. It is usually what tenants of commercial property do — acknowledge the new owner as landlord or the mortgage holder as having rights that precede the lease. Its a verb, used as follows: “Lessee hereby agrees to attorn to subsequent purchasers of the leased […]

LANDLORDS: HOW NOT TO FIX A ROOF AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES.

No. 1,349 NEXUS REAL ESTATE, LLC v. ERICKSON, 1217 Pa. Super 180 (2017) Just before his lease was about to renew, a two-by-two portion of the ceiling fell into the bath tub of John Erickson’s apartment. He called his landlord and learned that the building had been sold. So the information was relayed to a […]

« go back — keep looking »

Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

1410 Posts and Counting