Apartment Advice in NH - Landlord

[Tackleberry41]

There are 2 sides to every story. Some say well just move, because that's always so simple. All the deposits, packing your stuff up, finding a new place, etc, etc. Always lots of fun.

As stated, they asked about a 'commercial' business, usually a no no in anyplace I have ever rented. And with people who dont reload, they just assume its dangerous. And local laws vary alot on gun powder or how its stored. So there may well be some little known law about it. The landlord was simply being a landlord. If your neighbor was running a ***** house or selling drugs, you would want it dealt with. Commercial reloading, is a business. Maybe its resolved, maybe they are anti gun, only time will tell.

And a decent landlord would ask about a strange person coming out of your apartment when they know you are not there. Had they ignored it and you came home and found stuff missing, you would be ticked they didn't ask. Now your ticked they did ask. Then your girlfriend says 'I live here' something the landlord knows is not true as she isnt on the lease. Any decent landlord would want to know what was going on, it is their building. For all they know your subletting the place to 15 people.

All you can do is see what the landlord says. Some people who have been doing it a long time, they get real tired of dealing with stuff, its easier to kick someone out than deal with it. Or they have to worry about the legal issues. Again, get rid of the problem vs deal with it. Maybe expalin things and they go okay and everybody goes on with their lives. I have had some pretty bad landlords, one wanted me to keep paying rent on a place with a gaping hole in my ceiling after it collapsed from a roof leak. Lost a bathroom, but still wanted full rent, yea I don't think so. I would imagine if you asked them I was being completely unreasonable.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

There are 2 sides to every story. Some say well just move, because that's always so simple.

I do not mean to disagree by shortening your excellent advice. But moving out of an apartment or a state is especially simple when they are just talking about someone else doing it.

[bedbugbilly]

Let me reply form a "different angle". Every state has different laws and I have no idea of what they are in NH.

I do not have residential rent property, but i do have commercial rental property so I will just make some comments.

Reloading in the apartment . . . .

I am assuming you have a lease or do you rent month to month? If you have a lease, what are the terms of the lease? Does it have any coverage concerning hazardous materials and storage in the apartment? While I agree that what a person does in the space they rent is their business, if it is legal . . . i.e. not running a brothel, not running a commercial operation out of a multi-family or residential zoned premise, etc. - if the owner's "agent" . . . and in this case I'm assuming the repairman would be acting as her agent - certainly would have the right to report something if he observed it during the performance of his duties such as entering the apartment following the terms of the lease to perform maintenance work. To put a more drastic angle on it . . . if he entered the apartment to perform maintenance and saw a dead body on the floor, which of course would be a questionable situation - would he not report it?

If you check your lease, if you have one, it probably also has a clause that the owner retains the right to come in and inspect the premises within the terms of the lease - usually within 24 hours notice. If the owner exercised that right - your reloading equipment - if sitting in the open would certainly be observed and probably questioned - especially by someone who was not familiar with reloading, guns, etc.

As an example - while it is commercial rental that I have - my lease clearly states that no hazardous materials shall be stored or on the premises at any time - this includes storing gas, etc. and it also states that no motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc. shall be stored or worked on in the building.. Why you might ask? Simple - I had a tenant put a car int he building and set the building on fire (i.e. arson) trying to make it look like the car backfired starting the fire - all because he wanted out of the lease. All to the tune of over $65,000.00 worth of damage. So . . . as the landlord .. . these are my terms and if the tenant cannot follow them - then go somewhere else and don't lease or if they decide to lease and then not follow the rules - that's what an eviction notice is for.

While I sympathize with you situation - it also sounds like both you and the landlord may have reacted in a manner that could have been improved upon. Yes, some landlords can be hard to deal with but so can some tenants. Think about how you reaction was to her questions - did your reply in a courteous manner or were you so offended that your "rights" were being trampled on that you replied in a defensive manner without first explaining that you were not running a commercial business and that you reloaded as a hobby? Did you explain that you are following the rules for the storage of the gunpowder that you use? And . . . have you personally bothered to check to see if there is any local ordinances that restricts reloading or the storage of "any" gunpowder in a multi-family facility?

As far as your girlfriend goes . . .

I'm sure that both of you are very nice folks and nobody likes to be hassled - and "hassle" may be too strong of a word. But again . . . what does your lease say? Is she living there or what is your interpretation of "living there". While certainly a tenant should be allowed to have "company" - but if it went before a judge to settle a dispute, their question would be "does she spend the night and if so, how many nights a week?" "Does she have clothes in the apartment and a tooth brush?" If the answers were yes and she was spending a number of nights there during the week, then the judge may determine that she was indeed "living there". But again, what does your lease stipulate? And . . while you may think your landlord is sticking their nose in to your business . . . the apartment was leased to "you" though and if I were working around an apartment that I owned and I observed someone coming out of it that was not the renter, I too would probably ask them who they were - but that can be done in a nice manner. If they answered that they were your girlfriend, then I would just make a note of it mentally or maybe even write a license number down in case it turned out that the individual was NOT your girlfriend and had no right to be in your apartment. Ask yourself this question this question . . . and yes, you state that you are a "private person" . . . but would you not rather have the landlord question someone coming out of your apartment that they knew was not the person to whom the apartment was rented to or would you rather they just ignore a person coming out of your apartment who may have entered unlawfully and was leaving with some of your possessions?

While you may not like my comments - and I make them only to point out that like a pancake, everything has "two sides" - you have to look at the landlord's position as well. Before you think that they are "anti" anything - they are running a business of having rental units and they not only have to look out for the other tenants, but work within the boundaries of what their insurance companies dictate and any local or state codes and ordinances as well.

