30 Times Landlords Neglected Their Tenants So Much, They Had To Take Pics As Evidence
Finding a new place to live in is quite a task in itself, but for some people, the struggle doesn't end there. There are landlords who create such a toxic environment, their tenants' everyday life becomes a neverending misery. From installing secret surveillance cameras to ignoring ceiling leaks, these greedy bastards are full of dirty tricks.
Bored Panda has compiled this list to prove that you should always remain skeptical when hunting for an apartment. One thing's for sure, though, those sly foxes are definitely know how to save a penny.
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However, even the worst landlords have to try real hard to come close to Steven Croman. He spent decades flipping rent-controlled Manhattan apartment buildings, buying them cheap and having his employees remove the apartment's occupants. Croman's employees referred to the tenants as 'targets,' and were competing to push out the most as they would receive a bonus for each tenant they forced out.
My Landlord Pretended To Do Work In The Flat But Ended Up Installing This 360° Wifi Surveillance Camera Which Also Records Audio Without Telling Me About It
When the 'targets' refused to move, Croman enforced harassment. He turned their buildings into dangerous construction sites, refused to make repairs, and cut off heat, electricity, and hot water. If that wasn't enough, he ordered his companies to file baseless lawsuits against the residents. One tenant, for example, was brought to court 11 times, even though she was not behind on the rent; another tenant racked up $240,000 in legal fees.
That Awkward Moment When Your "Thermostat" Is Actually Just Hanging On A Nail, And Doesn't Control The Temperature Whatsoever. Shout Out To The Best Landlords Ever
If tenants continued living in the apartments, Croman would call Anthony Falconite. The retired police officer would pose as a repairman, a building manage or an inspector to get into people’s homes. Once inside, he would come up with an accusations, telling tenants they were occupying the units illegally. Falconite would demand their IDs, and take their photos without permission.
Landlords Didn't Believe Me When I Tried To Tell Them We Had A Slug Infestation. Said They've Never Heard Of Such A Problem
After his tenants were gone, Croman ignored construction laws and performed work without permits more than on 175 occasions. Eventually, Croman’s shady methods drew the attention of officials, and he was charged with grand larceny and tax fraud. In 2017, he pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a $5 million tax settlement and $8 million to his former tenants. He was also sentenced to one year in jail.
This Is How The Landlord Fixed The Leaky Ceiling
I had that exact light fixture in my kitchen for years and I have a scar on the very top of my head from the day I wore very thick soled work boots and forgot it was there. That thing is heavy and has a spike. I can almost guarantee that his "fix" will end up costing a LOT more to properly fix it if he tries to leave it that way.
My Landlord Finally Installed A New Gated Entryway. I Feel So Much Safer Now
I've Been Arguing With My Landlord About Water Seeping Into My Apartment For 2 Months Now. Found This Little Guy Today
A Leak My Landlord Refuses To Fix. Is This Mold? Is It Dangerous?
Landlord Decided To Turn Down The Heat Today In My Mn Apartment As It Reached -40°. But The Idiot Must Have Forgotten He Pays My Electric And Doesn't Realize That I Value My Comfort Over Safety Or Energy Conservation
Landlord Responded Right Away When I Sent Him The Second Pic
Told My Landlord That There Was A Drip Coming From My Ceiling About Two Weeks Ago. They Did Nothing About It And I Woke Up To This This Morning
My Ceiling Caved In And The Landlord Said They Won't Fix It Until It Rains Again And They Can Find The Leak
Yes and no. Water can come in from the far side of the roof and navigate over to god knows where. You to see exactly what's up in order to fix it. A garden hose works too though so the landlord is an asshole.
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hmm i think the leak is coming from... THE GIANT HOLE IN THE CEILING
Call your local news station.. that'll get the landlord's attention..and get a lawyer, too..Not necessarily in that order..
That is just lazy and stupid. I live in a condo and our maintenance person fixed a leak that dripped into my bathroom when it rained heavily without it being an active leak.
