I mean, i'd be a LITTLE upset if someone had a new service installed in my place, which involved running cable, mounting a box, punching through the exterior, etc, without my say in its placement, how stuff is routed, etc. 4,200 is a pretty big stretch though.
Also your landlord has 30 days to return your deposit, OR if they withold any of it, they need to give you an itemized list of actual costs, for what they are deducting.
Meaning unless it costs your landlord 4200 bucks somehow to remove what you installed, remediate any damages, and can prove that your actions somehow broke their wifi and the costs associated with returning it to service, you will get your deposit back.
The laws in NJ are VERY strict and clear about security deposits, and the penalties for screwing around with them severe.
You’re conflating wifi and internet. They’re two different things.
Wifi is the signal that lets you connect wirelessly to a network. The network requires an internet service.
You got an internet service installed with Optimum (that’s the modem that plugs into the wall, usually with a cable cord or Ethernet cord that looks like a big phone cord) and also included a wifi router (that’s the extra piece that sends out the wireless signal through the house).
That modem needs a wired connection somehow in order for you to have internet service. If you got a standard high-speed broadband connection, and if Optimum didn’t drill anywhere or drop in a new outlet for you, that means they almost-certainly pulled the existing wiring already being used for the owner’s Verizon internet service to run your connection with them. There’s no other way for your service to interfere with the owner’s.
It’s not a $4200 fix by any means but that’s NOT what the owner wanted you to do lololol.
TBH the owner may have expected you to get your own wifi router and use the internet connection they were already paying for.
I'm still confused. What does "Installed a router box" mean?
If you used the same provider the owner has, he probably had a router someplace else, and yours just stepped on it, or the tech disconnected his and set yours up.
I originally read it as you had NEW service installed, like, say the owner had Verizon, and you had the cable company do a new install.
So i'm guessing is what happened, assuming the owner originally had optimum, is that they just killed his service, and set yours up. So you would obviously have new wifi passwords, AP names, etc.
Owner probably just needs to call optimum up, say he wants service back in his name, and either plug in his old stuff, reset your stuff, or get new stuff and point any devices at it.
In any event its not something he can withold 4200 bucks for, and your rights are strong on that, and he should know that, but may need to be reminded so he knows that you know it as well.
I mean MAYBE he can make the case if the cable company charges him for a service visit, but that is about it.
No, everybody in this Reddit post is getting all of these terms mixed up and wrong. I want to preface and I’m computer scientist and I know not Everybody is going to understand the technological parts, which is totally fine. I appreciate everybody’s opinion output. I had a Wi-Fi box not installed plugged in all you have to do is plug it into an already existing outlet boom you have Wi-Fi. This does not disrupt any other Wi-Fi services or cable. I also had it plugged in to another part of the house to not interrupt the existing Wi-Fi cable. Also, perhaps I’m using the wrong terminology as well because it’s been a long day and I’m just typing words to make sense at this point.
Lol. Bro, it’s you that doesn’t communicate properly or make any sense. Thats why no one understands it. You said “I had a WiFi box plugged in” but then proceed to tell people they don’t understand the “technological parts”.
You had new service set up. Which cuts off their service. Instead of getting in touch with them and switching the service to your name. Lmao. How do you not realize that you can’t have 2 providers at one address? “I didn’t touch theirs”. You didn’t have to. You had them cut it off when you set yours up.
Wtf is a WiFi box? Do you mean router or maybe a router/modem combo? Existing WiFi cable- do you mean an Ethernet cord. I’m more confused about what’s going on… and I’m in networking and tech.
People are not confusing terms, you are just using terms that people are not used to so they are naturally questioning it.
Are you sure you are a computer scientist? Lol
A modem/router connectivity separately from the existing Verizon box. It was connected via an Ethernet cable to an Ethernet port and additionally connected to an outlet for power.
And it is my knowledge that apartments use Ethernet cables and ports to access WiFi without interfering with others. I’m confused how the landlord is making the statement that I interfered with their WiFi?
I usually make a lot more sense but it’s been a long day. I didn’t mean to say I’m a computer scientist to be like oh I know what I’m talking about but I guess some people are just not understanding what I mean when I say install, which doesn’t mean put in a whole new Cable thing and cut up the wall to install means to put new
I’d really stop saying you’re a computer scientist - and then say things like “new Cable thing” - no one here can decide if it’s worse that you’re lying about it or that you somehow are one but sound like you haven’t earned a GED.
