Integrity...does it exist with Landlords?

[TJ Kandel]

Sorry this is long but I need others input.
Hang in here with me please.

We are first time renters. We found a home in a nice area, listing says "Beautiful Home ...great for a family"...boasts all our needs in a home.
Neighborhood is family friendly and we had mutual connections of other known people with the landlord we will call H.
H is in charge of the home but not the owner. Family member of his is the home owner who lives in other state. The family member does all the foot work of finding and application of new tenant and H takes care of repairs needed and picking up rent.

Very down to earth. H seemed like "good people."

When we were taken through the home by H we were told that the current renters were not taking care of the home and _it_was_obvious. The carpet was stained like someone walked around spilling who knows what and never bothered to wash it up, very dirty dirty walls, black water in the toilet, screens busted out of the screen doors, the fridge was new but you about died when you opened it from the smell of rotting food...you get the picture.
We could see past all that and see that underneath all the *dirt* was a beautiful home.
We negotiated-of course all verbally-because we trusted the guy! H gave us no reason NOT too-he assured us that the carpets would be professional cleaned, toilet replaced, deck power washed,screens repaired and that we could paint to our liking, he even offered to pay for some of the paint.

He as well said we could pay the security depo in payments, and no need to pay rent until we actually moved in after painting.

We signed the lease still being led on that all this was the case and he even said "let me know how much paint you will need and I will get it for you or save your receipt if you buy it " as I signed the dotted line.

SO We get a call that the home is ready and that all we have to pay is the depo up front(no longer a payment option) and we can pay rent once we get moved in. Mind you this is a week before the 1st of the month(when bank needs the money for house payment on the home).

Key pick up day comes after H calls and assures us the home is ready and we walk into filth.
Carpets not cleaned. Screen door still busted.
We ask if the carpet cleaning is on the schedule and are told by H "oh we will have to ask family member(the owner) about getting that done. They are actually in town this weekend and will be here any minute."

SO to our surprise the owner walks in meets and greets tells us what they DID do...cleaned the fridge, mowed and weeded the landscaping (which was a big feat in itself), unclogged the upstairs plumping assured us they would clean up the mess that was left due to that fix(but left the mess for us) clean. Owner also says "Oh by the way the shower in the down stairs bathroom leaks terribly so we are going to replace that ASAP." Looks at H and H says "oh you going to give me more work are you?" Jokingly it seemed he was saying it but....

We then ask about the obviously horribly dirty carpets and the owner looks down and says "well I don't have a steam cleaner..do you?" I tell them no...and the owner says "Well, they have been vaccumed." Smiling the whole time like it was not a big deal. H was standing there and said nothing.

SO at this point we tell the owner we are here to paint and they hesitate for a moment but H steps in and assures the owner we have discussed no crazy colors and do not touch the wood work. Fine.

He then asks us when we plan on paying for the rent. I say I can pay it now I have it. The owner says OK smiles and wait s for the money. I guess I needed to say "H said we can pay it after we are done painting and physically make the move." But I did not. I paid the rent.

SO we go spend $200 in paint. At week's end of painting cleaning our butts off, I call H and say "hey we have the paint receipt here for you." Right off he says " well we will have to ask owner about paying for that." SO I knew we were screwed out of that $200.
I told H then I was getting confused on who to call about house issues at this point. H assures me to call him or his family member owner. Also note here the new shower the owner says the home needs is not in either.

SO I call the owner tell him that H said he would pay for paint and the owner is not happy to hear that. He said he did not mind us painting but that was our choice and he was not paying for paint. I address the shower issue and he at first blew me off then apologized and said he was hoping to do it while he was home but time got away from him so it did not happen. He assures me he will get in contact with H and get it repaired.
I also tell the owner I am confused on who is in charge here with house issues and owner also says well me but you can call H since I am not in state.

I steam the carpets myself, we have painted paneling(which if you have ever you know what a B$%# that whole process is), room after room, scrubbed up the plumping repair filth (they did not even put the wall cover back over the exposed pipes!, fixed the screen doors, gotten rid of nasty left over furniture from previous tenants(WHICH we also were told would be hauled away for us).

We get a call from owner stating he has called H and shower repair is on the schedule. Asks then if we painted two specific rooms in the home and we said yes to one not yet to another. Owner then says we cannot paint the room we did not touch yet. They are "emotionally attached" the the specific paint theme in that room. Then tells me to call owner if any decisions need to be made about the home in the future. Was firm in voice but not warm. I assured the homeowner that we would leave the home in better condition than the previous tenants and would treat it like our own. Told owner it was a beautiful home under all the dirt now that we have it cleaned.

Took pictures of everything.

Now the feel good warm fuzzy feeling is gone on all sides of this rent.

****** experience for us first time renters.
We are the 3rd tenants of this home(verified it myself with the owner).

We do however have a great home all newly painted, cleaned all the nasty dirt away and are ready to move in this weekend.

Any tips on how to handle future interactions here with the two landlords?
We are now left with a leaking shower and no trim due to the water damage in the bath room. Worried if it will ever get fixed.

Thanks if you have made it this far.