The tile floor is nice though.... I mean once you clean the rotting house bits off it, it’s probably quite lovely.
the big hole in landlords skull should be enough incentive to not wait until rainfall again.
You missed a golden opportunity. Should have had someone lay down amidst the carnage and sued the bad landlord, for injury
Landlord Promised To Install A Cat Flap In Our Back Door After Some Security Issues. Came Home To This
Landlord Ignored Me For Two Months About My Sparking Outlet, Got Worried About A Fire And Did It Myself And I Find This
Welcome To Renting In London! My Landlord Has Just Put Our Thermostat In A Cage
Each Time We Ask Our Landlord To Fix The Shower They Just Add A New Nozzle
My Friend Asked Me If This Message From Her 53-Year-Old Landlord Was Creepy
Landlord Fitted A Shower Head Holder, Perfect For When I Finish My Shift At The Chocolate Factory
They clearly don't intend you to stand under it. Shower hose on my bath has a holder as part of the taps - it's for washing your hair when in the bath.
Our Landlord Installed The Locks To Our Front Door Backwards
My Landlord Said There Was A Pool, He Failed To Mention It Is Closed. Forever
Landlord Hung The Microwave, This Is As Far As It Opens Before Hitting The Wall
My "Oh So Awesome" Landlord Quit Cleaning My Pool Cause Kids Who Weren’t Living Here Were Playing In It
We Asked Our Landlord For A Bigger Table. He Built Us This
I don’t understand how a table is the landlords responsibility unless the place already came furnished (which isn’t common where I live).
The Landlord Decided To Get Rid Of This Tree For No Reason, Additionally Killing Newborn Birds In The Process
My Landlord Promised To “Redo The Bathroom Floors.” This Was The Result
What’s the issue here? He’s replaced three wood hasn’t he? Just get a tin of wood stain and paint it to match. 3 minute job.
Note: this post originally had 56 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
So much illegal and dodgy work. Hope these landlords were reported.
So many people who don't understand that the whole world doesn't work exactly the same as where they live…
So we mention what we know and our experiences where we are. It just might help someone else in our same country who might not be aware of their rights. Discussion of what appears to be a common problem in more than one country is not a bad thing. It just might spur change on a grassroots level. If nothing else, it let’s people know they’re most definitely not alone in what they’re going through. My advice to you, Phil, is to just go back down in your mother’s basement.
I doubt he's talking about the people who are explaining the situation where they live. There are a lot of commenters making blanket statements about how things work without realizing that it's simply not true everywhere. Either way, that last sentence is a tad extreme.
When I use to rent I would just fix the problem myself, then send the bill to landlord.
In some places, depending on your contract, you could get in big trouble for doing that.
It can void the insurance the landlord has on the property, so it's highly discouraged.
Yes, I lived with that system for 20 years and became rather handy. It was understood that the place was a 'fixer-upper' and you should deal with the small stuff directly.
Yeah, if your landlord is okay with that. I had a friend who was evicted for replacing the boards on his back porch. The old ones rotted out, he put down some new ones and was kicked out. Didn't even ask the landlord to pay for the timber. So depends on your landlord.
Exactly the way I handle things except old man used to died so no matter what I spend or how I fix it the bill will stay on me because she does not reimburse anything that we fix course we could wait months or maybe never get fixed what is wrong so we just fix it ourselves eat the bill but I keep the receipts
Please familiarise yourself with punctuation. This was difficult to read.
Uhm... don't get me wrong, but why do people stay in such conditions and don't move out? I've been in a few rented appartments when I was younger and the first signs of mould / roaches / leaks etc would make me move out immediately. I'm not familiar with renting market in GB/ US but I just can't understand people who put up with that instead of finding a new place to live in decent conditions.
If it is like Australia often tenants have to put down a big cash "damage deposit" and / or insurance for the Landlord. So moving can be *extremely* expensive.
I see. Here we have specific agreements that secure the tenants from such situations. If the landlord doesn't provide / repair etc, then the tenant can leave and the full deposit has to be returned. Than again deposits here are usually the sum of 1 month rent.
damage deposit is half a months rent, hardly "big cash"
It must be nice to always have money to move. In the US, first, last & security is common. And if your current landlord sucks, it can be difficult to get your deposit back.
