nightmare landlord

[minipig]

anyone have any experience of dealing with difficult landlords? i've just taken up a tenancy on a place in beijing, when i arrived several things were wrong with the apartment (including faultly electricals, plumbing, door locks etc) so i told the landlord i would withhold payment of rent until everything was fixed, with which he agreed. he then asked me to fix all of the above (which is not my responsibility but to avoid conflict i did) and agreed to reimburse me for my expenses (which he has not done yet). he also agreed in the tenancy agreement to provide a new bed - new bed was finally provided after 2 weeks but it has this really thin, hard, unsleepable mattress which no sane person would accept, so i asked him to get a thicker mattress or something to put on top of the existing one to make it softer. he then turned into a crazed lunatic and said i had to pay full rent immediately or move out (he still has my deposit and he is only prepared to repay half of it to me if i decide to move which is contrary to the terms of the tenancy agreement), or else (and i am not kidding!) he said he would "do things that will terrify me for sure". i don't mind moving out (in fact, whilst i am pretty sure the landlord is bluffing, i am actually somewhat scared of staying in this house alone anyway!) but i want my deposit back in full as well as reimbursement of my expenses for fixing up the broken things in the apartment. however, i am aware that as a foreigner i am probably in the weaker position for trying to enforce any kind of tenant's rights. i am also worried that i won't be in any better a position with the typical penny pinching landlords around here even if i do find another place. i don't suppose there's any association i can approach as would be the case back home? if so, guess i'm on my own...

[trevelyan]

If your landlord has asked you to fix things and agreed to pay the costs, why not just deduct the cost of getting things fixed from your next rent payment? If the issue is something like the thickness of the mattress just buy some padding foam at the 金五星 home furbishings market.

If this is a serious dispute and you're worried about safety change your locks and go talk with the desk clerk at the local 派出所. They'll know your neighbourhood and will at least be in a position to tell you which one of you is being unreasonable.

[phbriggs]

It may have also helped if you put any offer/arrangemnt to the landlord in writing, and then giving the landlord a copy (get the landlord to sign two copies - one for you and one for him). Then there is no dispute further down the track about he said what.

It looks like you may have picked the stort straw and chances of getting you money back is possibly somewhat limited.

The bed...most beds are like planks with a cotton cover.