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My Landlord Wants Me to Lie and Say He is Living in The building I am Renting
My landlord asked me to lie, say he is living in a four unit multi-family home I am renting from him. However, the landlord does not live on the four-unit multi family home I am living but owns the property. My landlord does have an extra mail slot in here and gets his mail here addressed from USD. Do you think that I should report him or just leave well enough alone. My landlord even told me if anyone comes to the building inquiring about him living here to tell them that he lives here. I do not feel comfortable lying and covering for him. He seems like a nice guy but he seems shady from what I think is that he is committing occupancy fraud?
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1 Reply
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The involuntary lie depicts a certain problem a person might face. The problem in this example is telling a lie that may be seen as lawful. Below are some instances:
Occupancy Fraud: Here, the landlord is hoarding the rent. However, he is not living in the house he is renting out/in whose name the profits of the benefits obtained are. In such cases, one would claim these funds, which is correct.
Legal Mismatch: There is also a possibility of personally getting into trouble for barking on behalf of your landlord and others. When facts are known, you might be accused of abusing someone whom you thought was a landlord’s clerk.
Moral Ethnicity: If and when it comes to things like begging you to use your power as the boss and you know there is no reason for the boss to make that request in the first place, it is better not to comply with such requests from the renters.
Charging: Mostly, however, when you feel that you want to aggravate him for some violations and then feel it is appropriate or necessary, it is possible without revealing your personal information anywhere in any country, at any time, depending on how you feel about any particular country. It is safe to say that you would most likely do this by calling either a legal counsel or the housing authority.
Other Options: If you are managing to sit in such a position and say it is not right for you. Most importantly, whether it is right for you in this case, you have to examine options for getting out of it.
It is best to believe and follow your instincts in the final analysis. In case someone believes, the further actions of other persons will generally breach their not otherwise questioned conscience.
If you still want to take action against your landlord, here are the steps you need to consider:
Gather Evidence: Take notes on everything related to the situation. This might also include any communications (texts, emails) in which he begged you to lie or pictures or videos that may prove that he does not live on the property.
Investigate the Applicable Regulations: Investigate region-specific laws on occupancy fraud and landlord-tenant relations. This will give you an assessment of the wrongdoing and the legal options.
Inform the Form of Authority: Find out the form of authority responsible for housing complaints in your locality. This may include;
- Neighborhood zoning
- DCA
- Office of the Attorney General
Lodge a Complaint: This is where you take the problem in question to the chosen authority. For this one, you will have to submit your evidence and explain the situation simply and concisely. This is chiefly considering that you are seeking a remedy from the authority.
Seek for Anonymity: If you are worried about answering back, inform them that you want to be silenced.
Follow-Up: Collaterally, after lodging the complaint, ensure you follow up on the progress and provide other relevant information if necessary.
Consult Legal Advice: If you have doubts about the process or if you are entitled to any rights, contact a lawyer for assistance. Choose one that deals with legal relations between landlord and tenant.
Get Copies of all Communication: You must keep records of all documents about the complaint, even though they are documents sent by others.
Given these steps, not only will your concerns be raised. However, they will also be done appropriately and within the legal framework.
There can be several adverse consequences. For instance, you may experience difficulty with the following if you report your landlord for occupancy fraud or related issues:
Investigation: The relevant authority may investigate your landlord’s conduct. This may include gathering evidence such as interviews, inspections, and document reviews.
Fines and Penalties: If the landlord is again found guilty of occupancy fraud, the local or state officials who have jurisdiction over your landlord could impose fines or other penalties.
Legal Action: If things are very bad, depending on the extent of the fraud, legal action could be taken against the landlord, which could be civil or criminal in nature.
Loss of License: If your landlord is a property management real estate professional, they may lose their practicing license or face other sanctions.
Eviction or Lease Termination: There can be instances when a tenant may wish to end the contract or get a tenant out because the landlord is engaged in illegal business.
Reputation Damage: Such a report may be detrimental to your landlord’s reputation, which in turn will prevent him from renting properties in the future.
Increased Scrutiny: Your landlord is expected to face further increased pressure from the relevant authorities, which would imply more regular inspections or audits of their properties.
It is necessary to consider the possible consequences concerning your worries – and feelings regarding this situation.