I was searching to find similar experiences to mine with my particular Regie, but found none. So I decided to share my own particular experience, for future reference.
Four months ago, in late July, the ceiling of my roof started leaking. It was imperceptible at first. A small puddle of water on the bathroom floor. Then some paint bubbling over on the ceiling. The wall of the entry hall, where I hang my coat started to grow mold. Then my wooden door wouldn’t lock. One day, I saw a note on my door that a plumber had entered my apartment while I was at work. I thought the Regie knowing the problem would contact me soon. Days passed and no word. I emailed them asking if they knew about the problem. They said they’re aware and someone would contact me. Another week passed, and I emailed them again, and this time, in a more terse tone they told me, “We are aware”. We have contacted the property manager”, “It’s holiday season in Geneva (it was august) so don’t expect a rapid response”.
I waited until mid-September for people to come back from holidays. No news. The leak had stopped, but dried paint chips were falling from the ceiling daily, mold would regrow on my wall after cleaning it with bleach, and the wooden door would not lock anymore, being deformed by the water leak.
Enough was enough, and I went to ASLOCA. The very polite lawyer wrote me a letter to send the Regie, by registered mail. In a very strong language it said, “fix problem, or I will take the issue to some competent authorities. You have one month”. I felt like a five hundred pound gorilla dropping that mail off at the post-office.
One month passed and no answer. I went back to ASLOCA. They advised me to write another letter, this time saying I would stop paying rent and start paying to the Canton Finance office. I sent the new letter, giving another month.
Again, no answer from the Regie. I went to the cantonal office in the old town, and filled the forms and paid the first month rent there. They advised that I need to have a court date to settle the issue. I went back to ASLOCA, and they told me it was best for me hire a lawyers for the court date. They were very polite about it…”because maybe with your French it might be easier to have one of us there” J I paid the 400chf fee for the ASLOCA lawyer. Within a few days, ASLOCA wrote me saying the Regie says they never received my registered mail (Mind you, I had a post-office receipt). But they wanted to repair the damage, so I contacted them.
The Regie asked me to make an appointment with them so they would come and see the damage. Honestly, I was a annoyed by this. I mean, they have ignored my emails and mails for four months, and now I need to make an appointment at their convenient time to come to my apartment? What about a time convenient for me? Anyway, I agreed to a date, which was this morning. The Regie person came with painters, and a locksmith. He asked the painters to paint the ceiling and over the mold. I told him that painting over the mold would just let it back again, and the wall paper needed to be replaced. But he insisted that the mold was not because of the leak, but because “you leave your wet clothes hanging on the wall”. And “you need to keep your windows open to air the apartment” (FYI, it’s -2 degrees today). I was speechless.
He then proceeded to fiddle with the door, trying to fix it himself. When he couldn’t do it, he unscrewed one of the screws that looked different than the others, and he said, “you put this screw here, it was not there before”. Now I was insulted.
Anyway, I have my court date next Monday, so I’ll update again after that, to let you know how it ends. ASLOCA is asking them to rebate me 30% of my rent during the months when there were damages. It should at least cover my lawyer fees, registered mails, time taken from work to go to various offices and experts; But nothing, i'm afraid, will redeem this wasted worried experience with the slumlord.
TBC...
