Just a few weeks after learning my rent would be skyrocketing past the moon and into the stratosphere, the stress of planning an unexpected move slithered into my chest, causing great congestion.
My San Ramon apartment, who shall remain nameless (Canyon Oaks Apartments), recently added to their list of demands.
Apparently they didn’t think it was enough to increase my monthly rent by $400. Now they are saying, oh by the way, when you move out, we will take a black light to your carpet. If anything shows up, “You will responsible for replacing the carpet.”
Really? So the $45/mo pet rent and $500 pet security deposit wasn’t enough for them? They need more?
The carpet cleaner people tell me the black light will detect, not only pet accidents, but any bodily fluids.
Whenever we’ve had issues – whether it’s food falling from the dinner table or the dog upchucking – we’ve cleaned up our spills. But was it enough?
To make matters more interesting, the apartment manager says they’ll actually lift up the carpet and black light the pad, which means if there were ever serious spills or if the dog, God forbid, ever peed where we didn’t know, we’re pretty much doomed.
I don’t know how much it will be to replace the carpet, but I’m guessing more than I can afford. My plan is to have the carpet professionally cleaned and hope for the best. After I have it cleaned, the apartment, according to their rules, will clean it again, but so be it.
Two cleanings will be cheaper than carpet replacement I presume…unless the first cleaning isn’t enough. See why I am sick?
We have renter’s insurance, but turns out, that only covers stolen items, not damage to the property itself.
So many question marks in our lives right now. We are trying to get into a new apartment, still under construction. The process of applying for that is taking way longer than anticipated. We still don't know if we've been accepted...feels weird to be moving out before nailing down that question mark.
Right now, the plan is we'll be out on March 7. I’m renting a room at a friend’s house in San Ramon. My kids are moving with their dad.
It feels like a major jolt, though I know my situation is not nearly as dire as others are facing right now.
Just met a neighbor at my apartment who lost her home to foreclosure. She’s chronically ill, can’t work, plus she’s taking care of a parent with cancer. Added to this, her husband may soon be losing his job.
Put in this context, I feel mostly grateful. I have great kids, a good job, a dog who loves me more than anything in the world (except for, say food, my kids and that cute Shitzu he has his eye on).
Yes, I have a stupid, terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad cold, but as they say, this, too, shall pass.
Soon, one way or another, we will move into a more affordable, less stressful situation.
And that’s nothing to sneeze at.
