Landlord/Property Issues

[TheMan]

I really disagree with how you are trying to convince him...informing him of potential damages from your brewing isn't going to help. He will just use those as reasons not to let you brew.

Your document outlines brewing well, but i don't think he is even going to get past the first two paragraphs.

Call me a negative Nancy, but i see this failing. He doesn't want you brewing and you are telling him if he doesn't want you to, then you won't. He will just stick to his "no". Brew in your apartment and find a way to ferment inside. Further, wait till after you re-sign your lease till you bring all this up, this way he is less likely to include a no brew clause.

Either way, good luck. I do think you are approaching this in the most logical and adult manner. Unfortunately most people don't care and just want things their way. I hope you let us know how it goes and that you proved me, and others wrong.

 

[mavandeh]

Honestly, f him. Brew anyway. He has NO legal right to tell you you cannot brew in your apartment. If he kicks you out, move and then sue him (for the cost of the move). If nothing else it will cost him time and money to go to court. Why live somewhere that is run by an azzhat where you cannot brew beer? He is not legally able to tell you you cannot do something that is legal. If he told you you couldn't have a gun in the apt it would be the same thing. Again, f him.

I prefer it to living with a place run by a landlord that does not respond to my requests to maintenance, lets **** get out of hand before fixing it, and gives me ridiculous guff when things that I need to survive are broken. This happens all too often in Chicago. He is a great landlord, he just doesn't understand that brewing poses no risk to his property and needs to be educated.

Brewing is basically the same as making bread, if he wants to prevent you from doing something in the "common" areas of the apartment that is his right as landloard but unless your lease specifies no cooking/baking is allowed he can go to court and try to get a cease and desist and would fail as long as you arw a licensed home brewer. What happens within your apartment is none of his concern as long as you are not damaging his property in any way.

It's the same as making a large volume of bread and soup at the same time.

How does one go about becoming licensed to homebrew in the state of Illinois? I wasn't aware that I needed a license.

We've come to an agreement after talking. He is really mostly concerned about the smell of the fermenter in the common areas of the basement (the only place in the house where fermentation can properly occur), and has requested that I move it to the garage. I'm just going to buy that <$200 freezer on the homebrewfinds deal and convert it into a fermentation chamber. It'll be a cool gadget to play with anyway.

As far as I'm concerned with the cooking argument, scottab, you are correct. He cannot prevent me from cooking in my apartment, and that is exactly what I am doing. I will brew in the kitchen, cool and place it in the fermenter, pitch, shake, and carry it out to the garage to ferment. Easy solution, and everyone is happy. This is really less of a big deal to him than I thought he was making it out to be. I was prepared for a battle though.

Thanks for all of your help and input guys, I really appreciate it and love this community for it. You all really stepped up to the plate for a stranger with only one thing in common; a passion for beer.

 

[Polboy]

i have to say f him as well, i rented 2 apartments in Chicago for 5 years or so, my landlord was in MY apartment only when i called him to fix the sink, stove ect, i can not imagine someone would tell me what to do in my place and if someone would kick me out before lease out there is small claim court

 

[mavandeh]

i have to say f him as well, i rented 2 apartments in Chicago for 5 years or so, my landlord was in MY apartment only when i called him to fix the sink, stove ect, i can not imagine someone would tell me what to do in my place and if someone would kick me out before lease out there is small claim court

Lease is up in a week and I'm not getting kicked out.

He was upset that I had a fermenter in the basement common area. Also the laundry room. Not 5 feet from the back door to his unit. I can understand his concern and nothing he has said has sounded unreasonable to me.

 

[bighorn_brew]

OP, I wonder if he thinks brewing beer is similar to distilling process? At the hardware store many of the employees thin that brewing is similar too distilling and I am forever telling them that "no, not distilling, I am brewing beer."

Nevermind, looks as though you have the issue resolved...

 

[TheMan]

Awesome, glad you guys got a compromise on the fermenting space. It did sound like he was being more upright about this than it turns out. Have fun building the ferm chamber!

 

[mavandeh]

OP, I wonder if he thinks brewing beer is similar to distilling process? At the hardware store many of the employees thin that brewing is similar too distilling and I am forever telling them that "no, not distilling, I am brewing beer."

Immersion chillers do kind of look like a distillation apparatus. In fact, you could probably hook it up to a pot top and use one to distill.

 

[neophilus]

Rig a swamp cooler in your apt. Keep everything brewing related in your place so he can't say anything to you about it. As long as you use any common area you seem to be at his ignorant whim on what you can or can't do.

 

[MisterTipsy]

You were fermenting beer in the common areas? That's a no no.

You generally aren't allowed to store anything in the common areas. It's probably written in your lease.

 

[scottab]

How does one go about becoming licensed to homebrew in the state of Illinois? I wasn't aware that I needed a license.

In nj we need to obtain a license from the state. Glad to hear you worked it out. The smell is def overwhelming if it is something you don't enjoy. I once had a landlord who would complain that the garlic we used in cooking while a good smell permeated through the house and then everything smelled of it, including her clothing. I think she was a vampire.

 

[NA_Wreckdiver]

In nj we need to obtain a license from the state.

Everytime I've thought I've heard it all...
NJ never fails to educate me!

Now I'm certain I know why God put a moat there!!!

 

[scottab]

Everytime I've thought I've heard it all...
NJ never fails to educate me!

Now I'm certain I know why God put a moat there!!!

The license is pretty cheap, either 15 or 25, i forget. Basically allows you to brew to the fed guidelines of 100gal/person. Nj just wants their cut annually. Still can't sell any though.

 

[brewingmeister]

As if I needed another reason to avoid NJ completely when passing through the area.

What happens if you don't get the permit?

 

[scottab]

As if I needed another reason to avoid NJ completely when passing through the area.

What happens if you don't get the permit?

No clue, not like the lhbs has to report customers...
Actually, i just looked up the law and the permit requirement was cancelled in january this year. So basically i got and paid for a permit for 2 months since i started brewing last november.
The permit is $15 and required for brewing at instructional facilities only.

 

[beergolf]

In nj we need to obtain a license from the state. Glad to hear you worked it out. The smell is def overwhelming if it is something you don't enjoy. I once had a landlord who would complain that the garlic we used in cooking while a good smell permeated through the house and then everything smelled of it, including her clothing. I think she was a vampire.

A few months ago they dropped that law. You no longer need a permit to brew.

here is the info on the new law which does not require a permit.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/nj-passes-new-howmebrew-law-good-309683/

 

[overdbus]

I live next door to the manager of our park(ya) and she does not drink
beer ,but she love's the apple wine I made her - just sayin

 

[scottab]

A few months ago they dropped that law. You no longer need a permit to brew.

here is the info on the new law which does not require a permit.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/nj-passes-new-howmebrew-law-good-309683/

Yup, stated in my last post, too bad i had already paid in november.