Extreme Unit
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- Feb 22, 2016
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I have been living on my own for a year now and am getting a feel for what it's like to pay for my rent, groceries, bills, etc. I am renting a room in a house with my landlord, whom I pay the rent to, and for the most part things have been going along smoothly. Unfortunately, I am considering trying to move out because my landlord has three dogs that are very spoiled and extremely noisy: two of them are German Shepard-type dogs and one is a Chihuahua-Terrier mix. This has come to cause me a great deal of stress and anger, mainly because of their excessive barking that my landlord makes no effort whatsoever to control. The house I live in is very small, not soundproof, and my landlord lets the dogs stay inside the whole time, so try to imagine how much noise three dogs can make inside a small house. I cannot open a door or turn a page in a book without provoking the dogs into a barking apocalypse as they make a mad dash towards the source of the sound, no matter how faint it may be. Trying to quietly unlock and open the front door after a rough day at work is stressful because I know the dogs will attack me the second they hear the door open, no matter how quiet I try to be to avoid the encounter.
My landlord dismisses her dogs' constant barking as being scared, but I disagree. They only bark when she's in the house, and they're always grouped together and follow her wherever she goes because they know she's not going to punish them for being too noisy. As soon as she leaves the house, however, they suddenly become quiet and scatter off in different directions which is the only time when I can have some peace; as soon as she comes back, they cluster back together and resume their barking rampage. My landlord has told me many times that if there's ever a problem or if I have any complaints, I should talk to her about it. I am reluctant to talk to her about the dogs, because she doesn't see them as a problem. I get the impression this is where she draws the line. She treats them like angels, and it is apparent that she cares more about her dogs than any human, despite her trying to be helpful with the space where I put my food and not entering my room without my permission, among other things. What if she sees me as a threat to them and kicks me out? And since I've kept a straight face and not told her any of what I'm posting here, she has no idea how frustrated I am at her. In fact, I feel kind of bad because she thinks I'm the best tenant she's ever had: I pay the rent on time and in full, I go to school, I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. If there is to be a smooth ride out of this predicament, I feel I need to keep it that way.
It's kind of sad to think about, because before I moved into my new house, my family had two dogs who were quiet, obedient, and lots of fun to play with. I was initially excited about meeting my landlord's dogs because I thought I would have the same experiences with them, but I have learned the hard way that not all dogs are as well-behaved as the ones my family had. I know it's not my place to try to make my landlord's dogs be quiet and I know she probably won't do anything about it. I have tried to ignore the dogs and cope by journaling and listening to loud music to drown out their barking, but I am coming to the end of my rope and the thought of living in this noisy madhouse for the next several years is a very scary thought. Moving out, however, would be a difficult decision to make: the rent I pay is cheap, and the house is within walking distance of the college I attend. Even if I found another room to rent in my community, what if the landlord decides to move out after a few months and I end up with a huge pile of rent that I can't pay? A few months ago, my mom offered to let me live with her because one of the related grocery stores was hiring at the time. That offer sounded appealing as I could save more money--and live in a quiet house--but I would have to go through the hassle of switching jobs and schools and the community she lives in isn't much nicer than the one I live in. I could probably inquire with her again, though (I haven't told her about the dogs either).
So, that's my story. Any opinions on what to do?
My landlord dismisses her dogs' constant barking as being scared, but I disagree. They only bark when she's in the house, and they're always grouped together and follow her wherever she goes because they know she's not going to punish them for being too noisy. As soon as she leaves the house, however, they suddenly become quiet and scatter off in different directions which is the only time when I can have some peace; as soon as she comes back, they cluster back together and resume their barking rampage. My landlord has told me many times that if there's ever a problem or if I have any complaints, I should talk to her about it. I am reluctant to talk to her about the dogs, because she doesn't see them as a problem. I get the impression this is where she draws the line. She treats them like angels, and it is apparent that she cares more about her dogs than any human, despite her trying to be helpful with the space where I put my food and not entering my room without my permission, among other things. What if she sees me as a threat to them and kicks me out? And since I've kept a straight face and not told her any of what I'm posting here, she has no idea how frustrated I am at her. In fact, I feel kind of bad because she thinks I'm the best tenant she's ever had: I pay the rent on time and in full, I go to school, I don't smoke, drink, or do drugs. If there is to be a smooth ride out of this predicament, I feel I need to keep it that way.
It's kind of sad to think about, because before I moved into my new house, my family had two dogs who were quiet, obedient, and lots of fun to play with. I was initially excited about meeting my landlord's dogs because I thought I would have the same experiences with them, but I have learned the hard way that not all dogs are as well-behaved as the ones my family had. I know it's not my place to try to make my landlord's dogs be quiet and I know she probably won't do anything about it. I have tried to ignore the dogs and cope by journaling and listening to loud music to drown out their barking, but I am coming to the end of my rope and the thought of living in this noisy madhouse for the next several years is a very scary thought. Moving out, however, would be a difficult decision to make: the rent I pay is cheap, and the house is within walking distance of the college I attend. Even if I found another room to rent in my community, what if the landlord decides to move out after a few months and I end up with a huge pile of rent that I can't pay? A few months ago, my mom offered to let me live with her because one of the related grocery stores was hiring at the time. That offer sounded appealing as I could save more money--and live in a quiet house--but I would have to go through the hassle of switching jobs and schools and the community she lives in isn't much nicer than the one I live in. I could probably inquire with her again, though (I haven't told her about the dogs either).
So, that's my story. Any opinions on what to do?