Photos and blog post by John HoffI am endlessly fascinated by 2131 Lyndale Ave. N., Bashir Moghul's slummy rental which is just a hop, skip and drunken jump from Merwin's Liquor. The other night I was driving by and, oh my word, the curtains. Are those blankets? Bed sheets? I wouldn't be surprised if some of those "curtains" were towels.
Whatever the original purpose of the material, it is now being used for curtains. The Curtains of Despair! (Click here for a sad song I am digging lately)
Fortunately, this house is for sale so there is hope...hope that somebody better than Bashir Moghul might buy it. Hope that whoever buys it will be an owner, not another predatory slumlord who we will need to watch, endlessly, and energetically blog about. Yes, beyond the Curtains of Despair there is hope.
You know, it wouldn't be so hard for somebody like Bashir to make renters sign leases saying stuff like, "Windows must have curtains. Blankets, towels, sheets and other 'make do' materials are not acceptable; the curtains must be actual curtains." Yes, Bashir COULD do that, but he doesn't. Why doesn't he do it? Well, because he's a scummy slumlord and he only cares about the monthly rent checks, not the impact he has on the neighborhood.
Every day we watch Bashir Moghul's properties, and every day we stew and seethe. Nice work, Bashir. (Sarcasm font) The house at 2131 Lyndale Ave. N. looks like hell, and you obviously don't give a damn.
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I'm pretty sure that Minneapolis landlords are responsible for providing window coverings in their units.
ReplyDelete@MEW - I would highly doubt that. Doesn't sound like something the city can mandate. But then again, who knows. Got ordinance?
ReplyDeleteNo that is not true. Tenants are responsible for this, if they want to hang underwear it's their business. Once they sign the lease most of what they do on the inside is their business. They are likely not even allowed to mount window coverings that put holes in walls etc. Move along JNS mind yer own.
ReplyDeleteI agree with NoMi Passenger. I doubt if the city can dictate window coverings. Heck, if I thought they could I would have just made a 311 report and left it at that. Instead, I have to resort to public shaming.
ReplyDeleteActually John, I just read your post, and you are absolutely right. It is very common to see lease language about what the landlord expects the window coverings to look like.
ReplyDeleteIt is also very common for (good) landlords to provide the initial window coverings at the time of move-in and state the expectations of said window coverings be well kept and well cared for, and if they are broken or damaged the landlord will replace them and charge the cost back to the tenant with the next month's rent statement.
But obviously Bashir is not a good landlord.
ReplyDeleteHe's not even a mediocre landlord.
He is one of the worst.
I haven't rented in years but when I did last in the early 80's windows had to have curtain rods or shades. Now that may not be true anymore because renters like I was are hard to find.
ReplyDeleteMCullen NE
Dupont Deputy Says: City ordinance says that the landlord must provide window coverings for all bedrooms and bath windows but that is it. You think his place on Lyndale is bad - go by 2938 Dupont Ave. N. that Bashir Moghul owns. It makes the Lyndale property look like the Taj Mahal!
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to Minneapolis Housing Inspections rental property checklist which states that window coverings are required in all sleeping rooms.
ReplyDeletehttp://tinyurl.com/4o6rjjd
The For Sale sign went away and it's still listed as Bashir Moghul's property.
ReplyDeleteYou suck, Bashir Moghul.
Okay why shame the tenant? what if they can not afford curtains? Beat the landlord up okay fine but why the tenant?
ReplyDelete