Kelly Klein
Columnist | Renting and the Law
E-mail: kklein@kleinpa.com
Kelly Klein is a Minneapolis attorney who writes the Renting and the Law column in the Homes section.
Recent content from Kelly Klein
-
Letter and rent escrow action might stop noise
Q My boyfriend and I moved into our new apartment in Eden Prairie last November. As soon as we moved in, we noticed a constant banging that would last from about 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. and would happen again from 8 to 11 p.m.
Mar 26, 2009 -
Keeping house ready to show is hard on renters
Q We are into our seventh month of a 12-month lease and were just informed that the owners of the property are selling and that we need to have the property ready to show. "We" are a family of five with three small children.
Mar 20, 2009 -
Signed lease, unpaid rent a bad combination
Q I signed a lease with two other guys a few years ago. Our landlords told us that we did not give enough notice before moving out and therefore our one-year lease had been renewed. We signed it; I know, we're idiots. Is this a law in Minnesota?
Mar 12, 2009 -
How much can landlord charge per hour for cleaning?
Q I am currently working with an ex-tenant who believes he is entitled to a damage deposit refund. He left the unit a wreck, and it took a lot of time to get it to the place where I could start painting.
Mar 5, 2009 -
Landlord can't charge all dog owners
Landlord can't charge all dog owners for one tenant's misconduct.
Feb 26, 2009 -
First rule of thumb: Get it in writing
Q I have a renter who wanted to buy the house she had been renting from me. She has lived there for more than a year and has always told me she wanted to buy the house when she was ready.
Feb 20, 2009 -
Letter seeking overpayment refund is legal
Q I've been paying $30 a month more than I should each month for the past 10 months. My landlord never told me of this oversight and now I am not sure what to do.
Feb 12, 2009 -
Owner ignored utility bills; renters pay
Q My college-age son and his friends signed a lease for a rental in Winona and paid the first and last months' rent, plus damage deposit.
Feb 6, 2009 -
Tenant who caused fire loses damage deposit
Q Our company has apartments in St. Paul and one tenant started a fire in her apartment by leaving a candle unattended when she was not home. This fire damaged her unit and two others. Hers has been condemned.
Jan 30, 2009 -
Relief Act only covers those deployed in service
Q My daughter is on a joint lease with her boyfriend in Minneapolis. They are both students at the University of Minnesota. The boyfriend will be deployed to Iraq on Feb. 10 with the National Guard. Under the Serviceman's Relief Act, the landlord will release the boyfriend from the lease, but said my daughter would be responsible for fulfilling the full lease on her own.
Jan 23, 2009
