RENTERS BEWARE!
I rented from Eleanor Steinadler for 2 years in Cambridge, Ma, and my rent was a few thousand dollars a month (large place for a few people). After two years of tenancy in which I paid all of my rent, every month, Eleanor arbitrarily withheld my security deposit, mailing me a letter stating that I had missed 2 random months of rent, which was a complete lie. Rather than refunding me, she was billing me for two more months.
It has taken me forever to find all the paperwork to disprove her case (all my financial documents were in storage), but now that I have, I am suing her for my deposit, plus interest.
This was not a slip-up on her part, she had never asked for rent before and she ignored emails where I explained we paid her. She was just stealing our money. Not to mention, when you rent from her, she will ask you for security, first and last month's rent up front. Legally, she is supposed to hold your security and last month's rent in a bank account that gains interest, interest which is due to YOU, the tenant. We never saw a penny of this interest, or proof that she had placed the money in trust. It's pretty clear she just spend/stole that too. We are suing her for that amount as well.
You might also want to know that when we rented from her, Eleanor hired obvious crack addicts to do the repairs in our home (a man and a woman couple who showed up obviously drunk and high, often). These people were dangerous. We had to guard our belongings while they were in our apartment and I couldn't help but notice their eyes on everything. We felt very unsafe.
Worst of all, she allowed them to take up illegal tenancy in the basement of the two family house we lived in. They were IN OUR HOME living in the basement, separated by only some thin doors. They made drug runs all night and fought audibly, screaming fights in the basement. When we confronted them, asking that they stop, the woman threatened me, got in my face and I had to call the police.
Despite the fact that we told Eleanor (Eenuru Realty Trust Eleanor) all of this, she was entirely unapologetic and let them stay. She even continued to hire them for odd jobs around the house and I often would leave my home and try to look away while the crack addict women gave me threatening looks from the yard as she worked. I mean, this was my home. I felt so unsafe and Eleanor couldn't have cared less.
Worst landlord ever. Driven by money, cares nothing for people, and a flat out thief. I don't care if you have nice homes in Cambridge, a thief is a thief. Really, worst landlord ever
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