BOSTON — Local landlord James O’Toole informed his tenants that he will be instituting a $500 pet deposit for every rodent living in the attic of his rental property, frustrated sources confirmed.
“No more Mr. Nice Guy. I’m always being taken advantage of. If I don’t start charging them for all the rats in the attic then soon they are going to ask me to fix their hot water, or help identify the smell in the kitchen that’s ‘making everyone sick,'” said O’Toole from his vacation home on Martha’s Vineyard. “My tenants don’t understand the stress I’m under all the time. One of the country clubs I attend is upping their rates next year and I might not be able to afford the Diamond Platinum Member Package if I don’t start making some more money. That level grants me after hours access to the clubhouse, and that’s when all the fun happens.”
Ryan Livingston, the tenant required to pay the new pet deposit, believes this is an unfair policy.
“The only reason Peter even knows about the rats is because I complained about all the noise they make running around and scratching at the ceiling. They have been a menace for months. They come out of the attic at night and eat everything in the cabinets. I’ve spent nearly $200 on trail mix this month alone,” said Livingston while sweeping up rat droppings. “The thought of having rats as pets is gross. They are dirty disgusting creatures and I’m afraid to let my salamanders free roam because one of those rodents might attack them.”
Tenants rights lawyer Gabrielle Pinto says landlords are always trying to find ways to extract more from the people living on their property.
“I had one property owner in Braintree who tried claiming a broken toilet that didn’t have any water in the tank was actually a low flow model to comply with a new building code. And another who tried claiming that a burst pipe in a kitchen ceiling that was leaking all over the room was a new ‘eco-friendly dishwasher,’” said Pinto. “I’m not sure if greedy people become landlords, or being a landlord makes you greedy. Either way, I’d love to see every landlord loaded onto a bus and driven straight into the ocean.”
At press time, O’Toole announced he would be raising the rent after finding out the mold in the walls is only toxic to children under five.