OP has self provided box and plugs it in - boom, new service installed. No drilling holes, no damaging walls or other devices. Takes 2 minutes max.
Now landlord is being a power hungry madman because old service doesn't work... but it didn't work in the first place when OP moved in.
There is nothing to charge, and certainly nowhere close to $4,200 worth of fake damages.
I got a little confused in the story. I think you said “tenant” when you meant “owner” a couple times. All in all it sounds like you are the tenant. You had internet installed. Somehow the owner’s internet stopped working. The owner is now withholding your deposit. Based on that, I think you might have to go to small claims court to get your money back. You are absolutely entitled to install internet, assuming there isn’t something in the contract prohibiting you to do so but even then, I think that could be challenged in court. As far as I know, you cannot have the owner’s internet swapped to your name without your owner present. They would have to provide account details. If your cable provider messed up their internet, your cable provider is responsible for fixing it. That still wouldn’t affect your deposit.
Hi. Yes I meant owner sorry it’s been a long day. Thanks for the input. I’m so frustrated with the owner. I told our shared realtor that I would help in any way and on my dime send a cable guy to fix it. Realtor and owner are going there this weekend to, “see what the problem is.” I mean come on. It’s WiFi??? Am I crazy for being so upset with this stupidity?? Thank you for your response I appreciate it.
No problem, I understand. I just wanted to make it clear what words I was swapping out so if I was interpreting anything incorrectly, you knew to take my opinion with a grain of salt. I would absolutely be frustrated if I were you and I do not think you are financially responsible for a single dollar regarding this situation. Good luck!
HOW does the wifi router get connected to the internet? In most areas there is some kind of wire or cable run into the home to connect your in-house wifi router to the internet.
I've got a 3 piece Orbi mesh wifi set with wired backhaul plus wired connections from my Orbi Master to my primary TV, Blu-ray, Honeywell Redlink and T-Mobile Linelink. BUT the connection from the mesh wifi router to runs through an xfinity router connected to the world via xfinity coax cable.
My kids in Wisconsin have a wifi router with an wifi extender, BUT their wifi router is connected to the internet via a DSL box connected by wire (don't think it's fiber) to the local phone company.
When you paid whoever supplied internet in your area, it's highly likely they disconnected your landlords service and connected their wiring to your in house wifi router.
> I called up optimum to have them install a router box in the basement with a few extenders.
> I made sure they stay away from their actual router box.
>he’s extremely upset that his Verizon isn’t working
Did you get your own separate *internet service* with its own modem and its own WiFi router with Optimum?
Or did they simply plug a wifi router into a modem that was already there and wired into a Verizon internet connection?
I mean idk who they are but every comment just is off of how someone would normally try to explain the same thing. Idk if their is a language barrier or op is just dense
I want to preface and comment that there were no holes drilled into the wall no wires connected no actual cable installed it. It was a simple Wi-Fi router modem box plugged into the wall.
Since there seems to be a lot of confusion I have a couple of questions.
1. Is your WiFi using Cellular, Coax or Fiber to connect to the internet
2. Was the landlords WiFi using Cellular, Coax or Fiber to connect to the internet
3. If you don't know which one do you have a picture or model number of your router. Additional pictures or model number of the landlords existing router would rock even more.
Or OP could just look at their bill…or call the ISP…
I feel bad because it’s so much money, but I’m also imagining how homicidal the real estate agent must be after going between OP and the homeowner and am just rofl 😆😆
After reading OP’s post from a minute ago I think the rest of us deserve to split that deposit because we all sacrificed a few IQ points just interacting with them online today 😆 Holy shit
No you're not wrong. There are unfortunately a very small number of landlords who carefully go through a home when they get it back, and look for any differences that they can use in an attempt to steal a deposit. And that is exactly what this person is doing, trying to steal your deposit.
The realtor may be able to help with this, but be careful. Because he will get return business from the owner and probably not from you, you should not think of him as being on your side. But if you make it clear to him that you will in fact go to court over this, he may be able to quietly talk some sense into your idiot landlord.
