Oh, I will. Trust me.

vw, one roach does not an infestation make.

One roach. Really I'm all sympathetic and yes it needs to be taken care of by someone other than you. Hows about I ship you some of our palmetto bugs. They will snack on your itty bitty roaches!

Seriously, major rain does bring on the bugs. When it dries out a bit they will find a better place to live.

I'm sitting in SF in my monkey pants and F2F top AIFG!!!

I can't wait for everybody to arrive. And to hang with and hug Anne & Ginger & vw! And I'm sad that I won't be seeing all of you. I brought my camera and I promise pictures. Although I didn't take pictures. But I will today! And I have to get back to work now....

If you're really concerned about the landlord starting immediately, I'd suggest a simpler note now.

I am very concerned about the disruption to our lives from your showing the apartment for the next three and a half months.

There is no way, with our current schedules, that we can get the place clean enough for showing until mid June.

Also, because I have a dog, I am going to need 48 hours notice that you are planning to show the apartment. If you do not speak to me directly (and leave a message on our voice mail), I will need you to wait until I confirm that the time works for me, because I will have to take Toto out of the apartment while you show it.

You can deal with the other issues when you get back.

(Why am I here? I must pack!)

Agree with Ginger. Also - not really your business, or your problem, what major repairs need to be made before they re-let the place. I think you're frankly just asking for trouble with that stuff - if nothing else, risking them deciding to go ahead and start in while you're still there. Why ask for that sort of hassle?

I was hoping they might decide they can't show the place till they fix that stuff.

I know, I know. Wishful thinking.

Nodding in agreement with Cindy and Ginger.

Ginger - go pack! Hurry! Of course packing won't actually get you here sooner, but hurry anyway.

Exterminator is coming to check out the whole building tomorrow morning. Landlord will let them in. So, good. That's moving along.

vw, I get a roach about once a year (I suspect it's the same one each time, because I'm never fast enough to kill it, and I think he comes to my apartment for vacation every year the way Ohioans go to Florida every year). I've lived here for almost 6 years, and the yearly lone roach sighting, while gross, has never led to discovery of an infestation.

Also, every time the roach reappears, I call the management office to tell them, and they send the exterminator out, and I have NEVER had to pack up my kitchen pre-exterminator.

I also agree on the shorter note to the landlord, and the fact that it's not your responsibility to give them a list of stuff that should be taken care of before the place gets rented. If you tell them the bathroom floor is disgusting, they might get pissed at you, and be rude and difficult for the rest of your tenancy.

Just my .02

Now to hop in the shower, finish packing, and head to the airport!

Oh, phew! Told Emily about caving with the landlord. She's not mad, and said she would have caved a month ago. Now I just have to tell Not!Emily.

Poor Emily is sick as a dog today. She got up and tried to go to school, but just couldn't do it. So, she's sleeping lots so she'll feel better before she gets on the plane tomorrow. Poor thing.

Damn. The law doesn't actually give an amount of time for notice before entering the apartment. But, if it is consistentily "unreasonable," you can file a restraining order. That cracks me up to no end.

The landlord should be "reasonable." S/He should attempt to arrange a mutually convenient time to visit the apartment. If the landlord persists in entering your apartment in an unreasonable fashion, you should file for a temporary restraining order at your local district court.