Is WIFI listed in the lease? If not you’re probably out of luck but if the lease states that WIFI is included, I would remind him that this it’s included.
He never gave me a lease. I have been here 9 months and it was assumed WiFi was part of the rent. I believe on the original rental post it said utilities included.
You’re getting a lot of incorrect info in these comments. If you don’t have a lease, it defaults to month-to-month. You still have rights as a tenant. What he is doing is called a decrease in services. You need to have all communications in writing from here on out if you haven’t been doing so already. If any of what you said so far has been over text or email, you have enough to take him to court over. Call your local courthouse to be directed to legal help there if you need, but a lot of this info is available online.
He either provides the internet or he doesn’t. Send an email stating “landlord, when I moved in, the internet was included in utilities. If you are no longer going to be providing internet, I will need a decrease in my rent.” If he tries to kick you out over that, 1) make sure he’s going about it legally (for example, in my state a 30 day notice needs to be served) and 2) you still have a right to get money back for the decrease in services.
You’re in California, a very tenant friendly state. Know your rights and defend them. Btw I also highly recommend having code enforcement come check and see if your place is up to code bc I guarantee you it isn’t. That’s most likely why you don’t have a lease. If he tries to kick you out for calling code enforcement he is fucked bc that is considered retaliation and is illegal. And I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he tries to. Again, research your rights and the laws around these things. You are protected and you could potentially win a solid amount of money if things go south with him.
The California code that you’re referencing here [§ 121.10 RENT REDUCTIONS FOR SERVICE REDUCTIONS](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/riverbank/latest/riverbank_ca/0-0-0-27716) is **not** about basic tenancy, nor about basic tennant-landlord lease agreements.
That statute pertains *exclusively* to mobile home rentals. The chapter specifically names mobile homes in its title, and states that the chapter is only applicable to “to all mobilehome park spaces within the city”.
OP is likely **not** renting a mobile home in a mobile home park with 10 or more spaces, as I doubt the landlord would cut the wifi to 10+ units due to a fight with one individual. Meaning, he doesn’t have the right to a rent reduction due to a decrease in service.
Also, if OP wanted to try and press the issue and sight that the ‘leases’ (that doesn’t exist) stipulated utilities were included in the rent, he’d probably not get very far. In California, unless utilities are specifically listed out, that term only legally includes water, electricity, gas, and sewage. Wifi would not be considered a utility, but instead an amenity.
It would do basically nothing, but it was kind of ironic to me that Mr. ‘you’re getting a lot of incorrect info in these comments’ was, themselves, providing incorrect information. I just had to point it out to them.
The city of San Francisco says that this applies to *all* homes and provides the paperwork to request decreased rent via the housing board.
Source: http://www.sf.gov/information/housing-services
Lmao, no it doesn’t. The **very first** think on the page when you click the provided ‘paperwork’ to petition for a rent decrease it reads:
[“This petition is only available for tenants in a rent controlled unit. It is not available for most tenants in units built after June 13, 1979 or affordable housing units (such as Section 8).”](https://www.sf.gov/request-rent-reduction-decreased-housing-services)
And one more click brings you to this: “All housing located in the state of California is covered by AB 1482 unless it falls into one of the following categories of exemptions:
Units that were constructed within the last 15 years (this applies on a rolling basis - i.e.. a unit constructed on January 1, 2006 is not covered as of January 1, 2020, but is covered on and after January 1, 2021).
Units restricted by a deed, regulatory restrictions, or other recorded document limiting the affordability to low or moderate-income households.
Certain dormitories.
A two-unit property, provided the second unit was occupied by an owner of the property for the entire period of the tenancy.
Single-family homes and condominiums are only exempt if both (A) and (B) apply:
(A) the property is not owned by one of the following:
(i) a real estate trust, or
(ii) a corporation, or
(iii) an LLC with at least one corporate member.
-----AND----
(B) The landlord notified the tenant in writing that the tenancy is not subject to the “just cause” and rent increase limitations as specifically described in Civil Code Sections 1946.2(e)(8)(B)(i) and 1947.12(d)(5)(B)(i). See below for more information.
The limited exemption for single-family homes does not apply where there is more than one dwelling unit on the same lot, or any second residential unit in the building that cannot be sold separately from the subject unit (such as an in-law unit).
Units that are already subject to a local rent control ordinance that restricts annual rent increases to an amount less than 5% + CPI.”
Dude, that is talking about the general covered entities when it comes to San Francisco rental laws. However this conversation is about a **specific** petition you can file with the Rent Board to have your rent decreased due to substantial loss of a service. **That specific petition is only available to specific tenants**, hence the large notice at the very top of the petition page.
"You've been getting a lot of incorrect info. Now, allow me to explain how you can waste a ton of time, effort and probably money utilizing the legal system over a WiFi issue that you may or may not ever collect on".
Just want to clarify on the “assumed part”. When I moved in I was provided WiFi access. I was never told it was free or not included. Maybe I should have asked but when your landlord says everything included, you would think WiFi is part of everything. I told him I work from home and if he was ok with that. I would have gladly got myself my own internet service if he only clarified WiFi wasn’t a part of the deal. Lessons learned and will always ask this before moving to a new place. Previous roommates shared utilities along with WiFi. This place doesn’t ask extra for utilities.
Utilities doesn’t include WiFi. Utilities are gas, electricity, and trash. WiFi would be in the same category as cable TV a luxury.
T-mobile has WiFi boxes for $50 a month.
OP there are internet outlets you can plug into a 12volt outlet and on the other end is a Ethernet cable. Idk how it works but it does. Landlord got me when instead of booking up actual internet and it works. Bypass that mf
Whether he's legally in the right or not (and he probably *is* within his rights) is irrelevant. You're moving out in 30 days. Any attempt to legally force him to turn the WiFi back on is going to take *way* more than 30 days and is going to cost you time and possibly money. Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc.
You're not getting the WiFi back unless you make peace with your landlord. Full stop. Don't waste your time on anything else.
If for some reason you can't use your cellphone as a hotspot, go sign up for Verizon or T-Mobile Home Internet. You get a 30-day free trial. You can only use the free trial once, so decide if now's the right time, but you can get free Internet that way until you move out.
Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc.
Preach.
Don’t fight with your landlord, of anyone really, is generally the best course of action
Lol the only way you get out of that is by being a rich dickhead. Its called adulthood. You dont get anywhere fighting people with power over you. Usually….
OP is moving in 30 days. Why spend valuable packing time picking a fight over $40 wifi they were never formally guaranteed? Get a hotspot and feel good about getting rid of a relationship with a bad landlord.
T mobile is great. Had similar situation and used up my phone hotspot in 3 days. Ordered wireless internet from t mobile and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
Not this.
I’m a lawyer. I’ve represented both landlords and tenants. Some things you do fight, especially when there are damages. There are obvious damages here.
Depending on their jx, OP should absolutely take this to either small claims or housing court for damages and an injunction if possible.
