Want things fixed, but not by landlord
[US-HI]
TL;DR at bottom.
Earlier this year my family moved into an apartment. It is in an older building (1960s~) and was purchased by my landlord in 2005. All of the work inside has been done since the time of his purchase. My issue is that since moving in, it has become apparent that this place is a landlord special.
Some examples are:
•He used masonry screws to affix flooring thresholds so they stuck out and were a hazard. I have since replaced those myself.
•He didn’t prep surfaces for latex paint so the paint has completely peeled off the walls in the primary bathroom and is peeling off of the kitchen cabinets.
•There are patches of paint over wall repairs that are not the same finish so they’re super noticeable.
•He wired the bedroom lighting and once I could see behind it, it looks super janky.
•The bathroom door came off its hinges and I discovered that the screw holes were stripped and it was being held on by a folded up piece of packaging cardboard.
•The sink faucets in the kitchen and secondary bathroom are corroded and need replacing.
•The shower seal stripping and caulking in both bathrooms is corroded and needs replacing.
•The secondary bathroom shower handle fell off of the wall.
•The temperature controls in both bathrooms are fucky. (For those last two reasons we believe he did the plumbing himself and we aren’t currently using the secondary shower at all.)
I could go on, but you get it. I’m sure the longer we live here the more we’ll see under the surface.
All that said, we otherwise love the place. The location, both in the city and in the building itself are perfect, the school district and proximity are perfect, the number of rooms and layout suite us well, and the views are stunning. My husband and I have discussed asking to buy once my husband’s latest work contract gets renewed. Even if we aren’t able to purchase the unit, we’d like to stay here long term.
My question is: how can I best approach my landlord about having these things repaired or redone properly, but not by him. Some of these absolutely need to be done for safety reasons, but I fear that we risk either informing him and he does it poorly himself, or we hire professionals ourselves and eat the costs, as well as any liabilities that stem from that.
I would be happy with a professional, but I am quite handy and am a stay at home mom with time on my hands once my 4-year-old starts school next week, so I’d be more than comfortable doing non-plumbing/electrical things myself. Again, though, I wouldn’t want the costs or liability of doing anything without his permission and him at least paying or discounting rent towards the costs of materials.
I would also add that he hasn’t followed through some of these things when we brought them to his attention earlier in our move-in process, so there is a chance that even if we informed him, nothing would be done anyway.
I don’t know if it’s relevant, but he is also on the HOA board for the apartment building.
How would you approach this?
Relevant parts of the lease:
Alterations. TENANT will not: (a) change, add to, or paint the Unit; (b) bore or make holes by drilling, nailing, or fastening any item to the Unit through use of nails, screws, adhesives, or like items without LANDLORD'S prior written consent. In accordance with federal and state laws, if TENANT has a disability, TENANT is permitted to make reasonable modifications to the Unit, at TENANT'S expense, if such modifications are necessary to enable TENANT to use and enjoy the Unit; provided, however, that TENANT submits a request for the modification to LANDLORD for approval. TENANT'S request shall state, with specificity and in detail, the nature of the modification, and TENANT'S reason for needing to make such a modification. LANDLORD shall not unreasonably withhold or delay LANDLORD'S consent to TENANT'S request.
It may also be necessary to seek the approval of applicable homeowner's associations and/or condominium association AOAOs. Upon the termination of this Rental Agreement, TENANT is required to return the Unit to its original condition at no cost or expense to LANDLORD.
Maintenance. TENANT agrees to maintain and properly use and operate all electrical, gas, plumbing and other fixtures and appliances supplied. TENANT is responsible for ordinary maintenance, including replacing light bulbs, air conditioning filters, and if applicable, lawn or yard care. TENANT is responsible for the repair of any stoppage in plumbing fixtures or lines, and any damage caused by TENANT, members of TENANT'S family, guests or others. TENANT shall replace batteries in the smoke alarms as needed. Smoke alarms are to be kept in working order at ALL times. Should any smoke alarms) become defective TENANT must notify LANDLORD IMMEDIATELY.
Defects. If TENANT notices any defects in the Unit which are NOT TENANT'S duty to fix, TENANT must notify LANDLORD mmediately upon discovery of defect. Any damage caused by TENANT'S failure to report any defect is TENANT'S financial responsibility.