Realtors are showing my apartment...

2

Replies

  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I guess I'm the only one that doesn't understand why they are showing YOUR apartment, you have a lease right? So they will not be renting your apt, right? So why are you obligated to allow strangers into your HOME? I've never heard of this.

    It's normal in the last 30 days of the lease (I'm a PA in a real estate firm and I'm the person who has to try to run down the tenant to give notice). I'm not sure why they're already showing it if OP has 3 months left, unless there's generally a very long wait for apartments in her area.
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    I guess I'm the only one that doesn't understand why they are showing YOUR apartment, you have a lease right? So they will not be renting your apt, right? So why are you obligated to allow strangers into your HOME? I've never heard of this.

    I did not re-sign my lease and the market here is very competitive/impacted. It is not unusual for apartments to be shown a month or two in advance of a new lease being signed. They typically give me 24 hours notice, so I am hoping to use this to my advantage and come up with fun/harmless pranks.
  • laurabeth326
    laurabeth326 Posts: 124 Member
    Ask them if they're as excited for Allston Christmas as you are? (I assume that's when you're moving out?) Maybe get in the spirit by having your sidewalk junk ready in a corner...covered in tinsel? Trashy Santa hat? Or dress as Allston Santa...

    [side note: Last year I saw a lion shaped coffee table!]
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Perhaps my profession is clouding my sense of humor in this case, but why are you trying to create awkward situations for realtors/potential tenants, OP?
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I guess I'm the only one that doesn't understand why they are showing YOUR apartment, you have a lease right? So they will not be renting your apt, right? So why are you obligated to allow strangers into your HOME? I've never heard of this.

    It's normal in the last 30 days of the lease (I'm a PA in a real estate firm and I'm the person who has to try to run down the tenant to give notice). I'm not sure why they're already showing it if OP has 3 months left, unless there's generally a very long wait for apartments in her area.

    In my area, you have to give 90 days notice that you're leaving, and the owner can start showing the apartment as soon as you give notice, so yeah... you could be dealing with this nonsense for 3 months.
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    Perhaps my profession is clouding my sense of humor in this case, but why are you trying to create awkward situations for realtors/potential tenants, OP?

    Mostly so they have something fun to talk about. Keep in mind, I want these to be awkward/harmless. Also, living in Allston, I am sure people run into alllllll sorts of very crazy stuff. I want mine to be a light-hearted, fun kind of crazy.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I guess I'm the only one that doesn't understand why they are showing YOUR apartment, you have a lease right? So they will not be renting your apt, right? So why are you obligated to allow strangers into your HOME? I've never heard of this.

    It's normal in the last 30 days of the lease (I'm a PA in a real estate firm and I'm the person who has to try to run down the tenant to give notice). I'm not sure why they're already showing it if OP has 3 months left, unless there's generally a very long wait for apartments in her area.

    In my area, you have to give 90 days notice that you're leaving, and the owner can start showing the apartment as soon as you give notice, so yeah... you could be dealing with this nonsense for 3 months.

    Ah I see. Well, here the rental market moves so fast it'd be pointless to go longer. Most properties stay on the market for 2-3 days.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I guess I'm the only one that doesn't understand why they are showing YOUR apartment, you have a lease right? So they will not be renting your apt, right? So why are you obligated to allow strangers into your HOME? I've never heard of this.

    I did not re-sign my lease and the market here is very competitive/impacted. It is not unusual for apartments to be shown a month or two in advance of a new lease being signed. They typically give me 24 hours notice, so I am hoping to use this to my advantage and come up with fun/harmless pranks.

    Question: If your prank is not viewed as harmless or otherwise can be proven to dissuade the perspective renter from signing the lease to rent could you be held responsible for that problem to the leasor? I don't get this situation at all. Am I the only one who is totally confused by this practice?
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    Yes, @AllonsYtotheTardis it will be happening for the next 90 days.. That is, of course, unless somebody is so blown away by the fun they discover that they cannot pass my apartment up and a new lease is signed before I am out.
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    I'm gonna go ahead and leave this thread b/c I don't understand this at all. It's such a foreign concept that I can't even play. Have fun, usually i'd love this kind of thing but without really getting it my suggestions would likely be way overboard.
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    Question: If your prank is not viewed as harmless or otherwise can be proven to dissuade the perspective renter from signing the lease to rent could you be held responsible for that problem to the leasor? I don't get this situation at all. Am I the only one who is totally confused by this practice?