Renee, I don't know what state you live in, I live in Iowa and all states that I've ever been to only require deposit (usually equal to 1 months rent) and first months rent... Not first, last, AND deposit!
In Köln Germany. Affordable apartment are very difficult to find and kindergarten also (2 kids). Open house day at 10 o'clock until 11 can be visited for around 40 family. You give your papers and pray to be chosen by the landlord. Some don't like black people, others don't like kids, others don't accept that my ex is kind enough to pay my bills while I learn the language and don't depend on government. Others think single mothers are rolling stones and gonna party all day, some don't like the fact that I speak 5 languages but not (yet) proper German. Just some of the excuses I listen when I was looking for a apartment.
That's easier said than done. Rents in U.S. cities are horrendously high. As of November 2019, the average apartment rent in Los Angeles is $1,474 for a studio, $1,890 for one bedroom, $2,650 for two bedrooms, and $3,783 for three bedrooms.
And in other areas of the US where rents are lower, so is the pay scale (cost of living). So you can’t win either way.
In the UK you have quite a few rights as a tenant and as there is a housing shortage it is recommended that you stay put and exercise those rights and get the problems or the landlord dealt with by the various legal routes at your disposal. There is Citizens Advice Bureau and Shelter who can advise. Between rentals a landlord must deal with most problems anyway so at some point they'll have to face up to it. Gas must be checked and most get electrics checked though that isn't always required (can invalidate insurance if they aren't checked though so not really worth skipping). Houses of multiple occupation (more than three separate tenants sharing either a kitchen or a bathroom) must have the electrics checked every five years. If a problem is a safety concern Environmental Health should be notified if the landlords won't deal with it. The problems in the UK come, mainly, from property that is illegally rented.
In principle, I 100% agree, that tenants should leave asap & find better conditions. Problem is though, that typically they don't leave quickly, because they sign a legally binding lease, for X period of time. To leave before the end of the lease, will cost weeks (if not months) worth of rent, in penalty fees. Yes, they can be taken to "court" (what kind of "court" depends on the country), but that will cost money in applications fees, and time off of work / lost wages etc. And even if the tenant wins in "court", the landlord still has X time to do it, and if they don't, the Tenant has to take them back to court, which costs more application fees / time off work etc....
Wow. Here we just have a clause in the contract that you need to provide a month's notice and you don't have to pay anything.
The rental market in Australia is extremely tough (Don’t know about other countries.) There is a High demand but not enough houses, so finding somewhere else isn’t as easy as some think.
Exactly. We had to leave due to a crappy landlord, and every viewing we went to had several families all trying to get the same property. Not only that, but because the next property manager wants the name and number of the last landlord, every time anyone would call to see what kind of tenants we were, they'd lie and say we kept the place filthy and didn't pay our rent on time. Tenants here are often left in a lose/lose situation.
Because finding an affordable place is close to impossible. In Spain, where I live, there's such shortage of apartments for renting that landlords will cherry pick tenants and if you're "lucky" enough to find a place that won't take 40-50% of your monthly income, you just suck it up. In addition, buying is not a viable option for most workers here (low wages and banks asking for 30% of the total value of the property in advance), so renting is the only way to have a roof over your head.
In Ireland, there is a massive shortage of accommodation and our regulatory bodies are toothless. As many of our politicians are also landlords, there is very little will to change the laws. The landlords consequently get away with murder. I would imagine in certain parts of the UK and US, it is a similar story.
In places where rentals are in short supply, the rent may be beyond a person's means in a decent place, if they can even find one.
I live in an upper class arts-and-tourism area. It's very expensive, and hard for the people who work here to live here. We don't have a lot of stereotypical 'homeless' sleeping on the sidewalk, but a whole lot of people 'couch-surfing' among their friends, sleeping in their car/truck, or even camping. Another reason is they're afraid they won't get their security deposit back (I only got mine because the previous landlord never gave it to the crazy landlord). Which brings us to - gaslighting. Dealing with someone like this can really make you question your reality - am I really the problem here? Am I being unreasonable like he says? What if he gets mad? What if I do call the Health Department and the place gets condemned, like he says? So people put up with shitty living situations for a lot of reasons.
