Apartment Maintenance Issues

I have lived in my apartment since 2013.   There is a serious need to replace the worn-out carpet, paint and fix other minor issues.

Management is balking.  The current manager went on a 3-month medical leave.   There is an acting manager that has worked here for a few months.  Maintenance staff used to be great.   The last two years has watched service quality plummet.  Talking is not getting it so far.

I have mad skillz with scorched-earth conflict resolution.  That often gets the physical results I am seeking at the cost of relationships.  At this point, I am not sure I have much to lose.

Last week, maintenance fixed two bolts holding my toilet to the floor.  They also smeared feces on the wall, toilet tank lid and a few spots on the floor.   I have had that repair done before—never with such messy results.  My roommate is trying to get the wire racks in her closet fixed.   The waist-high rack is missing and the upper rack bracket tore out of the sheetrock.  Maintenance put a tiny screw in the sheetrock next to an existing gaping hole and left a note on scratch paper threatening to charge us if it ever breaks again.   Cobwebs could break that “repair”.

This afternoon, I wrote an email to the acting manager including photos of the note and closet workmanship.  I left the address blank so I would not accidentally send it.  I shared the email with my roommate and edited it again tonight.   I will read it again tomorrow and then send it off.

This is the second email asking for a repair plan of action.  The first email resulted in an inspection letting me know the carpeting needs work and they will get back to me with a plan.

Most people would move to a new apartment.  This one works really well for me and my wheelchair with flat level ground between the door, car and trash.  There are few places in this price range and location that have that feature.  I would prefer to not live in a place with an elevator.  All too often, broken elevators have either trapped me or blocked me out.

I am going to stay here.  I just signed another  year long lease starting in May.

I will be living in a place with nicer paint and carpeting.

I am grateful to have advocacy skills and options in my life today to deal with my esthetic problems of deferred maintenance.  None of these issues deal with functionality—that part works greats.