Greetings, Abby Half of my sister and brother-in-law’s house is rented by my wife and me. We reside in the back; they live in the front. We have a separate bathroom and kitchen, but we have to go outside and around the corner before we can use it.We spent a month on vacation. My brother-in-law was scheduled to finish remodeling our bathroom and kitchen while we were away and return. Nothing is usable four months later. They gave us access to one of the interior bathrooms and said we could use their kitchen. We have never been able to use their kitchen, and my wife feels uneasy entering their area of the house.We were okay with my brother-in-law cutting our rent in half as a result of the inconvenience. We text each other most of the time.
I’m not sure, but he now says he will be finished next month. In any case, he now wants to increase our rent from half to about 75% of what it is presently. How do you feel about this? — CALIFORNIA INCONvenient
DEAR INCONVENIENCED: I believe that you should pay the rent increase when the promised makeover is finished, not before, because your brother-in-law is untrustworthy.
Abigail Van Buren, better known as Jeanne Phillips, is the author of Dear Abby. Her mother, Pauline Phillips, began the company. For more information, visit www.DearAbby.com or send an email to P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
