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shadowsandwich
Apr 5, 2008, 9:41 PM
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So, I was hoping to get opinions on an upcoming decision my roomie and I have to make. The house that we moved into had an extra room, so we decided to dedicate it to a home bouldering wall. I wanted the wall to be as sturdy as possible, so I directly attached it to the framework of the house.
It's been a year since we've moved in and liked it enough to renew our lease. Apparently, the company we rent through does yearly inspections to make sure everything is in order. The most obvious thing to do for this would be to take down the wall and cover up the minor damage until after the inspection, but here's the catch. They gave a 3 month window of when they might come with only a day notice before the actual inspection. I've been turned into pretty much a weekend warrior lately, so the wall is my only real way of keeping fit for climbing.
We've talked about it and are tempted to just accept any potential fine for the damage (which we figured would not be that bad) Any thoughts?
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marc801
Apr 5, 2008, 10:01 PM
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Here's one answer:
Exactly what does it say in your lease agreement regarding modifications? Pictures and shelves are one thing. What it sounds like you've done (without permission it seems?) is grounds for eviction in many of the agreements I've seen (or signed). Short of that, I can see a pissed off landlord charging you for a tear-down to studs and completely new drywall, painting, moulding, etc. which could run into thousands.
The snide answer is: T1
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j_ung
Apr 5, 2008, 10:01 PM
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I suppose the worst that could happen is they cite some obscure clause in your lease, curb you and yoink your deposit. Oh, and keep your climbing wall (kidding).
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hopperhopper
Apr 7, 2008, 2:19 AM
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tear down what you can (are willing to) now, keep paint/spackle close by. when the notice comes, drop what you're doing and bust ass to get it down in the next 24 hours.
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king_rat
Apr 7, 2008, 12:36 PM
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It could be pricey if the landlord has to call someone in to assess the damage and make repairs. I’d pull it down and make it look as good as possible to hide any damage, and live without a wall for 3 months.
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WVUCLMBR
Apr 7, 2008, 1:13 PM
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The 1st thing I would do is call your landlord and casually ask "hey, If i wanted to add a small structure to train for climbing on, would this be OK? The house won't be affected and any minor cosmetic damage our trainer causes will be repaired" do not use the words 1. Wall 2. Construction 3. Joining your wall to existing structure. Then you get to either keep your wall or keep from getting das boot and losing your deposit. But definately sue your landlord if you do get hurt and he never mentions that "Climbing is Dangerous".
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reg
Apr 7, 2008, 3:43 PM
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1) hinesight: should've asked first 
2) again hinesight: freestanding? 
3) and more to the point: are you allowd to have pets? if so, lock that door (change lockset to keyed entry) and call it the pet room: "please don't disturb flakey" sign on the door - have the rest of the place lookin sharp an they probably won't go in there or even ask! 
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King-0f-Clever
Apr 9, 2008, 10:44 AM
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reg wrote: 1) hinesight: should've asked first 2) again hinesight: freestanding? 3) and more to the point: are you allowd to have pets? if so, lock that door (change lockset to keyed entry) and call it the pet room: "please don't disturb flakey" sign on the door - have the rest of the place lookin sharp an they probably won't go in there or even ask!
"FLAKEY" LOL now thats funny.....
just save yerself the hassel and tear it down for the time being. Unless its possible to tear it down in 24hrs.
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truello
Apr 9, 2008, 3:02 PM
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Put a large entertainment center smack in front of the door. Maybe the inspectors won't even realize there is a third bedroom 
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kyleshea
Apr 9, 2008, 4:01 PM
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shockabuku wrote: reg wrote: 1) hinesight: should've asked first 2) again hinesight: freestanding? 3) and more to the point: are you allowd to have pets? if so, lock that door (change lockset to keyed entry) and call it the pet room: "please don't disturb flakey" sign on the door - have the rest of the place lookin sharp an they probably won't go in there or even ask!
did you mean hindsight
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reg
Apr 9, 2008, 4:07 PM
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hind damit, HIND! 
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wax
Apr 14, 2008, 7:22 PM
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is it an exterior wall which you've attached your climbing wall to? because if so, you may be in heaps more trouble than you realize - particularly if you have penetrated any air or vapour barriers.
in any case, maybe you should have somebody asses your damage (which is the term you should brace yourself to hear) before the landlord conducts his / hers. Get a good idea of the extent of what it will cost to repair what you've done and then be upfront with your landlord. One way or another, he / she is going to expect you to pay for the "damages".
(sorry to be so glum about this, but hey... it isn't your house ya know)
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shimanilami
Apr 14, 2008, 7:45 PM
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I think Wax has got the right approach.
Consider your landlord's perspective. On one hand, he wants to be sure you're not destroying his property, so that he can rent/sell it eventually. On the other hand, he wants to rent/sell the property and - presuming you're willing to pony up - he's already got a renter who's in there, paying rent (you're a good renter, right?), paperwork's already done, etc. If he's assured that there is no significant damage to the property - at least, nothing more than you or your deposit will cover - then why would he want to boot you?
And consider your own position. You're all set up. Imagine the hassle of tearing down your wall, moving out, finding another place, building the wall again, etc. If you're concerned that you've really messed the place up, then shame on you. Get it fixed. Preserve the good will you've got with your landlord. Be the "good tenant" and it'll pay off ... when you want to build your 20' extension.
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xswimordiex
Apr 23, 2008, 6:36 AM
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here's what you do, go buy some sheets of wood and cover all of the walls with the wood. paint it, and maybe they won't notice that the room is a few feet smaller on all sides
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nklotz
Apr 24, 2008, 3:27 PM
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It might be cheaper for you guys to take it down for the 3 months and then just get a membership to a local gym if you can.
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Johnny_Fang
Apr 24, 2008, 3:56 PM
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Updates on this? What did you decide to do?
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bender
Apr 24, 2008, 4:42 PM
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the inspector is looking for mechanical damages which are significantly cheaper to repair the sooner they are caught
the inspector isnt going to pull every piece of furniture and decorations you have away from the walls to see how its attached
their looking for real problems
as long as you havnt covered any electrical boxes or fire sprinklers with your sheathing your climbing wall has only done cosmetic damage to the home which isnt acelerating and which is easily repaird in the process of painting which a homeowner already assume he will be doing upon your departure
id suggest you dont have a problem to worry about
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wax
Apr 28, 2008, 5:39 PM
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yeah, i'd kinda like to know too.
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brownie710
May 21, 2008, 2:34 PM
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just saw this post and had to give my two cents.
As someone who has been sued by a former landord you want to do anthing to avoid this.
this includes taking down the wall at least until the inspection is over and then put it back up again and don't sweat it till next year. Of realizing that a year or two of home repairs to get things in order for the inspectors is more expensive than dragging yourself to the nearest gym.
your landlord can have clauses in the lease which expect you to pay for:
his court/lawyer fees, mileage to meetings with lawyers and to check out the problem, and "hourly fee" for time he has to invest in dealing with you and the problem inc. time spent talking on the phone and searching the internet about how to screw you, the fee for the all inspections related to the damage, clean up/repair fees, monthly interest until damage fees are paid and not to mention how much he sues you and your roomie for in court
trust me, it's not worth it
good luck
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