The Snooper（偷窺狂）
Is your landlady a warm but slightlyintrusive pensioner, who lets herself in to check everything is ok?
This sort of thing can happen when you’rerenting a former family home from a landlord who can’t let go.
Know your rights. They can’t enter theproperty without getting your permission 24 hours in advance, unless they wantto carry out emergency repair work.
The Ghost （幽靈房東）
Feel like nobody is listening to yourcomplaints? Then you could have a ghost landlord.
Generally absent, maybe living abroad, eventhe letting agent has trouble getting hold of them.
This is a tricky one to deal with. Yourlandlord has to keep your home in a safe and habitable condition. But toenforce that, you’re going to have to sue them.
The DIY Disaster Zone （DIY狂人）
The shower has run dry. The boiler hasblown up. There has never been a greater need for qualified professionals toroll up their sleeves.
But why would your landlord do that whenthey are also good at DIY themselves? Only problem is, they never really fixit.
Other than move out or sue them, your handsare tied.
The Tightwad （守財奴）
This type of landlord strikes when you moveout, accusing tenants of damaging the property and refusing to release yourdeposit.
Your main defense is making sure your cashis in a registered deposit protection scheme. They can mediate a dispute anddecide what’s fair.
But be warned, the process can often takemonths.
The Commitment-phobe （承諾恐懼癥）
This is the landlord who decides form themysterious reasons that you can’t rent the property after all, even though yourdeposit has been handed over and everything verbally agreed.
The letting agent is usually to blame forthis one.
Someone says you hand over a cash holdingdeposit to take property off the market, but if the deal falls through, theyshould give you your money back straight away. If they don’t, complain to beproperty ombudsmen.
The Dumper （逐客狂）
Did you complain once too often, or you’rebeing a nuisance when you are just in demand for hot water? You might findyourself asked to leave midway through the tenancy.
This is known as a revenge eviction, and itwas made illegal last year. But tenants can still be asked to leave if theyhave a break clause in their contract, which many do.
Always read the tenancy agreement very,very closely.
詞匯總結
Roll up one’s sleeves? 卷起袖子，做事咐熙，辛苦工作
The shower has run dry. The boiler hasblown up. There has never been a greater need for qualified professionals toroll up their sleeves.
One’s hands are tied? 無能為力
Other than move out or sue them, your handsare tied.
Deposit protection scheme? 抵押金保護方案捐名，押金保障計劃
Your main defense is making sure your cashis in a registered deposit protection scheme.
Nuisance?討厭的人；損害谜嫉；麻煩事萎坷；討厭的東西
Did you complain once too often, or you’rebeing a nuisance when you are just in demand for hot water?
Tenancy agreement?租房合同
Always read the tenancy agreement everyclosely.
