Postby StevieB » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:01 pm
I'm so glad I found this site! I actually found this forum discussion in a search result when I was looking for something else (can't remember what now).
I'm a Canadian missionary living in Surquillo, just on the border of Miraflores. Anyway, I've been here for over 9 months now, living in the same place the whole time. I rent a huge fully furnished room in a house here, and pay $290/month for it. It includes, TV, cable, internet, my own bathroom, hot water (I've learned that's a luxury here, eh?) and share a kitchen with other people renting out the other dorm-style rooms.
That being said, I'm concerned the landlady will try keeping my deposit b/c that is exactly what she's done (or in some cases tried to do) with other people who lived here and have left since I've been here.
Case in point, an American was living here for a total of one year going to University, and left a number of months ago. Right before leaving, he went through the room with the landlady's mother (it's a couple of sisters and their mother who live downstairs and own this house). She came up with some random bullcrap for why he couldn't get the deposit back. Point of fact, she didn't even come upstairs WITH any money to give back to him, I suspect because she didn't intend on giving it to him.
So the reason? They allegedly now need to replace his mattress because he's worn it out [by sleeping on it for a whole year]. He fought and fought, but like I said, she didn't even come upstairs with any money to give back to him. Before leaving to catch his flight home, he barged into my room to warn me what had just happened, telling me they'd probably do the same thing to me, so be warned. So every time new tenants move in, I warn them too--telling them they will need to fight for their deposit back.
I'm concerned she'll try this on me b/c I am not planning on leaving any time soon--I live about 15 minutes walk from Park Kennedy, my neighborhood is relatively safe, I like this area, don't feel the rent is too high for what I'm getting, etc...But they've put a for sale sign up and are seeing what people will offer and plan on selling in the next year (lots of high rises are going up on our street, so I imagine someone will buy it, tear it down and build another), so frankly, I probably will have to leave when they sell the place, not because I decided to bolt.
What should I do in anticipation of the likelihood they'll try keeping my $250 deposit as well? This mattress thing is the stupidest thing I've ever heard--besides the fact she thinks the internet router needs to be turned off for 4 hours/day in order to "cool down' and not overheat. I couldn't find anything online about Peruvians dying from explosions of internet routers, but she insists Telefonica told her this is necessary. In fact, I've researched, asked friends in that field, asked other Peruvians if they've heard you need to turn off routers for 4 hours/day, and they insist that's weird also. In fact, it's harmful to constantly turn them of but anyway, she thinks we can't be trusted b/c it keeps getting left on (imagine that--just like they're supposed to!) and so now, her or the mother set their alarm for 1:30am or 2am and come upstairs to turn it off themselves. *sigh*
I've tried reasoning with her about the router that the constant resetting is actually harming it, not helping it, but it was to no avail and I'll never get that 45 minutes of my life back. (I told her she doesn't unplug a refrigerator for 4 hours a day so it will cool off and rest, etc...logic, and humor, nothing worked...)
Anyway, THIS is the type of family I'm dealing with. They don't seem to be reasoned with so besides prayer, I don't know what I'll need to do to get that deposit back when the time comes.
Any thoughts? Do I need to prepare to make any threats (like to take the TV if they won't give me the money) or threaten to go to the SUNAT or what recourse might I have in this situation if, as I suspect, they'll keep the deposit?
Thanks for the help, this site is a great idea!
Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.