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Hello. I hope someone can help me and my family on this. I am just a regular worker and have no finances to hire a lawyer. But our landlord who owns the apartment we are currently residing in is famous for hauling tenants to the barangay as apparently he has connections there. I don't want to be bullied yet I don't have the means to do so.
This is our case. We are now on our 22th month in his apartment. A week ago, we decided to transfer to a bigger room as our previous unit was directly against the sun and was very exposed to pollution. We transferred and our old room was repainted and some non-working pipe heads were replaced. Since the new room was bigger and had a higher monthly rate, we added money to our "one-month advance, two-month-deposit payment". Just today, the owner gave us a bill which he said was payment for the labor and maintenance of the old room. We were shocked with the amount as it was in double digits
. What we know is that only the replacement of broken fixtures would be shouldered by us. Painting and labor was the responsibility of the owner. Worse, the pipe faucets he purchased among other bathroom fixtures for replacement were the most expensive ones when in fact what we used when we were in that old room were the cheapest. Here's now my problem. I would like to insist on my right to not pay for what is not supposed to be our responsibility- the painting, labor, and the outrageous prices of the pipe faucets. Furthermore, we will be leaving the apartment in June or when we reach our 2nd year. Our contract which, for starters, is crafted on unequal grounds tells that the two-month deposit will be returned in the final month of the year or by June. However, the landlord is tricky and is said to not return the amount months after until after every inch of damage is well-compensated for. I plan to not pay for our rent this May (1st week)and use up one of our month deposits. By June, we would still have a full month's deposit. I plan to use this as a leverage should the landlord still insists on us paying for the repairs and repainting of our old room. Actually a tenant did that. Two months before the expiration of his contract, he did not pay and often had heated arguments with the landlord. But he left without paying for the last two months. May I know if we have a legal chance to resist what I term as avarice of the landlord? Can I use up my two-month deposit in advance even if the contract says that it will be returned to me after the completion of the 1-year contract? Is a contract- even if patently unjust- legally enforceable at all times? My wife is worried since the landlord is known to have friends in places. But what little we have I am saving for the education of our daughters, one who is entering preparatory school this June and the other having some form of ADHD. Can you please advice us? Thanks.
This is our case. We are now on our 22th month in his apartment. A week ago, we decided to transfer to a bigger room as our previous unit was directly against the sun and was very exposed to pollution. We transferred and our old room was repainted and some non-working pipe heads were replaced. Since the new room was bigger and had a higher monthly rate, we added money to our "one-month advance, two-month-deposit payment". Just today, the owner gave us a bill which he said was payment for the labor and maintenance of the old room. We were shocked with the amount as it was in double digits
. What we know is that only the replacement of broken fixtures would be shouldered by us. Painting and labor was the responsibility of the owner. Worse, the pipe faucets he purchased among other bathroom fixtures for replacement were the most expensive ones when in fact what we used when we were in that old room were the cheapest. Here's now my problem. I would like to insist on my right to not pay for what is not supposed to be our responsibility- the painting, labor, and the outrageous prices of the pipe faucets. Furthermore, we will be leaving the apartment in June or when we reach our 2nd year. Our contract which, for starters, is crafted on unequal grounds tells that the two-month deposit will be returned in the final month of the year or by June. However, the landlord is tricky and is said to not return the amount months after until after every inch of damage is well-compensated for. I plan to not pay for our rent this May (1st week)and use up one of our month deposits. By June, we would still have a full month's deposit. I plan to use this as a leverage should the landlord still insists on us paying for the repairs and repainting of our old room. Actually a tenant did that. Two months before the expiration of his contract, he did not pay and often had heated arguments with the landlord. But he left without paying for the last two months. May I know if we have a legal chance to resist what I term as avarice of the landlord? Can I use up my two-month deposit in advance even if the contract says that it will be returned to me after the completion of the 1-year contract? Is a contract- even if patently unjust- legally enforceable at all times? My wife is worried since the landlord is known to have friends in places. But what little we have I am saving for the education of our daughters, one who is entering preparatory school this June and the other having some form of ADHD. Can you please advice us? Thanks.