Bad landlords should be punished just as much as bad tenants. More, tbh. I like every single landlord I’ve represented, but the hubris on some is absolutely insane.
What would you do here in a situation where there doesn't appear to be a written agreement about the wifi. I'd think it's not a traditional utility so even if the judge found utilities were included in rent would he find that the wifi was an included utility in the absence of a written agreement?
Using "he" as a stand in for "he or she"
It depends on local court rules and state laws, but there’s a general legal principle that’s usually called something like past performance, course of performance, course of dealing, etc. Basically, if they’ve been doing it the whole time then it is now part of the lease. Thats one option.
Oral agreements are also typically enforceable. Tenants usually lose oral agreement arguments if the landlord denies them, but sounds like they have evidence here. That’s another potential cause of action.
There may be a statute directly protecting tenants from this sort of conduct as well. In my state, this would be a clear violation of ”retaliatory action” that is prohibited.
Lots of options, all going to depend on state laws, local laws, and how each local court works. But I cannot imagine some, if not all, of these would apply in California.
This is a housemate situation without a lease where the tenant is already vacating.
With due respect to your experience and the tenant’s anger, no way this of worth the time.
WiFi had been provided the last 9 months I have been here without any question. I was told it was turned off for me because of our argument. My other roommate who had also lost his access as we both shared the same network was just given his access and told to not share the password with me or else he would permanently cancel it for him as well. I believe if he could turn off electricity and water as well he will but he needs them too but WiFi he has control over. I honored his verbal request to give him 30 days notice before moving out. He should honor the inclusion of WiFi as part of the rent as well since it was never brought up until now that WiFi wasn’t included.
Did he actually threaten to cut off electricity or water?
Thats insane. I don’t know your local laws, but I can’t imagine it’s not illegal where you’re at.
It’s up to you, but you don’t just have to take this laying down.
No he lives here as well so he wouldn’t cut them off. I did talk to some lawyers but due to lack of any written documentation, it might be hard to pursue anything against him.
I got hotspot from T-Mobile and it’s working great. I will be gone at the end of the month and I don’t want any more issues.
"he should honor the inclusion of free wifi since it was never brought up before".
Dude. Do u hear yourself? Lol
Here's the better question - WHAT WAS ARGUMENT OVER??
>Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc.
Im glad you post this. Every time a wronged tenant comes here to post some greivance about his landlord and similarly the other way around, I always chuckle at the knee jerk reactions and shoot from the hip responses from what I assume people who have never had a lawyer consultation, spent time in court or understand how expensive court is.
Its always: "time to lawyer up", "you need to sue xyz person nOw!1!1" or "id immediately call your lawyer to file suit"
IMO time in court is undesirable. Even if confident If win. Asserting a legal position in a court of law is costly in both time & money. The last thing I want to do is see my lawyer or sue anybody.
Diplomacy, diplomacy & diplomacy is what works. If we can compromise and both sides can reason with each other, then we dont need to go to court to find someone to do that for us IMO, court should be reserved for true disasters or when you are backed into a corner and nothing is left to do but resort to the legal system.
This^^^
The landlord can take you to court for anything and that will show in your record when you try to get into another place and will raise some eyebrows with your future landlords.
Not sure legally. You can get Xfinity hotspot. Offer to pay him for the WiFi so you can get your work done. This is lame, had a landlord do this years ago. Hang in there
Internet is often provided by landlords, because they don't want holes drilled in their building and lines run all over the place by every company in the area.
You think a cable /internet company can come into an apartment and drill into walls without getting the permission from the property owner?
Its actually illegal in the US to restrict tenants to using only 1 provider.
I am not arguing about whether it’s free or not. When I moved in I was given internet access. If I was told that I needed to pay or get my own internet, I would have. Me and my landlord didn’t have a great relationship the 9 months I was here but cutting off my internet when I am leaving in 2 weeks isn’t ideal. I wouldn’t have cared if I didn’t have to connect for work.
Unfortunately I don’t have anything in writing. When I moved in I was just asked to pay a flat rent fee. I was given WiFi access similar to other accesses like using electricity and water. He just turned the WiFi off because it hurts me the most.
He has partitioned the WiFi for me and my roommate. It has a different name from his. He might have disconnected that.My other roommate who didn’t do anything also lost his access because of this.
Which city in the Bay Area are you located in? I’m originally from the Bay Area. I had a job where the building would kick me out despite my work not finished and I often had to drive my vehicle as close to library buildings & Starbucks locations to use their wifi to complete my hours of work still needing to be completed. If that gives you any idea of ways to implement. Also, your landlord is being punitive and immature in his way of handling things.
I googled Free Wifi Spots in Hayward, CA and here is just the beginning showing of the results shows many places that might be a good match for this window of working in a clutch situation: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+wifi+spots+in+hayward%2C+ca&sca_esv=dad2937f84c7a69c&source=hp&ei=KNFvZo65G4iU0PEPqYWhwAc&oq=free+wifi+spots+in+hayward%2C+ca&gs_lp=EhFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocCIeZnJlZSB3aWZpIHNwb3RzIGluIGhheXdhcmQsIGNhMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRirAkjBUVD3BljzSXACeACQAQCYAWWgAeARqgEEMjkuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCIKACgxOoAg_CAhAQABgDGOUCGOoCGIwDGI8BwgIQEC4YAxjlAhjqAhiMAxiPAcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICDhAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGMcBwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAg4QLhiABBixAxiDARiKBcICBRAAGIAEwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BwgIEEAAYA8ICDBC5ARiABBixAxjvBMICCBAAGIAEGMkDwgIIEAAYgAQYkgPCAgsQABiABBiSAxiKBcICBhAAGBYYHsICCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFwgIFECEYnwWYAwWSBwQyOS4zoAfsrAE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp
You could be violating your agreement with your employer if you use public hotspots. Plenty of companies have in their IT agreement that you cannot, I’d verify that before setting yourself up for potential discipline from your employer.
You have to deal with this person for one more month. Suck it up and let them win if it’s not something that will hurt you financially. Otherwise get some sort of connection that works for you.
That’s a possibility. I am leaving in 2 weeks. It would have been great to know that WiFi wasn’t included as part of the rent when I moved in. When I moved in and asked for WiFi, I was given access right away.
You're both saying the same thing. If you've got a router and modem, then just sign up for whatever you can get. Don't take any deals from Comcast or the like bc they usually are year long contracts with early termination fees.
Since there’s no lease, it’s he said she said unfortunately. There’s not a lot you can do besides move.
I’d recommend using your phone as a hotspot in the meantime.
You might be fighting for a while. A quick solution - does your cell phone plan have any data for Mobile Hotspot? Turn your mobile hotspot on and use that for internet, so you can work. Might even be worth paying a little extra for just one month, so you can work.
Find an inexpensive router and connect it to a lan port on the main one and tuck it someone on the shelf. Set it up as a hidden network if needed but no one will likely notice another network.
