Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Georgia
Renters rights and security
My boyfriend and I recently moved to GA, and rented an apartment. We were told that this apartment was a gated community with a 24 hour security patrol that lived on site. After paying $30.00/ gate card the gates didn't work for weeks. One night my boyfriends bike was stolen from the apartment. The gates were not working and when i called the security patrol i was told that we no longer had one. I was just wondering if we have any legal rights because the gates didn't work and we pay for the access cards which are not needed and how can they promise security patrol, when in all actuality there is no one? Thanks for your help.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Renters rights and security
If your lease agreement requires the apartments to have gates and a security patrol, and the apartments do not, you would have a claim for breach of contract. Your damages would probably amount to the value of stolen bike. In addition, you have the option of terminating the lease due to their breach and move out. However, they can still sue you for early termination and argue that they were not in breach and therefore you did not properly terminate the lease. It all depends on whether they are in breach of the lease.
If you would like to discuss any issues further, please feel free to contact my office. My contact information is below. Thank you.
The foregoing is general information only, not specific legal advice. No attorney/client relation has been created or should be implied.
Glenn M. Lyon, Esq
MacGregor Lyon, LLC
Promenade II
1230 Peachtree Street NE
Suite 1900
Atlanta Georgia 30309
Phone 404.942.3545
Fax 404.795.0993
www.macgregorlyon.com