From: roger61611@yahoo.com
Newsgroups: alt.lawyers misc.legal misc.invest.real-estate
Subject: Re: ??? Neighborhood Fire and Landlord's Responsibilities ???
Date: 3 Jan 2007 19:09:43 -0800
   posting-account=vE8r1g0AAAAK86VGERelE0M7R-SL4OYL

Especially if you're in NJ or NY or CA, the renters will win.

Would your family put up with this ?  Smoke stinks.

none wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm a landlord in New Jersey. Five days ago there was a fire in the
> building next to the condo I'm renting. Remarkably, the fire didn't
> touch my building. The building my rental unit is in, is still
> structurally sound.
>
> However, some of the smoke from the fire did find its way into my unit,
> and has left the smell of chard wood behind.
>
> My renters are saying they will need to break the lease if the smell
> doesn't go away soon. I'm having the unit professionally cleaned
> today, and will do my best to remove the smell. However, realistically
> speaking, I'm expecting that smell will take some time to go away.
>
> I've been in the unit myself, and while the smell is noticeable, I
> didn't find it to be extreme.
>
> My question is, what are my legal responsibilities in this situation?
> The fire certainly wasn't my fault, and I'm doing my best to get
> the apartment back to normal.
>
> Are my tenants within their rights to break the lease without a
> penalty?
>
> Thanks.
>
> P.S. Any good recommendations for websites regarding landlord/tenant
> law would be greatly appreciated.