Landlord Dares Tenant To Report Her To The City, Unaware It Will Be Her Biggest Mistake

Renting is the easiest way to find an apartment or home in any city. But it definitely doesn’t come without complications. Landlords may refuse to make repairs on their properties, force tenants to deal with unsafe conditions, and hike up the price of rent without making any improvements to the living space.

So when one woman waited months for her landlord to fix an issue to no avail, she finally decided to take her landlord’s advice: file a claim with the city. Below, you’ll find the full story of how her issue got resolved, as well as some of the replies amused readers shared.

Dealing with a difficult landlord is often the worst part of renting

No-Lifeguard904 (not the actual photo)

After waiting months for repairs to be made, this tenant decided to take her landlord’s advice and complain to the city instead

Kathleen Austin Kuhn / pexels (not the actual photo)

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Later, the author responded to several readers and shared more details about her situation

The majority of renters say they’ve disliked at least one of their landlords

Most people who rent don’t do it because they love the idea of dealing with a landlord. They do it to save money, because they know they’ll only live there temporarily, or because they simply can’t afford a place of their own yet. 

There’s absolutely no shame in renting, as over one-third of households in the United States are rented. And in Europe, the numbers are roughly the same, with 32% of residents renting their housing. 

There are certainly upsides to renting, as it allows a person flexibility to move more easily, and it’s often cheaper than buying. But there are downsides as well, such as dealing with a landlord who is an absolute nightmare. 

A survey from LendingTree found that 58% of renters in the United States have disliked at least one of their landlords before. And one-quarter say they’re not a fan of their current landlord. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, nearly half of tenants say they’ve had a falling out with a landlord. 

As far as why these tenants are unhappy with their landlords, LendingTree found that the majority of conflicts stem from maintenance issues. Poor communication, a lack of respect or professionalism, rent increases, and privacy violations are the other top reasons why renters are unhappy.

Nearly one-third of renters admit that they don’t trust their landlord. And one in five renters has even had a legal dispute with the owner of their home. 

It’s important for tenants to understand their rights when issues with their landlord arise

Finding a new place to live isn’t always easy, though. A third of renters believe that they’ve been discriminated against when applying to rent a property, with 11% saying it was based on their race and 8% saying it was based on their age. 

37% of renters are also unhappy with the amount that they pay, noting that they believe they’re paying above market value for the home or apartment. 37% of renters also say that they wouldn’t be able to afford any increase in their rent.

So what rights do tenants have when their landlord refuses to resolve issues around the apartment? Well, it depends on where they live, of course. In the United States, for example, the government says that it’s important to first read your lease carefully to ensure that you follow the rental rules you agreed to.

Then, if you want to file a complaint against your landlord, you can get help from your state agency that handles tenant rights. You may also be able to file a complaint with the Multifamily Housing Complaint Line if the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development insures or manages the property you live in. 

The National Tenant Authority Network also explains that, depending on the severity of the issue, the tenant may complain to an agency or a civil court. There are also some issues that deal with local code enforcement, while others deal with state agencies. Tenants will need to do their research prior to filing a complaint to ensure that they choose the correct avenue to resolve their issue.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this tenant made the right call by choosing to file a claim with the city? Feel free to weigh in. Then you can find another article from Bored Panda discussing similar landlord drama right here. 

Readers applauded the woman for taking matters into her own hands and called out the landlord for her awful behavior

Some readers even shared similar stories of their own

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