I'm unsure why you WOULDN'T want to get a shitty place condemned and screw over an awful landlord.
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I know this was 3 months ago and I apologize. But money is a big reason. Where I live, a studio costs ~$1,370, a 3 bedroom ~$2,200. Good luck finding *reasonably* priced places, those ones get snapped up ASAP by house buyers or real estate companies, who usually charge higher for it. Requirements to rent are strict and bar a lot of potential renters. Usually there's an application fee ($100 a person for us, say bye to it if you get rejected), 2 months rent upfront, a big sec deposit, 600+ credit (good history/recommendations don't matter), have to make 3x the rent (again, doesn't matter), renters insurance, and sometimes references are *required*. They can raise rent anytime, as well as decide to sell the place you're renting, making you leave. Discrimination is also a thing, despite it being illegal. For poor people like me who can't buy a house, it keeps us poor and limits our options so we can't move, and keep paying the landlord. Took us 5 months to find a new place.
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It’s disturbing to me to see what people have to put up with because otherwise they won’t have a place to live. That such landlords have so little care for others (and don't care about their property) that they have tenants living in mould and weak structures with dodgy electricity, etc. It's MEAN and uncalled for. I’m very grateful to live in a safe and well-tended building, and that issues are properly repaired promptly, and it’s not like I live in a rich or middle-class area, either. One run-in was all it took. The landlord's management company pretended they didn't have my rent check (a ploy so they could claim I didn't pay, evict me, and raise the rent by 20% on the next tenant), but I called 311 (in NYC), and a woman I know who's a tenant lawyer for a non-profit (she did me a solid and called the landlord on my behalf). Lo, and behold! All of a sudden, check found. I haven't had a problem since. Like I said, I'm very grateful and recognize my good fortune. I tell my friends who have issues what agencies to call. At some point, people get fed up with this sort of meanness. To quote Mister Rogers, "...the only thing that really angers me is something that's demeaning to somebody else." Such conditions are demeaning, IMO. And tenants pay for it? Nah, son. Nah.
Sorry that you had to go through that. I hope you enjoy your new place! I moved to a studio that's basic but everything works, it costs the same as I was paying, and the location is great - even using a cane, I can walk to anywhere. And the building super is really respectful and cares about what he's doing. The other day he was sweeping the parking lot!
Were these all Kushner properties? ‘Cause they sure look like it. (I live in Maryland, where Kushner has bought a lot of rental properties. I’ve even seen ads they’ve placed, on websites like Indeed and CareerBuilder, to hire certified mediators in Baltimore to handle landlord-tenant disputes. Though I am a certified mediator in Maryland, I did not apply. I cannot in good conscience work for a company like that, as I know I’d be asked to always—-unethically, as mediators are supposed to remain as unbiased as humanly possible—-steer the mediations in favor of the landlords. )
My landlord doesn't give us hot water. It's been 2 months that we've had to boil water to bathe ourselves
That sucks. It’s illegal though. Just report them. Or call the water company.
Has anyone had a landlord date labeled there goods and said if dated things aren't eaten in a week there tossing out freezer food because the white frost is mistaken for mold? Or take pictures of every speck of dirt and mass text everyone books about not being slobs. Or how about one that talks shit about tenants to other tenants. That is mine currently she threw out my black frozen bananas because they were rotten. So much for making banana bread. Shes fucking insane
I'd leave if I could afford to but this is all I can afford on $1139 a month on disability
It might be the only place that you can afford due to the amount of money that comes into you through disability. But being on disability and disabled gives you something to work with that has a little more leverage then your everyday well person. I don't know what age you are but if you're in your late 50s early 60s call the Department of Aging and I would go in and talk to a mean landlord and tenant lawyer they're free for the consultation sometimes they're free. You at least need 2 get a handle on the things that are making your living uncomfortable. I understand I'm going through the same thing good luck to you honey
Get a camera, literally as soon as you can afford one. You are perfectly within your rights to record your own home.
