Skunk Smell Issue - Tenant or Landlord responsibility?

[inkarn8.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know whether the tenant or Landlord would be responsible for cleaning up the smell of an apartment after a skunk has sprayed near or under a house? They skunk has already been evicted and barred from getting under the porch or house. It may still get into the yard. Some of the tenants are saying the house is "uninhabitable" per section 10 of the standard lease form and as such the landlord is totally responsible for cleaning, loss of wages, rent for that period etc. and more...

Comments

[somervillesnow.livejournal.com]

I think the city should start enforcing garbage lid ordinances as much as parking ordinances. Prevent rats, skunks, etc while making some revenue for the city.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

In my experience the city is quite diligent about writing tickets for uncovered garbage cans, trash not in cans, and trash placed out on the curb too early.

[somervillesnow.livejournal.com]

I've observed houses in my neighborhood that for years have had lids that don't fit or are non existent, holes in the cans etc. It is plain as day and the rodents feast on their cans' contents. Maybe they are enforcing only certain neighborhoods.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Well, note that I said "writing tickets," which one could argue is not really the same as enforcing. In theory, the property owner might be just paying the tickets rather than solve the problem. Or ignoring the tickets and letting them pile up (a lot more likely). If a property owner ignores enough such tickets, a lien can be placed on the home...but that might not have any effect either, if the owner isn't trying to sell.

In other words, it seems to me that the city is ill-equipped to deal with situations of absentee owners who ignore these chronic problems (which is probably the case with the houses you're noticing). The system works pretty well with the average lazy but basically decent homeowner, who will pay the ticket and then at least try to fix the problem. But with a deadbeat owner, when it gets to the point where writing more and more tickets isn't changing anything, then what? The city seems not to have an answer to that one.