Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

Did you have a lease? or did you just pay the rent, month to month without a lease agreement...
and did you pay a deposit?
TIA!

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

Yes I did and I did have a lease. I paid first and last month's rent when I moved it. The good thing about it was that it was inclusive of utilites and electric since it wasn't exactly a legal apartment.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

I had a lease and I put down a security deposit.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

I lived in one for about a year and a half. No lease, paid month to month. don't remember about a deposit.

ultilites included. not a legal apartment....

Message edited 3/16/2006 12:42:24 PM.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

We had a month to month agreement and I had to pay one months rent for a security deposit.
We lived there for 3 years.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

No lease, or security deposit, but I knew the people I was renting from, so my situation was probably different.

One thing I would definitely ask if I were renting from a stranger though, is about access to your apt. In my case, the circuit breakers, hot water heater and furnace were in the basement, as was the water meter (as they are in most houses with basements.) I would ask about the procedure for them having access - will they give you notice for non-emergency things? I ended up reading the water meter myself and sending in the card- it ended up being easier for all of us.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

I had two basement apts. One I can't remember if there was a lease...technically it really doesn't matter whether there is one or not...it's an illegal apt.
The other there was no lease and I paid month to month.
I paid a deposit on both.

Message edited 3/16/2006 12:47:15 PM.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

If the apartment isn't legal I don't think a lease is enforcable... so it doesn't really matter??

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

FH lived in one when we meet. He was paying $450 a month plus $40 toward the electric, so a total of $490 a month. He got the apartment through a real estate and it was never said that it ws an illegal but in FHs mind he always knew. Well turns out that the landlord was reported and he had to through FH out. FH went to a lawyer and he got 6 months back rent and he had paid the agent $900 in fees and he got that back also.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

We did not have a lease. We paid one month in security.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

I had a lease and also paid a deposit. The lease though was a month to month thing, I had to give 30 days notice when I left.

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

I had always heard that tenants are protected by landlord tenant law even in illegal apts just not the landlord

Re: Anyone that has lived in a basement apartment..

we paid month to month, but signed a renters agreement.

we gave 1 month security deposit, which we used as our lasts months rent when we moved out.

they paid for heat and hot water, we paid electric.