I've had multiple landlords that did similar (but not as extreme) things. Like insisting that carpeting be covered in plastic (the kind they put down when showing a house) that anything on the walls be super light and be hung with needles instead of nails. Etc
What does your lease say? Do you share an apartment with your landlord?
The lease is 7 pages of rules that have 2 paragraph definitions took an hour to read lol
No she waltzes in to the main area and does what she wants in people's cupboards and fridges at will. I left my window open and she went in and closed it. But I have no proof so I can't do much until I catch her doing it
I had a bad landlord when I lived in a caravan park with my husband. We stayed there for a year. He wouldn't let me use my wheelchair in the disabled toilets (I'm disabled). He let people use soap in there when they weren't disabled and he knew I was allergic to soap. Let people do drugs in his park. Swore and yelled at people. Let a wanted man stay there and we weren't allowed to call the cops on him. We paid out own power but weren't allowed to keep our air conditioning going in 35+ heat (Australia). Also he threaten me multiple times and also before I moved in with my husband, my husband's van was live on the outside for a month (like electric) and the landlord was fully aware of this for a month before he did anything about it (my husband stayed with a mate most of that time).
What a shame! it seems you guys dont have any building-Standards. Or that any of the Workers cares about the Person that's gonna live there, or even the worker that comes after him. I'm in disbelief. Also the amount of mold i've seen is shocking. its higly dangerous and could also cause Astma or other sicknesses.
Why are you capitalizing random words?
english is not my native language. in my language we capitalize nouns and stuff. Which actually would make a lot more sense. but sorry i capitalized a few words lol
I feel soo bad for the owners!
You mean the landlords? Whose entire fault it is?
This is ridiculous, I would have move to elsewhere to deal with shyt like that. There is no way and it’s illegal. Reminds me of that UK TV shows called Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords those landlords are the worst.
Landlords? More like Slumlords!
So I live on a campus, where we sleep in dorms. (btw i dont have classes there but i live with my gf) We have a nice landlord, but he’s heavily sick. Now we have another one, but she’s so annoying! Geez... I hope he gets better soon. But the point is, she always says I do all wrong while she doesnt fix anything. Ok, I have rabbits and maybe they break something a bit but this is just weird. Uhm yeah this is a bit a long story hehe
You said absolutely nothing with this paragraph, bruh. I'm kind of amazed.
These really make me love my landlords!
There are a lot of these slum-lords. My college did not have a lot of student housing when I went so I had to deal with these types of living conditions (I had no car and needed walking distance accommodations to the campus). My 1st apartment had a creepy manager who would show up at irregular times to “check” the apartment and let himself in without knocking or notice. We had one thermostat for the entire building (in a locked box) that was in our apartment next to the stove. If we attempted to cook anything it would shut off the thermostat and freeze all the other tenants. The slum-lord tried to demand that we not EVER use the stove. My 2nd apartment was worse. It was owned by this crabby old lady who charged top dollar for the location near to the college. The staircases were held up by 4x4 planks of wood. The lights dimmed if you used a hairdryer. The radiator stopped working mid-winter and she refused to fix it. We reported her to the city and our apartment got condemned.
Some of it was like, were they trying to STALK u and take peaks when u are changing?! highly illegal. Get a new landlord.
I'm so happy that whatever I report to the company owning my flat fixes everything. It takes some time but they do it properly.
I count myself ridiculously lucky to have a council house every time I see photos like these from people with private landlords!
I have more rats per capita in my house and landlord says not his problem...I'm talking holes halfway up my walls...electrical shorts from rats....its a wonder we ain't all dead from some rat borne illness
my last landlord was constantly in my apartment and wouldn't even knock. The last straw was when he told me he was petting my cats in my bed! Add to that the mold, the lack of heat (a wood stove was my only source and I had to buy my own wood), and having to pay the electric bill for the entire house (including their huge upstairs). I decided living at my Mom's is way better than that hell.
Wow. Suddenly I'm not so unhappy with my landlord. My landlord is not perfect, but certainly much better than the landlords depicted here.
I'm a landlord-- my wife and I tend out our basement. At least I can take some space in knowing I'm better than these people. Yeesh!
Not to rain on your parade, but that's a looooowwww bar, my guy. 😂
Don't know wether to laugh or cry at these.
My mums landlord is the same wont do any work and she lived with rats under floor for 5 years and every time ask for repairs she get eviction notice and she is disabled
home insurances are not a thing out there?
My God. I'm so happy I don't rent anymore and don't have to put up with any of this shady shit.
I'm feeling spoilt and grateful right now, because some of those pics look borderline 3rd world country to me and are simply unimaginable.
I feel for good tenants with bad landlords. But hear more horror stories , from people owning rental units. Some people live worse than cockroaches.
Many of these landlords seem to be mocking their tenants, or just being plain passive-aggressive.
I feel so fortunate. I have never had to deal with such nightmares. These things would drive me mad.
Most of these are safety violations. Some are just ignorant tenants.
After a few pics, I can tell this was in England! If you saw the tv show Slumlords or another one like that, the inside of homes and apts look exactly the same.... Also, they meaning the country, are infested of Slumlords unfortunately! They are into saving money and raising hell with the tenants! It's such a sad thing but the laws are different there than here. So, idk what they can do legally to restitute the damage of the tenants property because of their fucked up choice of not fixing shit!
Who takes these kinds of pictures and doesn't go straight to the cops?
Someone who's afraid of getting evicted and winding up on the street.
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Fuck landlords to hell, seriously
Croman only got one year in jail? He must have had some powerful friends.
They should have sentenced him to house arrest in one of his crappy apartments.
Do not rent from SELMA LEWIS in Bronx, New York. Landlord from hell. I had to go to court but won. She was doing illegal restoration in a private house to which she owned but it was against housing policies. Smh 🤦
What was the issue though?
Karma is just around the corner for these landlords. Usually it hurts, when it bites.
Our landlord doesn't get the lawn mowed for months, and then does it himself with a weedwhacker/strimmer, takes 2 whole days.
What does your lease say about landscaping?
So many of these are clearly photos taken for other reasons, stolen, repurposed for a Shitty Landlords post and shoved in this article.
All of these places look horrible to begin with. Yuck!
Landlords will always try to spend a little money as possible "fixing" things. My roof had an intermittent leak for 11 years that he constantly "fixed". He claimed it was only a problem if the wind blew from a certain direction! Luckily they sold and house and my new landlord fixed it quick-quick - of course the previous owner still had to pay 🤣
So all landlords are scumbags....except for your current landlord?
While some people complain about buying houses and having to fix everything themselves, I see this post as a positive reinforcement to go out and buy a house.
Unfortunately, that is out of reach for many people.
so many people who look at a doorknob installed the wrong way & start immediately calling the landlord sh1tty instead of just taking a screwdriver & fixing it themselves.
It's literally not their job to do that.
That's why I own a home.
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In many places there will be laws about this sort of thing. And Tenants' Unions that can help with information about how to get stuff fixed correctly.
So much illegal and dodgy work. Hope these landlords were reported.
So many people who don't understand that the whole world doesn't work exactly the same as where they live…
So we mention what we know and our experiences where we are. It just might help someone else in our same country who might not be aware of their rights. Discussion of what appears to be a common problem in more than one country is not a bad thing. It just might spur change on a grassroots level. If nothing else, it let’s people know they’re most definitely not alone in what they’re going through. My advice to you, Phil, is to just go back down in your mother’s basement.
I doubt he's talking about the people who are explaining the situation where they live. There are a lot of commenters making blanket statements about how things work without realizing that it's simply not true everywhere. Either way, that last sentence is a tad extreme.
When I use to rent I would just fix the problem myself, then send the bill to landlord.
In some places, depending on your contract, you could get in big trouble for doing that.
It can void the insurance the landlord has on the property, so it's highly discouraged.
Yes, I lived with that system for 20 years and became rather handy. It was understood that the place was a 'fixer-upper' and you should deal with the small stuff directly.
Yeah, if your landlord is okay with that. I had a friend who was evicted for replacing the boards on his back porch. The old ones rotted out, he put down some new ones and was kicked out. Didn't even ask the landlord to pay for the timber. So depends on your landlord.
Exactly the way I handle things except old man used to died so no matter what I spend or how I fix it the bill will stay on me because she does not reimburse anything that we fix course we could wait months or maybe never get fixed what is wrong so we just fix it ourselves eat the bill but I keep the receipts
Please familiarise yourself with punctuation. This was difficult to read.
Uhm... don't get me wrong, but why do people stay in such conditions and don't move out? I've been in a few rented appartments when I was younger and the first signs of mould / roaches / leaks etc would make me move out immediately. I'm not familiar with renting market in GB/ US but I just can't understand people who put up with that instead of finding a new place to live in decent conditions.
If it is like Australia often tenants have to put down a big cash "damage deposit" and / or insurance for the Landlord. So moving can be *extremely* expensive.
I see. Here we have specific agreements that secure the tenants from such situations. If the landlord doesn't provide / repair etc, then the tenant can leave and the full deposit has to be returned. Than again deposits here are usually the sum of 1 month rent.
damage deposit is half a months rent, hardly "big cash"
It must be nice to always have money to move. In the US, first, last & security is common. And if your current landlord sucks, it can be difficult to get your deposit back.
Renee, I don't know what state you live in, I live in Iowa and all states that I've ever been to only require deposit (usually equal to 1 months rent) and first months rent... Not first, last, AND deposit!
In Köln Germany. Affordable apartment are very difficult to find and kindergarten also (2 kids). Open house day at 10 o'clock until 11 can be visited for around 40 family. You give your papers and pray to be chosen by the landlord. Some don't like black people, others don't like kids, others don't accept that my ex is kind enough to pay my bills while I learn the language and don't depend on government. Others think single mothers are rolling stones and gonna party all day, some don't like the fact that I speak 5 languages but not (yet) proper German. Just some of the excuses I listen when I was looking for a apartment.
That's easier said than done. Rents in U.S. cities are horrendously high. As of November 2019, the average apartment rent in Los Angeles is $1,474 for a studio, $1,890 for one bedroom, $2,650 for two bedrooms, and $3,783 for three bedrooms.
And in other areas of the US where rents are lower, so is the pay scale (cost of living). So you can’t win either way.
In the UK you have quite a few rights as a tenant and as there is a housing shortage it is recommended that you stay put and exercise those rights and get the problems or the landlord dealt with by the various legal routes at your disposal. There is Citizens Advice Bureau and Shelter who can advise. Between rentals a landlord must deal with most problems anyway so at some point they'll have to face up to it. Gas must be checked and most get electrics checked though that isn't always required (can invalidate insurance if they aren't checked though so not really worth skipping). Houses of multiple occupation (more than three separate tenants sharing either a kitchen or a bathroom) must have the electrics checked every five years. If a problem is a safety concern Environmental Health should be notified if the landlords won't deal with it. The problems in the UK come, mainly, from property that is illegally rented.
In principle, I 100% agree, that tenants should leave asap & find better conditions. Problem is though, that typically they don't leave quickly, because they sign a legally binding lease, for X period of time. To leave before the end of the lease, will cost weeks (if not months) worth of rent, in penalty fees. Yes, they can be taken to "court" (what kind of "court" depends on the country), but that will cost money in applications fees, and time off of work / lost wages etc. And even if the tenant wins in "court", the landlord still has X time to do it, and if they don't, the Tenant has to take them back to court, which costs more application fees / time off work etc....
Wow. Here we just have a clause in the contract that you need to provide a month's notice and you don't have to pay anything.
The rental market in Australia is extremely tough (Don’t know about other countries.) There is a High demand but not enough houses, so finding somewhere else isn’t as easy as some think.