    I do not remember reading about that in the lease paperwork I signed but it is a possibility. That's why I am hoping to keep these light and readily identifiable as jokes :)
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    Ask them if they're as excited for Allston Christmas as you are? (I assume that's when you're moving out?) Maybe get in the spirit by having your sidewalk junk ready in a corner...covered in tinsel? Trashy Santa hat? Or dress as Allston Santa...

    [side note: Last year I saw a lion shaped coffee table!]

    A lion-shaped coffee table?! Dreams really do come true... And actually, this is coinciding with Allston new-year. Perhaps I could rig a disco ball up to look like the new-year's ball, knock it over, claim the ball has dropped and blast confetti/streamers everywhere. I might even offer some celebratory champagne!
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    Question: If your prank is not viewed as harmless or otherwise can be proven to dissuade the perspective renter from signing the lease to rent could you be held responsible for that problem to the leasor? I don't get this situation at all. Am I the only one who is totally confused by this practice?

    I do not remember reading about that in the lease paperwork I signed but it is a possibility. That's why I am hoping to keep these light and readily identifiable as jokes :)

    I would definitely try the goldfish cracker in the baggy then. It's completely harmless, and quite funny. Even better if you can find a way to overhear their reactions once they leave.
  • mmuscolo
    mmuscolo Posts: 15 Member
    Update:

    I used the 'If you see a bunch of guns on the floor, they're not mine' line yesterday.

    I got home today to find an 'emergency notice' from my rental company on my living room floor stating they had to come in and fix a gas leak on my stove. I didn't report a gas leak... and I live alone.

    I wonder if the realtor contacted them and asked 'em to come check out my apartment to ensure that the floor wasn't covered in guns before showing it to potential renters. Of course, there were no guns, but I wonder if I can expect similar results with each of these prank/jokes?

    Will have to update this thread with further results and reactions :)
  • melb_alex
    melb_alex Posts: 1,154 Member
    haha gullible realtors

    Another non harmless prank would be to invite in as many cats as you possibly can :)
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    Question: If your prank is not viewed as harmless or otherwise can be proven to dissuade the perspective renter from signing the lease to rent could you be held responsible for that problem to the leasor? I don't get this situation at all. Am I the only one who is totally confused by this practice?

    I do not remember reading about that in the lease paperwork I signed but it is a possibility. That's why I am hoping to keep these light and readily identifiable as jokes :)

    while this may not be directly written out in the rules, they can still make it very painful for you your last couple of months, I understand this is an inconvience for you to have people in and out, but you knew that going in to the place, and you are messing with these peoples lively hood (not knowing them , maybe they deserve it, but .. )
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,939 Member
    Can you put your TV in a cupboard or something and print out a life size colour picture of a TV and stick it on the wall with all the chairs/couch facing it, like normal?
  • eplerd
    eplerd Posts: 91 Member
    Write "REDRUM" diagonally on the bathroom mirror in red lipstick at least three times!!
    (The Shining)
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Print pictures of different cats, and build mini shrines for each one, with a birth and death date for each. Maybe also a cause of death and "survived by eight kittens" or something.

    I don't really understand why you'd want to do this, but bear in mind that usually people don't play jokes on complete strangers so there's a high chance of it backfiring. Although if you just want to come across as a little bit odd/crazy, then I don't see how that's going to do anything other than make them think you're crazy. I wouldn't not move into an apartment just because the previous tenant was a bit odd....... one apartment I lived in the landlord had to replace all the doors after the tenants before us because they were all smashed in... as in "the Shining" kind of smashed in.... didn't really bother me.
  • Pipsg1rl
    Pipsg1rl Posts: 1,414 Member
    haha gullible realtors

    Another non harmless prank would be to invite in as many cats as you possibly can :)

    No way. Cats spray and you CANNOT get the smell out. OP still has to live in this apartment.

    I'm in to see what other ideas people come up with and if I were the person seeing the apartment I'd probably get a laugh out of some of these.

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