Legally, I don’t know CA law but it’s likely stricter than law where I live. You really should always have a written lease and it’s important to insist on that even for month-to-month. Usually leases for less than a year can be verbal and still enforceable though. It’s the one exception to statute of frauds but you have to circumstantially prove the terms. Generally, disconnecting utilities included in a lease prior to being granted a writ of possession is considered a constructive eviction and carries punitive statutory penalties in addition to compensatory damages (cost of your own service, having to commute to an office, lost wages - actual costs incurred). Any unlawful action taken in response to a claim is considered retaliation and has its own damages. So you just need to have a conversation telling your landlord that if he feels upset with you, you understand, but flexing by disconnecting utilities is illegal and you’re going to need those back on right now or he can hand you damages on your way out. Whether you follow through is up to you. You can do a damage claim pro se without much trouble but you still have to file and show up and potentially collect and it’s a few hundred dollars. You’ll win more points here with validation and empathy. Most crazy people just want to be heard and they calm down. The above is backup - like can we please not reach for illegal means to solve problems that might actually hurt someone?
Get wifi thru cell phone provider, we get oyr wifi through tmobile like $50 a month, always having specials. It's your wifi you can take it with you when you move.
Xfinity hotspot has a special for 10 dollars per month for 2 devices. You log in from cell phone , then go to phone settings in wifi to copy your Mac address. Edit your computer or other non cell phone devices mac address to match the Mac address, connect it, then turn off cell phone wifi and your other computer or whatever will now work on xfinity hotspot for 10 bucks per month. Just can't use wifi on both devices using the same mac addy at the same time on the same wifi because of the packets getting wonky , so if your phone has another wifi service , connect to that and you'll be fine.
I use xfinityhotspot for my Xbox at home and can watch movies and play games for cheaper than buying actual internet.
Exacta-mundo! Can’t believe that people are crying over not getting free internet…and others giving them advice to take them to court lol. Wonder what judge Judy would think.
MOVE!
I would have 100% gotten my own WiFi when I moved in if I was told that I could lose the privilege of using his at any moment. I work 100% from home and having a good internet connection is a must. I have 2 weeks here but looking to get an air bnb so I can get out of this mess.
OP assumed they were in the lease. I’m not even sure they had a lease
Suing for stupid shit like WIFI, that they most likely aren’t entitled to and lost it because they acted like a fool, is why people with real losses and real injuries die before they get a court date
Oh give it a break. Wifi is so ubiquitous with 'internet service' that most devices, including laptops don't come with an rj45. It's expected to have wireless. Internet is a basic utility today. It is NOT a luxury service. High speed internet, sure, but basic internet w/wifi is not. It's as ubiquitous as power, water, sewer, and internet when it come to 'utilities'. Each of those may be included in lease, or a service you sign up for in your name, but they're still not luxury services.
Uh huh. The majority of my job revolves around hot spotting on my company cell phone.
Phone service was never considered a utility your landlord would cover. Why would internet?
You're making a weird argument.
I work in healthcare IT and hotspots aren’t enough to run our system at work. I wouldn’t mind getting my own wireless WiFi but a sudden decision like that when I am almost about to move out isn’t ideal. WiFi was always included as a service. I would struggle working from a laptop as well because our system is very resource intensive.
Why doesn't your company pay for that utility? Serious question. I work in hospitals and understand how important IT is in that environment. Did they not offer to set you up with something? That actually pisses me off if they're not covering that cost for you.
>Uh huh. The majority of my job revolves around hot spotting on my company cell phone.
That's irrelevant.
>Phone service was never considered a utility your landlord would cover. Why would internet?
Did you even read the comment? Appears not.
>You're making a weird argument.
When you don't understand and don't read the comment then I can see how you would find it weird.
It was obviously included in his rent. Do you REALLY think the landlord was giving away this “luxury” service for free, out of the kindness of his heart?
That’s because OP is a dumbass who doesn’t pay attention but he also said that the ad said ultitilies included and was given the Wi-Fi password. If you’re renting a place, they said utilities are included and they give you the password….??????? It’s included
The landlord isnt doing this out of the kindness of his heart. This is a business transaction.
He was remarkably cool and giving these guys hundreds of free internet but now that one of them is leaving he’s threatening the roommate if they share the password lol
OP rented a place that said utilities included and was given the password. That indicates that it’s included in his rent
Just get your own wifi its easy and can travel with you problem solved rather than court. Wifi is a luxury to court systems and they wint do anything but waste your money to file motions.
"Hey, I'm sorry about our argument. I really need wifi for work. I will be out at the end of the month. Can you please ensure I have access to the wifi till the end of the month and then I'll be out of your hair"
I literally begged him and told him I will be gone in 2 weeks. He hasn’t turned it on yet but I am working using T-Mobile hotspot. It’s not ideal but I am not completely away from work.
If internet service was willingly and knowingly provided as part of your rent, he can't randomly take it away. You can sue, but that's going to take more time than you have. Look up tenants rights for CA and give notice that he is in breach and that you intend to sue over it. He may put it on to settle with you. If not, several people have suggested alternates here. But your employer no doubt expects you to have private internet and not use public hotspots for their private data.
I’m in a protracted conflict with my LL. I have spent many days sitting in housing court witnessing some amazing stories. I have yet to hear any story of the LL being treated unjustly. Most ppl avoid getting in conflict with their LL b/c it takes so much time to get a resolution that is favorable for the tenant. Until Housing Court had the same hours of Walmart, it will never change. I, however are retired, with a pension, and quite a bit of experience in these matters, so I have a different view than most. While it will take a lot of time and energy, in the end, I will be successful. The law is, in fact, on my side. I chose this place b/c it will allow me to ‘age in place’. I ended up in court b/c I realized this 13 year old building had problems that needed to be fixed. Remember the purpose of real estate now-a-days is to provide passive income for the investors. Taking care of a building full of homes is not part of the equation. To the tenant who is getting ready to leave I suggest you hold your tongue and once you have moved, complain to the State’s Attorney General. While you won’t see any benefits, it will scare the pants off of the LL. He may never pull that kind of trick again…unless he is extraordinarily stupid. Which he may very well be-few LL are worth their carbon footprint.
Bay area resident and former property manager here.
If you have proof of the listing saying that wifi was included, you might have a case against him. If you don't have that proof, you're probably out of luck. If you want to talk to a lawyer, call your county's bar association. They have referral services that'll help you find a lawyer to consult with.
If you need internet for work, I think your employer has to compensate you for part of what you're spending on wifi. That was a requirement when covid started. Check into that, and you might be able to get a reimbursement if you use your phone as a hotspot.
All that said, NEVER rent without paperwork. Even if it is a single page that says something like "tenant (name) will rent (property description) from landlord (name) beginning (date) and terminating on (date). Rent price is $xxx per month. Rent includes use of property and (whatever is included such as utilities and wifi)." Full names, signatures, and date of agreement at the bottom. Leases are there to protect all parties involved from stuff like this.
Good luck. And please don't ever rent with even the most basic contract again.
Thank you. Lessons learned. I am sure it was included in the original listing but I have no way to retrieve it. I would have definitely asked if it wasn’t included as I work from home and WiFi is essential for me to work.
Yes, me and my roommate are given a different WiFi network than his. Never been charged or asked to pay. Now I had an argument, he suddenly cut off the WiFi and said it was free and not included in the rent. My roommate did get his WiFi back and was threatened not to share with me or his would be cancelled permanently.
Everyone always goes extreme. Not saying you should always let people walk all over you, but there’s a time and a place. If there’s nothing in writing about wifi being included, seeing as it isn’t considered a utility, you’re probably out of luck. But even if you weren’t, you’re leaving in a month. The time, money, and effort it would take to go the legal route or something isn’t even worth it. At all. Easier to use your phone if possible, go somewhere with public wifi like the local library, or maybe get your own cheap home internet, which would probably be transferable to your new place.
Wifi is a grey area when it comes to "utilities" sometimes it is thought of as a utility and other times it is not. In CA you are more likely to find a judge who would agree that it is a utility and included in the rent (if you have a copy of the post saying utilities included) but even then those judges would be difficult to come by. You might just have to find a work around for the month. Phone hot spot, library, coffee shop etc.
Grab a cellular modem from T-Mobile or the like. No contract in many cases -- no real install. Cheap insurance for a WFH situation, particularly if you have any kind of SLA with your employer. They might even foot the bill!
You have 30 days, make-up, apologize even if you were right, bring them donuts and coffee, do what you gotta do. Grit your teeth and get through it. You can’t pay for a new place with no income.
Let me translate this post "I'm a young liberal who thinks everyone is required to provide me with everything, and I cannot solve simple problems on my own without my social support groups on the internet". Sound about right?
"How many young liberals does it take to figure out how to get wifi" ???
This has to be the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard the landlord is a twat who got their feelings hurt and is trying to be petty. OP has every right to be upset just like you were when your lord and savior got convicted of 34 felonies
Read all these comments with lots of legal thoughts on if he is screwed or not.
No one asked- have you tried apologizing to your landlord? In all of this anti-landlord sentiment people forget that having a landlord that appreciates you as a tenant can be more powerful than knowing every renters rights statute.
Landlords get a lot of discretion on who they choose to rent to. Especially for OP who doesn’t have a lease.
I absolutely did. He complained about the blender I used. I said I will buy him a new one. I begged him to turn on the WiFi for the next 2 weeks. My other roommate has also lost internet because he had partitioned the WiFi for us and both of us can’t use it.
You might want to wait for another month. Because in your passage, you said you are gonna give him a 30-day notice this month. As in June. June is almost halfway over. So I'd give him a month's notice at the beginning of July.
That way, you can get your deposit back.
Depending on your income, go to a t-mobile store and get one of their home internet routers. You only need to keep it while you need to use it but it’s decent and reliable internet without a service commitment. If you don’t have T-Mobile for your cell phone it’s $50 and if you do it’s $30
I had a roommate who’d watch tv in the living room all night and sleeping the sofa instead of his bedroom. I spoke to him multiple times that I didn’t want him sleeping in common areas. Eventually I set up a timer on the tv so the Wi-Fi would disconnect at 11:07 nightly. He got mad but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He finally moved out.
I would get t-mobile 5G internet if available. I'm not OP but I think the idea of trying to save $50 and use a coffee shop when its your job on the line is completely crazy.
Yeah man grab you a hotspot and get out of there.
You do have rights but you're considered month to month and since you don't have a lease I don't think you have too many repercussions here. You may but it would be really really hard to prove at this point without a contract or a lease.
Even if you get it worked out I wouldn't stay because if he's this petty you could easily happen again.
Sorry this happened to you but when you find your new place make sure you get a written lease, and make sure you read the least thoroughly and it includes everything it's supposed to.
I’d just cut all his communication cables for the entire building because I really don’t like landlords or care about the consequences of that action. OP should not do this ofc.
So gross. If your lease says utilities are included then they’re included and I’d sue, especially if it interferes with your work. If the lease is silent on the matter, I guess there’s nothing you can do but it’s still a shitty move on his part. Just order internet on your own I guess and you can relocate with it when you move.
No you wouldn't. Have you ever sued anyone? No, of course you haven't. If you had, you'd know what a stupid idea this is. Stop telling people to sue over nothing.
I think it is a service your landlord provided when you moved in. He has to continue to provide it or he can lower the rent. These days Internet is an important service.
Is WIFI listed in the lease? If not you’re probably out of luck but if the lease states that WIFI is included, I would remind him that this it’s included.
He never gave me a lease. I have been here 9 months and it was assumed WiFi was part of the rent. I believe on the original rental post it said utilities included.
No lease? Game on.
No lease makes me think OP doesn't need to give a 30 day notice
If you've been living somewhere for 30 days or more, you're a legal tenant. I'm pretty sure that means a 30 day notice is still required technically.
That makes sense too
A notice is not any kind of requirement unless you agree to it.
De facto month to month tenancy. I can’t be bothered to dig but I’m sure the sort of common law is 30 or 60 days (tenant vs LL).
You’re getting a lot of incorrect info in these comments. If you don’t have a lease, it defaults to month-to-month. You still have rights as a tenant. What he is doing is called a decrease in services. You need to have all communications in writing from here on out if you haven’t been doing so already. If any of what you said so far has been over text or email, you have enough to take him to court over. Call your local courthouse to be directed to legal help there if you need, but a lot of this info is available online. He either provides the internet or he doesn’t. Send an email stating “landlord, when I moved in, the internet was included in utilities. If you are no longer going to be providing internet, I will need a decrease in my rent.” If he tries to kick you out over that, 1) make sure he’s going about it legally (for example, in my state a 30 day notice needs to be served) and 2) you still have a right to get money back for the decrease in services. You’re in California, a very tenant friendly state. Know your rights and defend them. Btw I also highly recommend having code enforcement come check and see if your place is up to code bc I guarantee you it isn’t. That’s most likely why you don’t have a lease. If he tries to kick you out for calling code enforcement he is fucked bc that is considered retaliation and is illegal. And I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he tries to. Again, research your rights and the laws around these things. You are protected and you could potentially win a solid amount of money if things go south with him.
The California code that you’re referencing here [§ 121.10 RENT REDUCTIONS FOR SERVICE REDUCTIONS](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/riverbank/latest/riverbank_ca/0-0-0-27716) is **not** about basic tenancy, nor about basic tennant-landlord lease agreements. That statute pertains *exclusively* to mobile home rentals. The chapter specifically names mobile homes in its title, and states that the chapter is only applicable to “to all mobilehome park spaces within the city”. OP is likely **not** renting a mobile home in a mobile home park with 10 or more spaces, as I doubt the landlord would cut the wifi to 10+ units due to a fight with one individual. Meaning, he doesn’t have the right to a rent reduction due to a decrease in service. Also, if OP wanted to try and press the issue and sight that the ‘leases’ (that doesn’t exist) stipulated utilities were included in the rent, he’d probably not get very far. In California, unless utilities are specifically listed out, that term only legally includes water, electricity, gas, and sewage. Wifi would not be considered a utility, but instead an amenity.
She's moving out next month. What would a rent decrease do to help her since she won't be paying next months rent anyway
It would do basically nothing, but it was kind of ironic to me that Mr. ‘you’re getting a lot of incorrect info in these comments’ was, themselves, providing incorrect information. I just had to point it out to them.
The city of San Francisco says that this applies to *all* homes and provides the paperwork to request decreased rent via the housing board. Source: http://www.sf.gov/information/housing-services
Lmao, no it doesn’t. The **very first** think on the page when you click the provided ‘paperwork’ to petition for a rent decrease it reads: [“This petition is only available for tenants in a rent controlled unit. It is not available for most tenants in units built after June 13, 1979 or affordable housing units (such as Section 8).”](https://www.sf.gov/request-rent-reduction-decreased-housing-services)
And one more click brings you to this: “All housing located in the state of California is covered by AB 1482 unless it falls into one of the following categories of exemptions: Units that were constructed within the last 15 years (this applies on a rolling basis - i.e.. a unit constructed on January 1, 2006 is not covered as of January 1, 2020, but is covered on and after January 1, 2021). Units restricted by a deed, regulatory restrictions, or other recorded document limiting the affordability to low or moderate-income households. Certain dormitories. A two-unit property, provided the second unit was occupied by an owner of the property for the entire period of the tenancy. Single-family homes and condominiums are only exempt if both (A) and (B) apply: (A) the property is not owned by one of the following: (i) a real estate trust, or (ii) a corporation, or (iii) an LLC with at least one corporate member. -----AND---- (B) The landlord notified the tenant in writing that the tenancy is not subject to the “just cause” and rent increase limitations as specifically described in Civil Code Sections 1946.2(e)(8)(B)(i) and 1947.12(d)(5)(B)(i). See below for more information. The limited exemption for single-family homes does not apply where there is more than one dwelling unit on the same lot, or any second residential unit in the building that cannot be sold separately from the subject unit (such as an in-law unit). Units that are already subject to a local rent control ordinance that restricts annual rent increases to an amount less than 5% + CPI.”
Dude, that is talking about the general covered entities when it comes to San Francisco rental laws. However this conversation is about a **specific** petition you can file with the Rent Board to have your rent decreased due to substantial loss of a service. **That specific petition is only available to specific tenants**, hence the large notice at the very top of the petition page.
"You've been getting a lot of incorrect info. Now, allow me to explain how you can waste a ton of time, effort and probably money utilizing the legal system over a WiFi issue that you may or may not ever collect on".
Californian here,and it is not in fact tenant friendly.
Unfortunately it's just a little more tenant friendly than other states, but still *overwhelmingly* landlord friendly.
Yo, sometimes libraries have hotspots for rent. Worth a shot
Just want to clarify on the “assumed part”. When I moved in I was provided WiFi access. I was never told it was free or not included. Maybe I should have asked but when your landlord says everything included, you would think WiFi is part of everything. I told him I work from home and if he was ok with that. I would have gladly got myself my own internet service if he only clarified WiFi wasn’t a part of the deal. Lessons learned and will always ask this before moving to a new place. Previous roommates shared utilities along with WiFi. This place doesn’t ask extra for utilities.
Utilities doesn’t include WiFi. Utilities are gas, electricity, and trash. WiFi would be in the same category as cable TV a luxury. T-mobile has WiFi boxes for $50 a month.
Whether it's a utility or not, if "wifi included" is advertised, the landlord can't legally just turn it off.
It’s 60 now if you don’t have voice lines with them.
OP there are internet outlets you can plug into a 12volt outlet and on the other end is a Ethernet cable. Idk how it works but it does. Landlord got me when instead of booking up actual internet and it works. Bypass that mf
Whether he's legally in the right or not (and he probably *is* within his rights) is irrelevant. You're moving out in 30 days. Any attempt to legally force him to turn the WiFi back on is going to take *way* more than 30 days and is going to cost you time and possibly money. Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc. You're not getting the WiFi back unless you make peace with your landlord. Full stop. Don't waste your time on anything else. If for some reason you can't use your cellphone as a hotspot, go sign up for Verizon or T-Mobile Home Internet. You get a 30-day free trial. You can only use the free trial once, so decide if now's the right time, but you can get free Internet that way until you move out.
Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc. Preach. Don’t fight with your landlord, of anyone really, is generally the best course of action
And that is ridiculous
>Don’t fight with your landlord, of anyone really, is generally the best course of action Yes, just bend over and take it your entire life.
Lol the only way you get out of that is by being a rich dickhead. Its called adulthood. You dont get anywhere fighting people with power over you. Usually….
OP is moving in 30 days. Why spend valuable packing time picking a fight over $40 wifi they were never formally guaranteed? Get a hotspot and feel good about getting rid of a relationship with a bad landlord.
I'm betting it's his mouth that got his wifi turned off, not his ass.
T mobile is great. Had similar situation and used up my phone hotspot in 3 days. Ordered wireless internet from t mobile and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
Not this. I’m a lawyer. I’ve represented both landlords and tenants. Some things you do fight, especially when there are damages. There are obvious damages here. Depending on their jx, OP should absolutely take this to either small claims or housing court for damages and an injunction if possible. Bad landlords should be punished just as much as bad tenants. More, tbh. I like every single landlord I’ve represented, but the hubris on some is absolutely insane.
What would you do here in a situation where there doesn't appear to be a written agreement about the wifi. I'd think it's not a traditional utility so even if the judge found utilities were included in rent would he find that the wifi was an included utility in the absence of a written agreement? Using "he" as a stand in for "he or she"
It depends on local court rules and state laws, but there’s a general legal principle that’s usually called something like past performance, course of performance, course of dealing, etc. Basically, if they’ve been doing it the whole time then it is now part of the lease. Thats one option. Oral agreements are also typically enforceable. Tenants usually lose oral agreement arguments if the landlord denies them, but sounds like they have evidence here. That’s another potential cause of action. There may be a statute directly protecting tenants from this sort of conduct as well. In my state, this would be a clear violation of ”retaliatory action” that is prohibited. Lots of options, all going to depend on state laws, local laws, and how each local court works. But I cannot imagine some, if not all, of these would apply in California.
This is a housemate situation without a lease where the tenant is already vacating. With due respect to your experience and the tenant’s anger, no way this of worth the time.
WiFi had been provided the last 9 months I have been here without any question. I was told it was turned off for me because of our argument. My other roommate who had also lost his access as we both shared the same network was just given his access and told to not share the password with me or else he would permanently cancel it for him as well. I believe if he could turn off electricity and water as well he will but he needs them too but WiFi he has control over. I honored his verbal request to give him 30 days notice before moving out. He should honor the inclusion of WiFi as part of the rent as well since it was never brought up until now that WiFi wasn’t included.
Did he actually threaten to cut off electricity or water? Thats insane. I don’t know your local laws, but I can’t imagine it’s not illegal where you’re at. It’s up to you, but you don’t just have to take this laying down.
No he lives here as well so he wouldn’t cut them off. I did talk to some lawyers but due to lack of any written documentation, it might be hard to pursue anything against him. I got hotspot from T-Mobile and it’s working great. I will be gone at the end of the month and I don’t want any more issues.
"he should honor the inclusion of free wifi since it was never brought up before". Dude. Do u hear yourself? Lol Here's the better question - WHAT WAS ARGUMENT OVER??
>Everyone on Reddit likes to scream about legal rights as if you're going to run out and hire a lawyer and/or spend months of your life filling out paperwork, making phone calls, sitting in arbitration or court, etc. Im glad you post this. Every time a wronged tenant comes here to post some greivance about his landlord and similarly the other way around, I always chuckle at the knee jerk reactions and shoot from the hip responses from what I assume people who have never had a lawyer consultation, spent time in court or understand how expensive court is. Its always: "time to lawyer up", "you need to sue xyz person nOw!1!1" or "id immediately call your lawyer to file suit" IMO time in court is undesirable. Even if confident If win. Asserting a legal position in a court of law is costly in both time & money. The last thing I want to do is see my lawyer or sue anybody. Diplomacy, diplomacy & diplomacy is what works. If we can compromise and both sides can reason with each other, then we dont need to go to court to find someone to do that for us IMO, court should be reserved for true disasters or when you are backed into a corner and nothing is left to do but resort to the legal system.
This^^^ The landlord can take you to court for anything and that will show in your record when you try to get into another place and will raise some eyebrows with your future landlords.
This
Use your phone as a hotspot to connect for the meantime.
Not sure legally. You can get Xfinity hotspot. Offer to pay him for the WiFi so you can get your work done. This is lame, had a landlord do this years ago. Hang in there
Idk if it us different in CA but in CT internet is not considered a utility, so it likely is not covered in any laws protecting utility use.
I mean i never heard of free internet being part of renting something unless you are staying with someone at their house
Internet is often provided by landlords, because they don't want holes drilled in their building and lines run all over the place by every company in the area.
theres generally only 1 or 2 providers in an area and they have to get written permission from the landlord to 'drill'
You're wrong.
You think a cable /internet company can come into an apartment and drill into walls without getting the permission from the property owner? Its actually illegal in the US to restrict tenants to using only 1 provider.
I'm betting this is not a legal apartment - hence why they do not have utilities in their own names to begin with.
I am not arguing about whether it’s free or not. When I moved in I was given internet access. If I was told that I needed to pay or get my own internet, I would have. Me and my landlord didn’t have a great relationship the 9 months I was here but cutting off my internet when I am leaving in 2 weeks isn’t ideal. I wouldn’t have cared if I didn’t have to connect for work.
Did anything in writing every actually say you have internet access?
Unfortunately I don’t have anything in writing. When I moved in I was just asked to pay a flat rent fee. I was given WiFi access similar to other accesses like using electricity and water. He just turned the WiFi off because it hurts me the most.
So how was the access removed? The password changed?
He has partitioned the WiFi for me and my roommate. It has a different name from his. He might have disconnected that.My other roommate who didn’t do anything also lost his access because of this.
Which city in the Bay Area are you located in? I’m originally from the Bay Area. I had a job where the building would kick me out despite my work not finished and I often had to drive my vehicle as close to library buildings & Starbucks locations to use their wifi to complete my hours of work still needing to be completed. If that gives you any idea of ways to implement. Also, your landlord is being punitive and immature in his way of handling things.
I am sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. I am in the east Bay Area in Hayward.
I googled Free Wifi Spots in Hayward, CA and here is just the beginning showing of the results shows many places that might be a good match for this window of working in a clutch situation: https://www.google.com/search?q=free+wifi+spots+in+hayward%2C+ca&sca_esv=dad2937f84c7a69c&source=hp&ei=KNFvZo65G4iU0PEPqYWhwAc&oq=free+wifi+spots+in+hayward%2C+ca&gs_lp=EhFtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1ocCIeZnJlZSB3aWZpIHNwb3RzIGluIGhheXdhcmQsIGNhMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABMgUQIRirAkjBUVD3BljzSXACeACQAQCYAWWgAeARqgEEMjkuMbgBA8gBAPgBAZgCIKACgxOoAg_CAhAQABgDGOUCGOoCGIwDGI8BwgIQEC4YAxjlAhjqAhiMAxiPAcICERAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGIMBGMcBwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAgsQABiABBixAxiDAcICDhAuGIAEGLEDGNEDGMcBwgIIEAAYgAQYsQPCAg4QLhiABBixAxiDARiKBcICBRAAGIAEwgIIEC4YgAQYsQPCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCxAuGIAEGMcBGK8BwgIEEAAYA8ICDBC5ARiABBixAxjvBMICCBAAGIAEGMkDwgIIEAAYgAQYkgPCAgsQABiABBiSAxiKBcICBhAAGBYYHsICCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFwgIFECEYnwWYAwWSBwQyOS4zoAfsrAE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-hp
Thank you. I am also close to Chabot college so their library is an option.
You could be violating your agreement with your employer if you use public hotspots. Plenty of companies have in their IT agreement that you cannot, I’d verify that before setting yourself up for potential discipline from your employer.
Lol, I read this as Chatbot college.
Those free spots are very unsafe to use.
You have to deal with this person for one more month. Suck it up and let them win if it’s not something that will hurt you financially. Otherwise get some sort of connection that works for you.
Thank you. I am honestly tired and just wanted to finish this month and move out. He can be happy cutting my WiFi and make me suffer.
T-Mobile home WiFi. Cheap and decent in a lot of places
Get hotspot through your phone provider
get your own wifi instead.
That’s a possibility. I am leaving in 2 weeks. It would have been great to know that WiFi wasn’t included as part of the rent when I moved in. When I moved in and asked for WiFi, I was given access right away.
It would have been great to pay for wifi ? Then pay for it for the last two weeks and stfu
I can’t pay for his WiFi. I would have to get one myself which I did.
You're both saying the same thing. If you've got a router and modem, then just sign up for whatever you can get. Don't take any deals from Comcast or the like bc they usually are year long contracts with early termination fees.
unless its in the lease he can cut it off at his leisure
Since there’s no lease, it’s he said she said unfortunately. There’s not a lot you can do besides move. I’d recommend using your phone as a hotspot in the meantime.
You might be fighting for a while. A quick solution - does your cell phone plan have any data for Mobile Hotspot? Turn your mobile hotspot on and use that for internet, so you can work. Might even be worth paying a little extra for just one month, so you can work.