Exactly. We had to leave due to a crappy landlord, and every viewing we went to had several families all trying to get the same property. Not only that, but because the next property manager wants the name and number of the last landlord, every time anyone would call to see what kind of tenants we were, they'd lie and say we kept the place filthy and didn't pay our rent on time. Tenants here are often left in a lose/lose situation.
Because finding an affordable place is close to impossible. In Spain, where I live, there's such shortage of apartments for renting that landlords will cherry pick tenants and if you're "lucky" enough to find a place that won't take 40-50% of your monthly income, you just suck it up. In addition, buying is not a viable option for most workers here (low wages and banks asking for 30% of the total value of the property in advance), so renting is the only way to have a roof over your head.
In Ireland, there is a massive shortage of accommodation and our regulatory bodies are toothless. As many of our politicians are also landlords, there is very little will to change the laws. The landlords consequently get away with murder. I would imagine in certain parts of the UK and US, it is a similar story.
In places where rentals are in short supply, the rent may be beyond a person's means in a decent place, if they can even find one.
I live in an upper class arts-and-tourism area. It's very expensive, and hard for the people who work here to live here. We don't have a lot of stereotypical 'homeless' sleeping on the sidewalk, but a whole lot of people 'couch-surfing' among their friends, sleeping in their car/truck, or even camping. Another reason is they're afraid they won't get their security deposit back (I only got mine because the previous landlord never gave it to the crazy landlord). Which brings us to - gaslighting. Dealing with someone like this can really make you question your reality - am I really the problem here? Am I being unreasonable like he says? What if he gets mad? What if I do call the Health Department and the place gets condemned, like he says? So people put up with shitty living situations for a lot of reasons.
I'm unsure why you WOULDN'T want to get a shitty place condemned and screw over an awful landlord.
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I know this was 3 months ago and I apologize. But money is a big reason. Where I live, a studio costs ~$1,370, a 3 bedroom ~$2,200. Good luck finding *reasonably* priced places, those ones get snapped up ASAP by house buyers or real estate companies, who usually charge higher for it. Requirements to rent are strict and bar a lot of potential renters. Usually there's an application fee ($100 a person for us, say bye to it if you get rejected), 2 months rent upfront, a big sec deposit, 600+ credit (good history/recommendations don't matter), have to make 3x the rent (again, doesn't matter), renters insurance, and sometimes references are *required*. They can raise rent anytime, as well as decide to sell the place you're renting, making you leave. Discrimination is also a thing, despite it being illegal. For poor people like me who can't buy a house, it keeps us poor and limits our options so we can't move, and keep paying the landlord. Took us 5 months to find a new place.
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It’s disturbing to me to see what people have to put up with because otherwise they won’t have a place to live. That such landlords have so little care for others (and don't care about their property) that they have tenants living in mould and weak structures with dodgy electricity, etc. It's MEAN and uncalled for. I’m very grateful to live in a safe and well-tended building, and that issues are properly repaired promptly, and it’s not like I live in a rich or middle-class area, either. One run-in was all it took. The landlord's management company pretended they didn't have my rent check (a ploy so they could claim I didn't pay, evict me, and raise the rent by 20% on the next tenant), but I called 311 (in NYC), and a woman I know who's a tenant lawyer for a non-profit (she did me a solid and called the landlord on my behalf). Lo, and behold! All of a sudden, check found. I haven't had a problem since. Like I said, I'm very grateful and recognize my good fortune. I tell my friends who have issues what agencies to call. At some point, people get fed up with this sort of meanness. To quote Mister Rogers, "...the only thing that really angers me is something that's demeaning to somebody else." Such conditions are demeaning, IMO. And tenants pay for it? Nah, son. Nah.
Sorry that you had to go through that. I hope you enjoy your new place! I moved to a studio that's basic but everything works, it costs the same as I was paying, and the location is great - even using a cane, I can walk to anywhere. And the building super is really respectful and cares about what he's doing. The other day he was sweeping the parking lot!