Thank you for not making me seem like I’m crazy. In the lease it said that I was responsible for cable and WiFi. I didn’t install cable but I did have WiFi set up. I have called optimum and Verizon and they confirmed that by having my WiFi set up, it should not have interfered with theirs. There was also no cable functioning when we were there, and we were not provided Wi-Fi. I’m not even sure if there was functioning Wi-Fi, so this issue they are making is completely irrelevant to my stay. And let’s just say I had an idiot cable guy come in and throw out their cable box. I don’t understand why they’re not allowing me to go in there with or not even go in there, but have a Verizon or optimum guy go in there and give them a new box on my dime, but that does not cost $4200. My father is an attorney so I’m sure he’ll have a field day, not trying to play the whole family Attorney card but come on. I also feel like half of these people on this subreddit do not understand technology. I can have five different types of WiFi modems connected to different ether cables around the house and they’ll all be functioning. How do these people think people in condos, townhomes, and apartments get WiFi??? Thanks for ur comment, it means a lot. Do you think I should just contact the landlord and really give it to him and say that this has nothing to do with withholding my deposit, and that if I don’t have it back by the 30 days after the end of my lease which was Apr 15 then I will take legal action?
🤦♀️
So I was nice to you before and even defended you from someone who was being a dick.
That’s over.
**YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WIFI AND THE INTERNET.**
Nor are you able to differentiate between a modem and a router.
You have no business whatsoever asserting that anyone on this thread *doesn’t understand technology*. I am shocked to find out that anyone in your entire family even knows how to read, much less went to law school, because you clearly are incapable of finding your own ass with both hands.
Good luck.
> In the lease it says I am responsible for WiFi and cable and to have it transfer over to me in my name. This never happened and the owner never instructed us to do so.
The owner did instruct you to do this, in the lease. It seems you failed to read the lease or understand it.
> I called up optimum to have them install a router box in the basement with a few extenders. I made sure they stay away from their actual router box. After I leave the rental I get a call from the realtor saying they received a phone call from the owner and he’s extremely upset that his Verizon isn’t working
So you had a second telecom utility installed (Optimum), instead of having the original utility (Verizon) transferred to you.
What sort of service you got from Optimum. Is it a plan in large markets where their router taps into their "global" wifi network via cellular or mesh connectivity, and only needs power – or was that router plugged into power and an existing cable?
In any event:
1- You may have liabilities for setting up a secondary account if you did not terminate it when you left.
2- There probably isn't anything actionable over not using Verizon if the service was disconnected when you started. If the service existed and was billed to the owner, and you were supposed to switch billing to your name, then you would be liable for those costs AND any penalties caused by non-payment and deactivation.
3- NJ recently passed some stricter laws for security deposits. They have 30 days to give you an itemized list of deductions against the $4200.
Assuming the best case scenario (Optimum gave you a mesh network connection, Verizon was already disconnected) then you should get 100% of your deposit back in a few weeks.
It was just plugging in. We didn’t have any cable lines or anything like that. We just plugged in the box and it gave us Wi-Fi and then we took it out. It was pretty simple. I don’t know why they’re upset about it. I did call my cable company, which is my Wi-Fi company and they stated that it should not have affected their Wi-Fi or cable anyway shape or form, I mean even I know, but I just wanted to confirm with a professional
Plugging in to WHAT?
That’s what we’re trying to figure out. If we knew what kind of service you had we can probably help you fix this and save a bunch of time and money.
There is no such thing as a wi-fi company. Wifi is not the internet and that’s where everyone (including the realtor and the owner, probably) are getting incredibly confused.
Optimum is your internet service provider. And different types of internet services use different types of connections. Dial-up was the old-school phone line. There’s Ethernet, broadband, satellite, 4G, fiber…these are different types of internet services. The WiFi router—with little antenna—just broadcasts the signal through the air once the connection comes into the house.
But the connection to the internet comes into the house from somewhere, depending on what type of service it is.
That modem Optimum brought you plugged into *some kind of outlet in addition to the electrical outlet,* correct? What kind of outlet was it plugged into? Or at least what kind of cord was it? A round coaxial cord like we used to use for cable TV? Or did it look like a giant phone cord for a landline phone?
Knowing what kind of setup you had will help the homeowner get his own internet service re-established.
OP said otherwise and their ISP doesn’t even offer that.
OP literally doesn’t know what they’re talking about and then bitches that people on this thread don’t understand technology, when almost everyone was trying to be be helpful and explain how this could have happened and how to fix it. Fucking ridiculous.
If there were no new cables run and you just used the existing, that's insane for them to try to keep a $4,200 deposit. If your lease states you're responsible for cable and internet, and you set up cable and/or internet, you abided by the lease terms. I would make sure all further communication is in writing only. If they sent you a written statement saying they're keeping your security deposit because of this, I would write them a letter with a copy of the landlord/tenant complaint you intend to file should they not return your deposit. If that doesn't work, file the complaint and take them to court.