Like it or not . . if I were a landlord with residential units, I would not allow casting or smelting on the premises either and Id have cast for over 50 years. I would not allow it not only for the mess it could create (think tinsel mishaps) but for fire prevention as well - and I guarantee you that most insurance carriers would not allow it as well.

If you have a lease, then you have to live up to the terms of the lease until it ends and then you are free to move wherever you want to. If you consider the situation unbearable, then you may have the option to negotiate an early end to the lease with the landlord but that will usually cost you some money to do so to break what is considered a legal contract if you signed a lease.

My end point? Approach the situation with a mature and even tempered attitude and try to work with your landlord. If you are unable to come to a mutual agreement - in this case that you can do reloading in your apartment or that your girlfriend is not considered as a tenant under the terms of your lease - then move on. The majority of landlords do not want to loose a good renter where the payment is always on time and they create no problems - i.e. loud noise, repeated police calls, etc. You sound like an "ideal tenant" and if things go downhill - then I'd be looking for another place to rent as I guarantee you that the landlord is probably not going to change.

Good luck to you.

[merlin101]

Pretty simple, if you dont like the landlord rules then move to a different place.

And break the lease? Doing so would possibly make the OP liable for all rent until the apartment is re rented, that could be months.Besides the LL can't change the rules in the middle of the game either.
Best advice is also the simplest, have a calm sit down discussion about reloading. Explain how safe it can be and remind them how good of a tenant you are. Review your lease and know your rights but don't bring them up unless the LL is stepping on them.
I've got a feeling you already know all this and it's also been pointed out already. good luck I hope you convert the LL's way of thinking.

[bubba.50]

in times past I would tell ya to "come on down to Ol' Virginny" but, my state has become so polluted with the sewage spillin' out of the "District of Corruption" I would move myself if I could afford it. today I'd tell ya to look at Tennessee or Texas.

[Olut]

Follow NSB's guidance and get a NH lawyer to review your rental contract. As a resident of NH, I find the state generally very gun-friendly ... except for the very southern part of NH where it borders Mass. Note that in this area, many Mass-holes have moved up here to escape the taxes but still carry their unique Bostonian values and opinions. Remember our state's motto is LIVE FREE OR DIE

[Love Life]

I'd call my land lord and say "Looky here you good for nothing, nosey, busybody. You best mind your own business from this point on, or we are going to have real problems. Also, I'm not paying next month's rent out of principle."

That should solve your problem.

[Geezer in NH]

Yeah you are in New Hampshire...... might as well be in New York, Kalifornistan, or Austin....
GoodOlBoy

You sir are wrong so far wrong All I can say and be civil.

To bad your a newbie state for carrying a firearm TX just got CC and just got open carry. We in NH have always had open carry and CC and now constitutional carry.

By the way enjoy Austin it is the new wave of TX it seems.

[starmac]

You sir are wrong so far wrong All I can say and be civil.

To bad your a newbie state for carrying a firearm TX just got CC and just got open carry. We in NH have always had open carry and CC and now constitutional carry.

By the way enjoy Austin it is the new wave of TX it seems.

Right you are, BUT the problem with NH is to have a full size shooting range, it has to cross state lines, where as in Texas, most apartments can have a full size range in the den. lol

I couldn't help myself. lol

[jeepyj]

Renting an apartment is a business transaction and the lease is the contract. I'd take the lease to a good lawyer and get his opinion of the situation.

Every lease or rental agreement I've seen forbids any kind of commercial business and it seems that is what your landlord was asking about.

NH is as gun friendly a state as any you'll find and from the sound of things the LL didn't even mention guns. Running a business and powder storage seems to be the issue. That's reasonable. Don't turn it into something it's not.

btw, I wouldn't let your girlfriend get anywhere near your place for a couple of months.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In my opinion....This is good advise except for your GF. As long as you have a utility bill or something similar with the GF's actual address there isn't much they can say . We have 582 apartments and as long as a tenant can produce a legitimate second address and she isn't staying over night longer than your lease allows they don't have a leg to stand on.

[imashooter2]

Renting an apartment is a business transaction and the lease is the contract. I'd take the lease to a good lawyer and get his opinion of the situation.

Every lease or rental agreement I've seen forbids any kind of commercial business and it seems that is what your landlord was asking about.

NH is as gun friendly a state as any you'll find and from the sound of things the LL didn't even mention guns. Running a business and powder storage seems to be the issue. That's reasonable. Don't turn it into something it's not.

btw, I wouldn't let your girlfriend get anywhere near your place for a couple of months.

This. Your landlord was justified in his questions. He has his property and his other tenants to protect. Your answers seem to have completely addressed the issues. There should be no further problems unless your girlfriend is staying overnight a lot.

[starmac]

Probably the girlfriend staying overnight a lot would not ever be an issue, just don't tell them you LIVE their unless your name is on the lease.

[jonp]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
In my opinion....This is good advise except for your GF. As long as you have a utility bill or something similar with the GF's actual address there isn't much they can say . We have 582 apartments and as long as a tenant can produce a legitimate second address and she isn't staying over night longer than your lease allows they don't have a leg to stand on.

You don't have to get a lawyer and pay him/her. The State HUD will look at your contract for free. As long as your not breaking the law then ignore the landlord, if they get too intrusive file a complaint. If I found out one of my tenants was reloading ammo I'd want to know what he was loading and if he could work some up for me

[dragon813gt]

I'd call my land lord and say "Looky here you good for nothing, nosey, busybody. You best mind your own business from this point on, or we are going to have real problems. Also, I'm not paying next month's rent out of principle."

That should solve your problem.

Spot on :beer: