I will start to this thread, which I think is important. Miami has a big student rental market due to Ross and the U of Miami, the rents are very high, and bad landlords don't need a free ride! So...here is my contribution from a landlord you should avoid. If you add one, please add the reason.

SS (owner of Efficiency) - this efficiency, located at 4173 S. LeJeune, is a converted garage and porch area to the main house with its own entrance. I rented it for $640, for 2 rooms, one being the living area with a dining table, dorm fridge, and hot plate, the other with a TV and bed, and a bathroom. There was no kitchen sink or regular stove. This would be considered a very good deal in Miami if it weren't for the owner. The lease states that you are to turn off the air conditioner when leaving the apartment for the day. I did so, but found that both the owner and her mother (who live adjacent) came into my apartment on several occasions and turned off the ceiling fans, THEN sent me emails complaining about the electric bill. I followed the lease but they invaded my privacy in order to do this. In addition, the owners are very noisy and you can hear their conversations clearly in their part of the house. They also promised a couch in the living area, which was never put in, so there was no place to sit in the living area, basically making it useless space. The issue with this rental is the privacy. These owners WILL come into the place while you are out, so if you value your privacy do not rent at this address!!

If anyone has any other sites that are BAD in Miami, I'll make this a sticky. If not, I won't sticky it, and it will die by attrition. I moved this from the Classified section to the open forum, since it is not selling or renting something.

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Moderator - Ross University Forum

is there a clause that says you can't change the locks? if not, do it! i did it back in undergrad.
some of these landlords are amateurs.

According to Florida's law:

LANDLORD'S RIGHT OF ENTRY
Your landlord may enter at any time to take care of emergencies. An emergency should be something serious and requiring of immediate attention, like leaking gas, or a broken water pipe.
After giving you reasonable notice, he can enter to make repairs, decorate, or show your place. The statutes define reasonable notice as being 12 hours in advance, and reasonable time of inspection as between 7:30 AM and 8:00 PM. It would also be reasonable for you to require your landlord to enter only in your presence, or, if, because of an emergency, he entered with you absent, to leave a written explanation. He may also enter if you leave your place for more than one-half of a rent payment period without giving him notice or keeping the rent current.

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Moderator - Ross University Forum

I lived in a place in Miami near Bird road, i believe it was on 42nd street (two blocks south of bird). the house was yellowish-colored. i forgot the exact address, but the landloard's name was "Diane." She lived in Ohio for some reason, but the house was hers. There was a guy named "Roberto" who would come and have you sign the lease and do the run through. When we received the place, it was dirty as hell.

When we moved out, we cleaned everyrthing. Then, a few weeks later, only about 1/9 of our security was returned, apparently since the place was "dirty" and a pair of eyeglasses were left behind. For some reason, "Diane" said that we didnt clean a thing, so she had to have it professinally cleaned. then, mysteriously, the new tenants had to have someone come in a clean it (again, for some reason). Which makes no sense...if she already paid someone to clean it, why was it dirty again for the new tenants? Pure rip off. when i tried to call and resolve it, she wouldnt answer my calls ever again. She was a PURE thief.

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Good luck.

Actually I found out the hard way when I lived in Miami during 5th semester. It's actually illegal for a person set up "efficiences" in their home (blocking off a room from the rest of the house and setting it up with a gas stove, and giving it's own entry way (like the entry to efficiency coming from the back yard). I found this out when a cop came out for other unrelated reasons and saw the arrangement. So, if you signed a contract under those terms it's basically null and void according to dade county law.

Do not rent from a lady named SONYA who actually rents some properties from somebody and then rents out the same properties to other people like Ross students, she will take your deposit and not give it back.

i imagine since none of you stay in miami, you can't take up these thiefs in small claims court eh?

the above posts are a good reminder to always take pics with your digital camera

MY QUESTION IS WHY RENT IF YOU SEE IT NOT UP TO PAR

I spoke to that Sonya lady just this morning- she seemed pushy, but nice. Is she a scam or does she simply not return the deposit?

Thank you

I would never or recommend anybody else to rent from her. You just can't be 100% sure she'll give you your deposit back. 3 of my friends didnt get their deposit back b/c she said "she didn't have it". They wound up having to do a chargeback/dispute on their credit card in order to get their deposit back. We're talking about about over $2,000 amongst the three of them. Besides, she doesn't even own those properties, she just rents them out from somebody and then rents them out herself, seperating differents parts of the house and calling them "efficiencies". If the police were to happen to come out to the home for anything and see it, it would be against violations.

I'd rather pay more and stay in a hotel than rent from her.