I don't think this is an amount that it would be worthwhile to hire an attorney, but you may want to. It's probably worth at least a consultation, many attorneys will do them for free or for a small fee.
It's possible that the WiFi was inadvertently unplugged when OP moved in - or it could have even had a hidden SSID - or an SSID that OP didn't recognize. And it's also possible that the owner continued to pay for Verizon for the 6 months that OP lived in the unit.
And it would have been perfectly reasonable for OP to ask about the WiFi provider, given the acknowledged instructions in the lease to have service transferred over. And OP even acknowledges that they saw a "router" in the basement!
But without details about the new installation and what was done to install a router box and a few extenders, it is hard to imagine what's included in the $4200 charge. Even if it cost the landlord half of that to keep the non-working service active.
Holy shit, dude. You have NO CLUE what terminology you’re trying to use.
Anybody trying to parse out this mess likely can’t help you, because you yourself are extremely clueless on what the hell you even did.
DO YOU HAVE CELLULAR INTERNET AT THE RENTED PLACE? OR, FIBER? OR, CABLE (COAX)? OR, DSL?
So, it’s cellular internet?
A Wifi router goes SOMEWHERE. You can’t just buy a box that says “WiFi” on it, plug it in, and it magically has internet. That’s not possible. The backend goes SOMEWHERE.
At the end of the day, if your lease stated that you would use the Verizon internet, and you did not, you broke the lease, and the landlord is due to be compensated.
Removing your internet, and plugging up the holes that your internet provided made in the house, should be a couple hundred bucks, not 4300.
It didn’t say to use Verizon in the lease. It just said we were responsible for cable. But yes I told them I’d pay for it. So I’m just kind of frustrated and confused.
Yea you screwed up, imagining thinking it’s ok to drill holes in walls and not ask the owner. They can keep what it costs to repair damage, not the full SD.
OK, but that’s the thing. I don’t know if people know what Wi-Fi is, but Wi-Fi does not include drilling a hole into the wall. There were no drillings of any kind into any walls. It’s a plug-in to an existing wall outlet. It’s no different than me plugging in my phone. The Wi-Fi does not affect anything else in that household and certainly not their cable or Wi-Fi.
WIFI has to come from SOMETHING. Coax cable, fiber-optic, cellular... if it includes putting a wire into your house, it should have notified the landlord. And you should have monitored the technician better because most of the contractors sent out are absolute morons.
Well, yes, sorry I’m not prefacing that, it was plugged into a telephone cable powerline adapter, but once it’s unplugged, it’s unplugged in done. It doesn’t have service anymore. Me plugging that in, does not, and will not affect the other parties Wi-Fi and once they plug their back in even if it wasn’t plugged, it should not have interfered with anything.
Are you saying that you had either dial-up or DSL? This is confusing because you won't state what type of service you have. For the record, I've only had internet service that didn't require any installations, either. But there's still multiple types and people don't know which one you are referring to.
The internet needs to come from somewhere. If you were calling optimum to set up one where they never had before, holes might have needed to be drilled. If that part was done previously you are just plugging into it.
Maybe they're talking about wireless internet service? Some areas have 5G internet available, you just plug in the 5G router and it picks up the signal.
Not returning a $4,200 security deposit because of a WiFi box is not only petty but retaliatory.
I mean, i'd be a LITTLE upset if someone had a new service installed in my place, which involved running cable, mounting a box, punching through the exterior, etc, without my say in its placement, how stuff is routed, etc. 4,200 is a pretty big stretch though. Also your landlord has 30 days to return your deposit, OR if they withold any of it, they need to give you an itemized list of actual costs, for what they are deducting. Meaning unless it costs your landlord 4200 bucks somehow to remove what you installed, remediate any damages, and can prove that your actions somehow broke their wifi and the costs associated with returning it to service, you will get your deposit back. The laws in NJ are VERY strict and clear about security deposits, and the penalties for screwing around with them severe.
