Charging unneccessarily by apt community.?

we live in 2 b/2 b apt at CA whch costs us 1900 $ each month.the rent check has to be in rental office from 1st to 5th each month and we all the time paid before 5th.this time we paid the rent on 4th and still we have got the notice that they demanded for 50$ penalty because our rent was due on 1st of this month.we talked to them but they said that they have informed us already by post and we shd give the penalty.another thing is that we have silver fishes in our home.we complained but they said nothing can be done for that.pls tell us what to do now?is there any deptt.where we ca do complain against them,we also thinking to change the apt but i know they will mess up with the security money too although our house is very clean till now.pls help.only serious and informative answers pls.

Some suggestions:

1. Read the CA Tenant Handbook
http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landl...

2. Read your lease agreement.
If it says that rent is due on the first and that after the 5th a penalty will be changed, it still mean that if you deliver the rent after the first, that the rent is consider late. I ran into the same problem but when I got my letter, I started making sure the rent arrived on time.

3. Collect your evidence
You might consider going to the office in person and asking for a copy of the original letter that they said they sent. My experience is that if they can not produce it immediately that it unlikely that they kept a record. I have found that some of these people will manufacturer evidence when going to small claims court. So, I would not leave without either a copy of the letter or as least a note saying that they could not find a copy of the letter.

Going to court or even issueing a complaint when you have little evidence is likely to be counterproductive.


4. Read the wikipedia Silverfish article.

Since silverfish have no direct effect on human health beyond psychological distress, they are not considered a health hazard. (it not your landlord responsiblity to remove the silverfish.).

How to remove silverfish

In buildings, silverfish can only exist in sufficiently humid, crevice-rich environments. If these two conditions are removed, the silverfish will not be able to survive.

Other measures that may be taken to eliminate silverfish, at least temporarily, include the following:

Non-lethal

By far the most effective way to be rid of silverfish for sure is to keep an area or room tidy, limiting the possible number of breeding grounds they have.
Ensuring showers, baths etc. are rinsed clean and free of any residual toiletries that may attract hungry silverfish.
Leaving the bathroom door open after a shower to lessen the humidity
To capture silverfish, trap in small glass containers -- silverfish cannot climb up the smooth inside walls.
Silverfish can also be caught by sprinkling plaster on a wet white cotton cloth put in a corner overnight, near the silverfish's hideout.

Lethal

It is important when filling crevices in which silverfish are living or may potentially live to use a filler material which is either toxic to insects, or does not contain materials which would supply the silverfish with a source of food.
A 1:1-ratio dispersion of borax or boric acid and sugar is a reliable bait to kill silverfish (relatively non-toxic to non-insects).
Adults can be killed by freezing, but it is difficult to kill the eggs.


5. Don't break your lease, but if your not happy, consider moving when the lease is up.

I would pay the $50 and consider it a lesson learned. Make sure that you landlord realise that there was a misunderstanding on your part and that you considered any paid by the 5th as within the limits. From now on, get it in by the 1st if the lease says that rent is due on the first.

Complain about what?

In CA the law is that rent is due when it is due, usually the 1st, but the landlord can make it due whenever they want. There is no grace period.

Landlords can not prevent any little bug from entering, just as homeowners can not prevent them. A can of Raid will come in handy.

You can call the housing authority if you want, but it will be a waste of their time and yours. They will not do anything, as nothing illegal is happening to you.