vw, that's an excellent letter, it's very clear, it's very reasonable and non-emotional, and very well-documented.

Be prepared for Mrs. Landlord to not like it, to bitch about your "uncooperativeness" (yes, she *will* label your insistence on the law being followed as "uncooperative" -- anything that inconveniences her is going to be labelled "uncooperative," even when the law is on your side), and to continue entering the apartment without sufficient notice.

I'm not trying to be a pessimist, but this is a pattern, and she doesn't seem inclined to work with you, even after you've asked -- repeatedly -- in the past.

But sending the letter is an excellent idea, because then if she keeps ignoring your request for sufficient notice, and you register a complaint with the city, she can't say that she wasn't warned.

We have a right to that. We are not asking for a lot.

vw, if it's not too late, I would change the above to:

We have a right to that. We are not asking for anything that is not already our own, by law.

I also think you might want to tweak this part:

I am not a completely unreasonable person, though, and I have had some time to calm down since talking briefly with Mrs. Landlord this morning. I know you will want to get into the apartment to do things like painting and fixing the living room floor before the new tenants move in. Therefore, I have a proposal.

I would get rid of the statement about you not being completely unreasonable, entirely. It's like you're copping to be unreasonable, when you are the one whose rights have been ignored.

I might consider something like:

Not!Emily, Emily, and I have had some time to think since my brief conversation with Mrs. Landlord, this morning. Since you will want to have considerable access to the apartment to paint and repair the living room floor before your new tenants move in, I have a proposal.

Good letter. Good for you for documenting everything, too.

vw, I might ditch this, entirely:

On June 30, Mrs. Landlord called and left a message that Emily’s room was “too cluttered” and we needed to be “more cooperative” and “help them out.” Emily moved some things around the best she could. We were both furious, though, that we were called uncooperative after everything we have put up with.

She didn't violate your rights by doing this, and it could give her a written admission of non-neatness from you, if she tries to refuse to return any of your deposit money.

She thought my dresser was in the way, and suggested we move it onto the balcony.

You're quite right that this one was just her being a bitca and not violating our rights, I just felt the need to expand on that story. So.... evil!

Mind you, so far as non-neatness goes, I'm like the queen. My mother has suggested that after I move I should hire someone to come in and clean once a week, and has offered to pay for it.

Mind you, so far as non-neatness goes, I'm like the queen.

I'm pretty sure that once you are here, and staying with me, we're going to find out that this is kind of not true.

I can't decide if that's a challenge of competing non-neatness, or a subtle threat about not messing up your space, but regardless -- I can totally be neat as a guest! I can! It just doesn't, you know, come naturally.

Oh, definitely the first. We can be slobs together!

My mother has suggested that after I move I should hire someone to come in and clean once a week, and has offered to pay for it.

If you don't take her up on it, I will lose all respect for you.

What Cindy Said.

Gronk. Today has been a very long day. However, all my student evals are done. (Well, the first drafts. I'm going to have to spend a lot of time Thursday afternoon revising.)

Did my gronk kill the thread? Sorry.

Last night was a gorgeous night. On my way back from supervising study hall, I stopped to watch some fireflies in one of the fields. Then I managed to get inside about 10 seconds before a horrendous thunderstorm hit.