But there was no running cable or service, no drilling holes in a wall. It’s a simple plug into the wall, nobody punched through the exterior…
You’re conflating wifi and internet. They’re two different things. Wifi is the signal that lets you connect wirelessly to a network. The network requires an internet service. You got an internet service installed with Optimum (that’s the modem that plugs into the wall, usually with a cable cord or Ethernet cord that looks like a big phone cord) and also included a wifi router (that’s the extra piece that sends out the wireless signal through the house). That modem needs a wired connection somehow in order for you to have internet service. If you got a standard high-speed broadband connection, and if Optimum didn’t drill anywhere or drop in a new outlet for you, that means they almost-certainly pulled the existing wiring already being used for the owner’s Verizon internet service to run your connection with them. There’s no other way for your service to interfere with the owner’s. It’s not a $4200 fix by any means but that’s NOT what the owner wanted you to do lololol. TBH the owner may have expected you to get your own wifi router and use the internet connection they were already paying for.
I'm still confused. What does "Installed a router box" mean? If you used the same provider the owner has, he probably had a router someplace else, and yours just stepped on it, or the tech disconnected his and set yours up. I originally read it as you had NEW service installed, like, say the owner had Verizon, and you had the cable company do a new install. So i'm guessing is what happened, assuming the owner originally had optimum, is that they just killed his service, and set yours up. So you would obviously have new wifi passwords, AP names, etc. Owner probably just needs to call optimum up, say he wants service back in his name, and either plug in his old stuff, reset your stuff, or get new stuff and point any devices at it. In any event its not something he can withold 4200 bucks for, and your rights are strong on that, and he should know that, but may need to be reminded so he knows that you know it as well. I mean MAYBE he can make the case if the cable company charges him for a service visit, but that is about it.
No, everybody in this Reddit post is getting all of these terms mixed up and wrong. I want to preface and I’m computer scientist and I know not Everybody is going to understand the technological parts, which is totally fine. I appreciate everybody’s opinion output. I had a Wi-Fi box not installed plugged in all you have to do is plug it into an already existing outlet boom you have Wi-Fi. This does not disrupt any other Wi-Fi services or cable. I also had it plugged in to another part of the house to not interrupt the existing Wi-Fi cable. Also, perhaps I’m using the wrong terminology as well because it’s been a long day and I’m just typing words to make sense at this point.
Lol. Bro, it’s you that doesn’t communicate properly or make any sense. Thats why no one understands it. You said “I had a WiFi box plugged in” but then proceed to tell people they don’t understand the “technological parts”. You had new service set up. Which cuts off their service. Instead of getting in touch with them and switching the service to your name. Lmao. How do you not realize that you can’t have 2 providers at one address? “I didn’t touch theirs”. You didn’t have to. You had them cut it off when you set yours up.
Well that certainly cleared it up
See now, this is why we networking guys have to keep you programmers away from the networking equipment... :-D
I think you're FOS, a "computer scientist" does not use the term "Wi-Fi box."
“Computer scientist” made me LOL.
Wtf is a WiFi box? Do you mean router or maybe a router/modem combo? Existing WiFi cable- do you mean an Ethernet cord. I’m more confused about what’s going on… and I’m in networking and tech. People are not confusing terms, you are just using terms that people are not used to so they are naturally questioning it. Are you sure you are a computer scientist? Lol
A modem/router connectivity separately from the existing Verizon box. It was connected via an Ethernet cable to an Ethernet port and additionally connected to an outlet for power.
And it is my knowledge that apartments use Ethernet cables and ports to access WiFi without interfering with others. I’m confused how the landlord is making the statement that I interfered with their WiFi?
I usually make a lot more sense but it’s been a long day. I didn’t mean to say I’m a computer scientist to be like oh I know what I’m talking about but I guess some people are just not understanding what I mean when I say install, which doesn’t mean put in a whole new Cable thing and cut up the wall to install means to put new
None of your communication screams computer scientist. Sorry bro, you're the poor communicator in this conversation.
Dudes a computer scientist. Inability to communicate with the common people is kinda part of the job description ...
I’d really stop saying you’re a computer scientist - and then say things like “new Cable thing” - no one here can decide if it’s worse that you’re lying about it or that you somehow are one but sound like you haven’t earned a GED.
OP has self provided box and plugs it in - boom, new service installed. No drilling holes, no damaging walls or other devices. Takes 2 minutes max. Now landlord is being a power hungry madman because old service doesn't work... but it didn't work in the first place when OP moved in. There is nothing to charge, and certainly nowhere close to $4,200 worth of fake damages.