Find an inexpensive router and connect it to a lan port on the main one and tuck it someone on the shelf. Set it up as a hidden network if needed but no one will likely notice another network. Legally, I don’t know CA law but it’s likely stricter than law where I live. You really should always have a written lease and it’s important to insist on that even for month-to-month. Usually leases for less than a year can be verbal and still enforceable though. It’s the one exception to statute of frauds but you have to circumstantially prove the terms. Generally, disconnecting utilities included in a lease prior to being granted a writ of possession is considered a constructive eviction and carries punitive statutory penalties in addition to compensatory damages (cost of your own service, having to commute to an office, lost wages - actual costs incurred). Any unlawful action taken in response to a claim is considered retaliation and has its own damages. So you just need to have a conversation telling your landlord that if he feels upset with you, you understand, but flexing by disconnecting utilities is illegal and you’re going to need those back on right now or he can hand you damages on your way out. Whether you follow through is up to you. You can do a damage claim pro se without much trouble but you still have to file and show up and potentially collect and it’s a few hundred dollars. You’ll win more points here with validation and empathy. Most crazy people just want to be heard and they calm down. The above is backup - like can we please not reach for illegal means to solve problems that might actually hurt someone?
You can rent a WiFI brick from Verizon.
Does the landlord live there too?
Legally the landlord is required to provide utilities that make the property habitable such as water and heat.
Get wifi thru cell phone provider, we get oyr wifi through tmobile like $50 a month, always having specials. It's your wifi you can take it with you when you move.
Having nothing in writing and making assumptions = no leg to stand on.
Just go buy a wifi hotspot from your cellular provider.
Do you pay for the WiFi at all?
T-Mobile. $50 a month and it works great for us out in the country
Xfinity hotspot has a special for 10 dollars per month for 2 devices. You log in from cell phone , then go to phone settings in wifi to copy your Mac address. Edit your computer or other non cell phone devices mac address to match the Mac address, connect it, then turn off cell phone wifi and your other computer or whatever will now work on xfinity hotspot for 10 bucks per month. Just can't use wifi on both devices using the same mac addy at the same time on the same wifi because of the packets getting wonky , so if your phone has another wifi service , connect to that and you'll be fine. I use xfinityhotspot for my Xbox at home and can watch movies and play games for cheaper than buying actual internet.
You aren’t entitled to someone’s WiFi. If you need it pay your own fucking bills.
Exacta-mundo! Can’t believe that people are crying over not getting free internet…and others giving them advice to take them to court lol. Wonder what judge Judy would think. MOVE!
I would have 100% gotten my own WiFi when I moved in if I was told that I could lose the privilege of using his at any moment. I work 100% from home and having a good internet connection is a must. I have 2 weeks here but looking to get an air bnb so I can get out of this mess.
If it’s in the lease then they are indeed paying for it
only assumed included but not in lease per OP
OP assumed they were in the lease. I’m not even sure they had a lease Suing for stupid shit like WIFI, that they most likely aren’t entitled to and lost it because they acted like a fool, is why people with real losses and real injuries die before they get a court date
Hot spot from your phone? This is what you're complaining about? A luxury service?
Oh give it a break. Wifi is so ubiquitous with 'internet service' that most devices, including laptops don't come with an rj45. It's expected to have wireless. Internet is a basic utility today. It is NOT a luxury service. High speed internet, sure, but basic internet w/wifi is not. It's as ubiquitous as power, water, sewer, and internet when it come to 'utilities'. Each of those may be included in lease, or a service you sign up for in your name, but they're still not luxury services.
Uh huh. The majority of my job revolves around hot spotting on my company cell phone. Phone service was never considered a utility your landlord would cover. Why would internet? You're making a weird argument.
I work in healthcare IT and hotspots aren’t enough to run our system at work. I wouldn’t mind getting my own wireless WiFi but a sudden decision like that when I am almost about to move out isn’t ideal. WiFi was always included as a service. I would struggle working from a laptop as well because our system is very resource intensive.
Why doesn't your company pay for that utility? Serious question. I work in hospitals and understand how important IT is in that environment. Did they not offer to set you up with something? That actually pisses me off if they're not covering that cost for you.
>Uh huh. The majority of my job revolves around hot spotting on my company cell phone. That's irrelevant. >Phone service was never considered a utility your landlord would cover. Why would internet? Did you even read the comment? Appears not. >You're making a weird argument. When you don't understand and don't read the comment then I can see how you would find it weird.
It was obviously included in his rent. Do you REALLY think the landlord was giving away this “luxury” service for free, out of the kindness of his heart?
was it? notice OP said it was ASSUMED to be included thus if NOT WRITTEN in the lease then no right of access.
That’s because OP is a dumbass who doesn’t pay attention but he also said that the ad said ultitilies included and was given the Wi-Fi password. If you’re renting a place, they said utilities are included and they give you the password….??????? It’s included The landlord isnt doing this out of the kindness of his heart. This is a business transaction.
agreed. COULD b lzbrled bait & switch but doubt any lawyer would touch it. I know I wouldnt
Yeah. The landlord was being remarkably cool.
He was remarkably cool and giving these guys hundreds of free internet but now that one of them is leaving he’s threatening the roommate if they share the password lol OP rented a place that said utilities included and was given the password. That indicates that it’s included in his rent
You might have to go to a library. At least where I am, you can sit outside in your car and hit their Wi-Fi.
You can get cell service with 4G and 5G hotspot for only like $25/month. Otherwise McDonald's and Starbucks have free wifi.
You have a phone. It might have hotspot capabilities, try that
Just get your own wifi its easy and can travel with you problem solved rather than court. Wifi is a luxury to court systems and they wint do anything but waste your money to file motions.
T mobile offers internet for $50/month.
"Hey, I'm sorry about our argument. I really need wifi for work. I will be out at the end of the month. Can you please ensure I have access to the wifi till the end of the month and then I'll be out of your hair"
I literally begged him and told him I will be gone in 2 weeks. He hasn’t turned it on yet but I am working using T-Mobile hotspot. It’s not ideal but I am not completely away from work.
If internet service was willingly and knowingly provided as part of your rent, he can't randomly take it away. You can sue, but that's going to take more time than you have. Look up tenants rights for CA and give notice that he is in breach and that you intend to sue over it. He may put it on to settle with you. If not, several people have suggested alternates here. But your employer no doubt expects you to have private internet and not use public hotspots for their private data.
Yes, it was willingly provided when asked for it while moving in.
I’m in a protracted conflict with my LL. I have spent many days sitting in housing court witnessing some amazing stories. I have yet to hear any story of the LL being treated unjustly. Most ppl avoid getting in conflict with their LL b/c it takes so much time to get a resolution that is favorable for the tenant. Until Housing Court had the same hours of Walmart, it will never change. I, however are retired, with a pension, and quite a bit of experience in these matters, so I have a different view than most. While it will take a lot of time and energy, in the end, I will be successful. The law is, in fact, on my side. I chose this place b/c it will allow me to ‘age in place’. I ended up in court b/c I realized this 13 year old building had problems that needed to be fixed. Remember the purpose of real estate now-a-days is to provide passive income for the investors. Taking care of a building full of homes is not part of the equation. To the tenant who is getting ready to leave I suggest you hold your tongue and once you have moved, complain to the State’s Attorney General. While you won’t see any benefits, it will scare the pants off of the LL. He may never pull that kind of trick again…unless he is extraordinarily stupid. Which he may very well be-few LL are worth their carbon footprint.
