A rant about my landlady and rented apartment - Berlin

Ok, not really after answers here, just need a rant to get this stuff of my chest & get opinions. (obviously names/addresses etc are left out for 'legal' reason)

From the beginning:
The landlady isnt very good at keeping her 'appointments' for coming to the flat, which means we stay in the flat all day some weekends waiting for her to never appear. A couple of months ago the wife was cleaning the cntral light in the living room (is the sort that you can pull down to different heights) when she unhooked it from its support. As she went to reattach it she realised that the wires had come out of the terminal block... not because she tugged it or anything, the wires had just been 'placed' into the block!!! Normally in the uk i would have this fixed in under a minute, but due to not understanding the outdated (by uk standards) fuse box & lack of identification on the switch live... i was unwilling to risk harm! Therefore i emailed the landlady explaining the situation as best i could, & after a handful of emails & phonecalls, she surrendered to the fact she was going to have to call an electrician out. About 4 weeks later (lucky there are lamps in the living room huh!) she rang to say an electrician would be round between 7:30-8am. This would mean id lose 2hrs wage but the wife isnt great with meeting foreign strangers. The landlady said she would come over later (9:30am) to pay us back for the work that would be needed. Anyway, at 8:10 i had to leave to catch the regional so i didnt lose any more money. Next thing i know, its nearly 10am & the wife is ringing me in tears!!! The landlady had turned up WITH the electrician (ie not when he was meant to show) at 9:30. Firstly she moaned it was to hot in the flat as the electricians glasses had steamed up upon entering... im sorry... but doesnt that happen when coming from a cold environment to any sort of heat!?!? It was chucking down outside & still bitter, so unless we had the heating switched of & windows open it wouldve happened regardless! Anyway, the elctrician looked at the light & said that it was really easy to fix & that i shouldve been able to do it myself. IM SORRY im not up-to-date on the shambles that is eastern berlin electrics. Back in the UK i FULLY renovated a house including plumbing, electrics etc so see myself as VERY compitant! So she had a go at the wife about that (bear in mind the wife hates confrontation). She then noticed a damp patch in the corner of the living room ceiling & asked what was going on. Its a problem we have in ALL the rooms around the windows & regardless of what bleach/cleaner we use or if we have the window open whilst having a bath/shower... it comes back. Yes i know i shouldve contacted her about it, but in the UK there are 2 types of tenants:
1- the tenant who phones about every single niggly thing, even down to a blown lightbulb!
2- someone who bothers the owner as little as possible & does the bits themselves.

Im am of caus the latter! The only reason the damp/mould had flared up badly was because we were away for a long weekend & so couldnt dry the windows when they get damp. It was at this point that the landlady started really having a go at the wife saying we need to ventilate the flat! Im sorry, but we DO! but we have a cat (which she was fully aware of upon signing the contract) so the windows cant be left fully open or titlted unattended. With this she proceeded to go around & turn of EVERY radiator off complaining it was her money we were 'wasting'... im sorry, we pay you rent dont we? & theres someone in the flat most of the day, so it needs heated most of the day!! She then went on to open the windows & french door as wide as possible, so when the wife shut the room doors to prevent the cat from jumping to his death she argued that they should always be left open & that the cat should be put in a box to stop him getting out!?!?!?! WTF!?!!?! So now she is getting a 'specialist' round (probably another friend) to analise the mould & sort it out! So i wait to hear what happens (& how long itll take to get someone round)...

Just to show she has no clue about renting though... the tv that was supplied with the flat is a CRT type. It got to the stage where it would take 10-20secs to show picture/sound once youve switched it on. This as most people know, is a sure sign that the tube is on its way out & therefore general wear & tear! However, she is complaining that we have broken it as it is nearly new! its 4yrs old!!! a 1yr old TV is classed as old these days!!

As mentioned above, im the sort of tenant that will live with minor problems (or sort them myself), but if she wants to be awkward, there are numerous bits that need sorting, included exposed wiring in the bathroom, door hinge batons coming out of the wall (on doors we never use) & other little bits!

ARRRRGGGGHHHH!!

**Rant mode terminated** lol

Ok if she is coming the clever there are a number of things that can be done.You could shorten the rent until the damp has been sorted out.If its all around the windows that is normally a case of badly fitted windows.If the tele was in there when you moved in then its a part of the rent.All things like this your landlady is responsible for.You are going to havee to take a stance somewhere here or she is going to make it harder for you all the time.

Stop paying rent and kill the cat. At least have it go missing.

Will be standing fast dont worry. i like a good arguement


Not sure if you realise its OUR cat!! So dont think the wife will appreciate you suggestion!

Sorry ... I just realised it is. I think you should hire a your own electrician or pm me I'll do it.

The lights sorted now ta, but she says shes going to send the invoice to me... cant wait to see that!

Possibly on the look out for a damp specialist though as a back-up to the guy shell get in (which will likely be a friend of a friend type thing!)

She is the landlady... She should pay for the electrician.

1. start documenting everything, consult a lawyer. She is out of line. The lawyer will help formulate a letter regarding the electricians invoice etc. ok - so you'll have to pay the lawyer instead of the electrician but it may have her acting differently if things like this crop up in the future (which they are bound to).

2. Move. It's not worth it, it will only make you two unhappy and that's not worth it.

She has to pay for the electrician and if you go to a lawyer and she admits to paying the electrician she is then forced to pay the lawyers costs too.Just remember that in Germany if you pay up you are accepting liability here.