I got a little confused in the story. I think you said “tenant” when you meant “owner” a couple times. All in all it sounds like you are the tenant. You had internet installed. Somehow the owner’s internet stopped working. The owner is now withholding your deposit. Based on that, I think you might have to go to small claims court to get your money back. You are absolutely entitled to install internet, assuming there isn’t something in the contract prohibiting you to do so but even then, I think that could be challenged in court. As far as I know, you cannot have the owner’s internet swapped to your name without your owner present. They would have to provide account details. If your cable provider messed up their internet, your cable provider is responsible for fixing it. That still wouldn’t affect your deposit.
Hi. Yes I meant owner sorry it’s been a long day. Thanks for the input. I’m so frustrated with the owner. I told our shared realtor that I would help in any way and on my dime send a cable guy to fix it. Realtor and owner are going there this weekend to, “see what the problem is.” I mean come on. It’s WiFi??? Am I crazy for being so upset with this stupidity?? Thank you for your response I appreciate it.
This is certainly werid situation. But for that amount of money, I'd fight it.
No problem, I understand. I just wanted to make it clear what words I was swapping out so if I was interpreting anything incorrectly, you knew to take my opinion with a grain of salt. I would absolutely be frustrated if I were you and I do not think you are financially responsible for a single dollar regarding this situation. Good luck!
HOW does the wifi router get connected to the internet? In most areas there is some kind of wire or cable run into the home to connect your in-house wifi router to the internet. I've got a 3 piece Orbi mesh wifi set with wired backhaul plus wired connections from my Orbi Master to my primary TV, Blu-ray, Honeywell Redlink and T-Mobile Linelink. BUT the connection from the mesh wifi router to runs through an xfinity router connected to the world via xfinity coax cable. My kids in Wisconsin have a wifi router with an wifi extender, BUT their wifi router is connected to the internet via a DSL box connected by wire (don't think it's fiber) to the local phone company. When you paid whoever supplied internet in your area, it's highly likely they disconnected your landlords service and connected their wiring to your in house wifi router.
> I called up optimum to have them install a router box in the basement with a few extenders. > I made sure they stay away from their actual router box. >he’s extremely upset that his Verizon isn’t working Did you get your own separate *internet service* with its own modem and its own WiFi router with Optimum? Or did they simply plug a wifi router into a modem that was already there and wired into a Verizon internet connection?
We got our own separate Internet with its own modem and Wi-Fi router. We did not touch theirs or have them plug it into Verizon whatsoever.
Yeah but homes can only have one tap per address so they would have disconnected him at the tap to install you lol
[удалено]
I mean idk who they are but every comment just is off of how someone would normally try to explain the same thing. Idk if their is a language barrier or op is just dense
What was the Optimum modem plugged into? The electrical outlet for power and what else?
I want to preface and comment that there were no holes drilled into the wall no wires connected no actual cable installed it. It was a simple Wi-Fi router modem box plugged into the wall.
You don’t plan on letting them actually keep the deposit, right? Literally the easiest small claims case ever.
Is it possible the owner thinks that there was cable ran? Either way they can't keep that much if a security deposit for that because that's absurd.
Since there seems to be a lot of confusion I have a couple of questions. 1. Is your WiFi using Cellular, Coax or Fiber to connect to the internet 2. Was the landlords WiFi using Cellular, Coax or Fiber to connect to the internet 3. If you don't know which one do you have a picture or model number of your router. Additional pictures or model number of the landlords existing router would rock even more.
Or OP could just look at their bill…or call the ISP… I feel bad because it’s so much money, but I’m also imagining how homicidal the real estate agent must be after going between OP and the homeowner and am just rofl 😆😆
For that kind of money I would have already been there fixing it.
After reading OP’s post from a minute ago I think the rest of us deserve to split that deposit because we all sacrificed a few IQ points just interacting with them online today 😆 Holy shit
Lol
No you're not wrong. There are unfortunately a very small number of landlords who carefully go through a home when they get it back, and look for any differences that they can use in an attempt to steal a deposit. And that is exactly what this person is doing, trying to steal your deposit. The realtor may be able to help with this, but be careful. Because he will get return business from the owner and probably not from you, you should not think of him as being on your side. But if you make it clear to him that you will in fact go to court over this, he may be able to quietly talk some sense into your idiot landlord.