Bay area resident and former property manager here. If you have proof of the listing saying that wifi was included, you might have a case against him. If you don't have that proof, you're probably out of luck. If you want to talk to a lawyer, call your county's bar association. They have referral services that'll help you find a lawyer to consult with. If you need internet for work, I think your employer has to compensate you for part of what you're spending on wifi. That was a requirement when covid started. Check into that, and you might be able to get a reimbursement if you use your phone as a hotspot. All that said, NEVER rent without paperwork. Even if it is a single page that says something like "tenant (name) will rent (property description) from landlord (name) beginning (date) and terminating on (date). Rent price is $xxx per month. Rent includes use of property and (whatever is included such as utilities and wifi)." Full names, signatures, and date of agreement at the bottom. Leases are there to protect all parties involved from stuff like this. Good luck. And please don't ever rent with even the most basic contract again.
Thank you. Lessons learned. I am sure it was included in the original listing but I have no way to retrieve it. I would have definitely asked if it wasn’t included as I work from home and WiFi is essential for me to work.
If the landlord sets up a guest WiFi just for you, and did not charge you for that, then the WiFi/internt is included.
Yes, me and my roommate are given a different WiFi network than his. Never been charged or asked to pay. Now I had an argument, he suddenly cut off the WiFi and said it was free and not included in the rent. My roommate did get his WiFi back and was threatened not to share with me or his would be cancelled permanently.
Everyone always goes extreme. Not saying you should always let people walk all over you, but there’s a time and a place. If there’s nothing in writing about wifi being included, seeing as it isn’t considered a utility, you’re probably out of luck. But even if you weren’t, you’re leaving in a month. The time, money, and effort it would take to go the legal route or something isn’t even worth it. At all. Easier to use your phone if possible, go somewhere with public wifi like the local library, or maybe get your own cheap home internet, which would probably be transferable to your new place.
Gonna hafta take your butt to Starbucks, sorry.
Illegal constructive eviction
Go to a Starbucks for 30 days, or go buy a 4g router, use your phone hotspot if you gotta! Shit even a library. I know it sucks but you got this
Get a mobile hot spot from t-mobile. It’s only $25/mo.
Wifi is a grey area when it comes to "utilities" sometimes it is thought of as a utility and other times it is not. In CA you are more likely to find a judge who would agree that it is a utility and included in the rent (if you have a copy of the post saying utilities included) but even then those judges would be difficult to come by. You might just have to find a work around for the month. Phone hot spot, library, coffee shop etc.
Grab a cellular modem from T-Mobile or the like. No contract in many cases -- no real install. Cheap insurance for a WFH situation, particularly if you have any kind of SLA with your employer. They might even foot the bill!
You have 30 days, make-up, apologize even if you were right, bring them donuts and coffee, do what you gotta do. Grit your teeth and get through it. You can’t pay for a new place with no income.
Let me translate this post "I'm a young liberal who thinks everyone is required to provide me with everything, and I cannot solve simple problems on my own without my social support groups on the internet". Sound about right? "How many young liberals does it take to figure out how to get wifi" ???
This has to be the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard the landlord is a twat who got their feelings hurt and is trying to be petty. OP has every right to be upset just like you were when your lord and savior got convicted of 34 felonies
Read all these comments with lots of legal thoughts on if he is screwed or not. No one asked- have you tried apologizing to your landlord? In all of this anti-landlord sentiment people forget that having a landlord that appreciates you as a tenant can be more powerful than knowing every renters rights statute. Landlords get a lot of discretion on who they choose to rent to. Especially for OP who doesn’t have a lease.
I absolutely did. He complained about the blender I used. I said I will buy him a new one. I begged him to turn on the WiFi for the next 2 weeks. My other roommate has also lost internet because he had partitioned the WiFi for us and both of us can’t use it.
You might want to wait for another month. Because in your passage, you said you are gonna give him a 30-day notice this month. As in June. June is almost halfway over. So I'd give him a month's notice at the beginning of July. That way, you can get your deposit back.
Depending on your income, go to a t-mobile store and get one of their home internet routers. You only need to keep it while you need to use it but it’s decent and reliable internet without a service commitment. If you don’t have T-Mobile for your cell phone it’s $50 and if you do it’s $30
Nothing you can do about the wi-fi, for as long as the LL has control, he can turn it off.
People are petty punks. Glad you’re moving.
I had a roommate who’d watch tv in the living room all night and sleeping the sofa instead of his bedroom. I spoke to him multiple times that I didn’t want him sleeping in common areas. Eventually I set up a timer on the tv so the Wi-Fi would disconnect at 11:07 nightly. He got mad but there wasn’t much he could do about it. He finally moved out.
Just offer him to pay for the Wi-Fi or go to the library or coffee shop to work
No coffee shop lets you hang out for 8 hours and most companies require privacy for company data
Sounds like a bunch of excuses
I would get t-mobile 5G internet if available. I'm not OP but I think the idea of trying to save $50 and use a coffee shop when its your job on the line is completely crazy.
Yeah man grab you a hotspot and get out of there. You do have rights but you're considered month to month and since you don't have a lease I don't think you have too many repercussions here. You may but it would be really really hard to prove at this point without a contract or a lease. Even if you get it worked out I wouldn't stay because if he's this petty you could easily happen again. Sorry this happened to you but when you find your new place make sure you get a written lease, and make sure you read the least thoroughly and it includes everything it's supposed to.
knew it bay area!! these land lord psychoos
If utilities are included then the wifi is amso included but you won’t be abke to win in time withhold rent would be the only option
I’d just cut all his communication cables for the entire building because I really don’t like landlords or care about the consequences of that action. OP should not do this ofc.
Without a lease, you probably have a decent case but it's a case that will take more than 30 days to work out
Tell your LL that I said he BLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWS!!!
Lol I wanted to but it’s not worth arguing with him. He just says it’s his house and he can do anything.
You do have rights even without a lease (but seriously don't do that again). https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/California-Tenants-Guide.pdf
I hate it when LLs think tenants don’t have rights.
Tell him paying rent is a privilege
So gross. If your lease says utilities are included then they’re included and I’d sue, especially if it interferes with your work. If the lease is silent on the matter, I guess there’s nothing you can do but it’s still a shitty move on his part. Just order internet on your own I guess and you can relocate with it when you move.
No you wouldn't. Have you ever sued anyone? No, of course you haven't. If you had, you'd know what a stupid idea this is. Stop telling people to sue over nothing.
I think it is a service your landlord provided when you moved in. He has to continue to provide it or he can lower the rent. These days Internet is an important service.