Showerthought: That convo with my landlord about snow removal fees changed how I look at contracts

I was bitching to my landlord about a $150 snow removal fee on my shop lease (Detroit winter, you know the deal). He just looked at me and said, "Kai, you signed off on the addendum three years ago. You never asked what it covered." I pulled the lease, and sure enough, page 8 buried in fine print said snow removal is billed per event at $75 a pop. Thing hit different because I realized I never read past page 3. I just assumed it was included. Now I'm re-reading every contract I sign, and I caught a client trying to add a $500 "tool usage fee" I never agreed to. Anyone else found something sneaky in a lease or contract they almost missed?

2 comments

2 Comments

shanel134d ago

Stop blaming the landlord for your own negligence.

lily974d ago

I hear what you're saying, but I have to push back a little. Landlords have a responsibility to maintain safe and livable housing, and when they cut corners or ignore problems, tenants can end up in very tough spots. It's not always about negligence on the tenant's side - sometimes people can't afford to move or speak up without fear of retaliation. Even when tenants make mistakes, landlords have more power and resources to fix things. Blaming someone for their own circumstances when the system is stacked against them doesn't sit right with me.