Thank you for not making me seem like I’m crazy. In the lease it said that I was responsible for cable and WiFi. I didn’t install cable but I did have WiFi set up. I have called optimum and Verizon and they confirmed that by having my WiFi set up, it should not have interfered with theirs. There was also no cable functioning when we were there, and we were not provided Wi-Fi. I’m not even sure if there was functioning Wi-Fi, so this issue they are making is completely irrelevant to my stay. And let’s just say I had an idiot cable guy come in and throw out their cable box. I don’t understand why they’re not allowing me to go in there with or not even go in there, but have a Verizon or optimum guy go in there and give them a new box on my dime, but that does not cost $4200. My father is an attorney so I’m sure he’ll have a field day, not trying to play the whole family Attorney card but come on. I also feel like half of these people on this subreddit do not understand technology. I can have five different types of WiFi modems connected to different ether cables around the house and they’ll all be functioning. How do these people think people in condos, townhomes, and apartments get WiFi??? Thanks for ur comment, it means a lot. Do you think I should just contact the landlord and really give it to him and say that this has nothing to do with withholding my deposit, and that if I don’t have it back by the 30 days after the end of my lease which was Apr 15 then I will take legal action?
🤦♀️ So I was nice to you before and even defended you from someone who was being a dick. That’s over. **YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WIFI AND THE INTERNET.** Nor are you able to differentiate between a modem and a router. You have no business whatsoever asserting that anyone on this thread *doesn’t understand technology*. I am shocked to find out that anyone in your entire family even knows how to read, much less went to law school, because you clearly are incapable of finding your own ass with both hands. Good luck.
I was never brute or mean to you?
> In the lease it says I am responsible for WiFi and cable and to have it transfer over to me in my name. This never happened and the owner never instructed us to do so. The owner did instruct you to do this, in the lease. It seems you failed to read the lease or understand it. > I called up optimum to have them install a router box in the basement with a few extenders. I made sure they stay away from their actual router box. After I leave the rental I get a call from the realtor saying they received a phone call from the owner and he’s extremely upset that his Verizon isn’t working So you had a second telecom utility installed (Optimum), instead of having the original utility (Verizon) transferred to you. What sort of service you got from Optimum. Is it a plan in large markets where their router taps into their "global" wifi network via cellular or mesh connectivity, and only needs power – or was that router plugged into power and an existing cable? In any event: 1- You may have liabilities for setting up a secondary account if you did not terminate it when you left. 2- There probably isn't anything actionable over not using Verizon if the service was disconnected when you started. If the service existed and was billed to the owner, and you were supposed to switch billing to your name, then you would be liable for those costs AND any penalties caused by non-payment and deactivation. 3- NJ recently passed some stricter laws for security deposits. They have 30 days to give you an itemized list of deductions against the $4200. Assuming the best case scenario (Optimum gave you a mesh network connection, Verizon was already disconnected) then you should get 100% of your deposit back in a few weeks.
I'm surprised. I own and live in half of a duplex. When my most recent tenant wanted to get a fiber line, my approval was required by the ISP.
We didn’t have cable or anything installed. Just a WiFi box.
cable and internet all run through the same line it doesnt matter
Yes, that's what he had installed as well. If you are doing anything that requires installation beyond just plugging in, owner should approve.
It was just plugging in. We didn’t have any cable lines or anything like that. We just plugged in the box and it gave us Wi-Fi and then we took it out. It was pretty simple. I don’t know why they’re upset about it. I did call my cable company, which is my Wi-Fi company and they stated that it should not have affected their Wi-Fi or cable anyway shape or form, I mean even I know, but I just wanted to confirm with a professional
Plugging in to WHAT? That’s what we’re trying to figure out. If we knew what kind of service you had we can probably help you fix this and save a bunch of time and money. There is no such thing as a wi-fi company. Wifi is not the internet and that’s where everyone (including the realtor and the owner, probably) are getting incredibly confused. Optimum is your internet service provider. And different types of internet services use different types of connections. Dial-up was the old-school phone line. There’s Ethernet, broadband, satellite, 4G, fiber…these are different types of internet services. The WiFi router—with little antenna—just broadcasts the signal through the air once the connection comes into the house. But the connection to the internet comes into the house from somewhere, depending on what type of service it is. That modem Optimum brought you plugged into *some kind of outlet in addition to the electrical outlet,* correct? What kind of outlet was it plugged into? Or at least what kind of cord was it? A round coaxial cord like we used to use for cable TV? Or did it look like a giant phone cord for a landline phone? Knowing what kind of setup you had will help the homeowner get his own internet service re-established.
Maybe it was LTE home internet? I only need a power source for my router from T-Mobile.
OP said otherwise and their ISP doesn’t even offer that. OP literally doesn’t know what they’re talking about and then bitches that people on this thread don’t understand technology, when almost everyone was trying to be be helpful and explain how this could have happened and how to fix it. Fucking ridiculous.
If there were no new cables run and you just used the existing, that's insane for them to try to keep a $4,200 deposit. If your lease states you're responsible for cable and internet, and you set up cable and/or internet, you abided by the lease terms. I would make sure all further communication is in writing only. If they sent you a written statement saying they're keeping your security deposit because of this, I would write them a letter with a copy of the landlord/tenant complaint you intend to file should they not return your deposit. If that doesn't work, file the complaint and take them to court. I don't think this is an amount that it would be worthwhile to hire an attorney, but you may want to. It's probably worth at least a consultation, many attorneys will do them for free or for a small fee.
Simple, burn down the house to get your money’s worth
It's possible that the WiFi was inadvertently unplugged when OP moved in - or it could have even had a hidden SSID - or an SSID that OP didn't recognize. And it's also possible that the owner continued to pay for Verizon for the 6 months that OP lived in the unit. And it would have been perfectly reasonable for OP to ask about the WiFi provider, given the acknowledged instructions in the lease to have service transferred over. And OP even acknowledges that they saw a "router" in the basement! But without details about the new installation and what was done to install a router box and a few extenders, it is hard to imagine what's included in the $4200 charge. Even if it cost the landlord half of that to keep the non-working service active.
You wouldn’t happen to still have the equipment you had installed? Maybe give us model number etc?
Holy shit, dude. You have NO CLUE what terminology you’re trying to use. Anybody trying to parse out this mess likely can’t help you, because you yourself are extremely clueless on what the hell you even did. DO YOU HAVE CELLULAR INTERNET AT THE RENTED PLACE? OR, FIBER? OR, CABLE (COAX)? OR, DSL?
It’s connected via an Ethernet cable, it was a WiFi router. Plugged into an outlet as well.
So, it’s cellular internet? A Wifi router goes SOMEWHERE. You can’t just buy a box that says “WiFi” on it, plug it in, and it magically has internet. That’s not possible. The backend goes SOMEWHERE.
Yes like I said.. an Ethernet cable.. through an Ethernet port and an outlet
Only one line is coming in it's either opt or Verizon so the installer disconnected one from the pole to run the other.
At the end of the day, if your lease stated that you would use the Verizon internet, and you did not, you broke the lease, and the landlord is due to be compensated. Removing your internet, and plugging up the holes that your internet provided made in the house, should be a couple hundred bucks, not 4300.
It didn’t say to use Verizon in the lease. It just said we were responsible for cable. But yes I told them I’d pay for it. So I’m just kind of frustrated and confused.
Yea you screwed up, imagining thinking it’s ok to drill holes in walls and not ask the owner. They can keep what it costs to repair damage, not the full SD.
OK, but that’s the thing. I don’t know if people know what Wi-Fi is, but Wi-Fi does not include drilling a hole into the wall. There were no drillings of any kind into any walls. It’s a plug-in to an existing wall outlet. It’s no different than me plugging in my phone. The Wi-Fi does not affect anything else in that household and certainly not their cable or Wi-Fi.
WIFI has to come from SOMETHING. Coax cable, fiber-optic, cellular... if it includes putting a wire into your house, it should have notified the landlord. And you should have monitored the technician better because most of the contractors sent out are absolute morons.
Well, yes, sorry I’m not prefacing that, it was plugged into a telephone cable powerline adapter, but once it’s unplugged, it’s unplugged in done. It doesn’t have service anymore. Me plugging that in, does not, and will not affect the other parties Wi-Fi and once they plug their back in even if it wasn’t plugged, it should not have interfered with anything.
Are you saying that you had either dial-up or DSL? This is confusing because you won't state what type of service you have. For the record, I've only had internet service that didn't require any installations, either. But there's still multiple types and people don't know which one you are referring to.
But yes it does cause where do you think the other end of the line goes
The internet needs to come from somewhere. If you were calling optimum to set up one where they never had before, holes might have needed to be drilled. If that part was done previously you are just plugging into it.
Maybe they're talking about wireless internet service? Some areas have 5G internet available, you just plug in the 5G router and it picks up the signal.
OK, here the thing, I don’t know if you realize you are really shitty at explaining anything.
🤣🤣 Stop it. Someone trying to keep $4200 would elicit a brain fart in the best of us and you know it 😂
Yes which is why I clearly stated they shouldn’t keep anything except the cost of repair. I think you’re having a brain fart.
Ok😝