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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So My Friend's Landlord Thinks This Is No Big Deal
Fungi. Showing there is a serious problem with a leak behind there.
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Advice for American tenants: Get a lawyer, have them send your landlord a letter stating you’re withholding rent until the issue is resolved, and set up an account for you to deposit your rent payments in. Then wait for your landlord’s reply. You have a right to withhold rent if your landlord doesn’t keep the property up to code—-BUT you can’t just do it on your own. You need legal backup. I wish you luck.
Good advice thank you for that! I don't rent but might someday
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Please move as soon as you can, if you haven't already. I developed pneumonia from a damp flat and have had problems ever since. I should have moved out as soon as I realised there was a damp issue.
^^^^^this is serious! My mum recently developed a fungal infection in her lungs because of damp conditions and when I was small, there was a *huge* amount of this fungus called dry rot under my room. I STILL have lung issues from it.
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Forget the mushrooms, that entire wall/ceiling has serious water damage/leaks. You can get really REALLY sick from that. The mold and mildew alone can be serious dangerous to your health, especially if it is black mold. The mushrooms release spores and most mushrooms are poisonous so there's that too.
If you are a short Italian plumber who usually wears a red t-shirt and denim dungarees, I suggest you eat that..
Whatever you do DO NOT RENT from SELMA LEWIS in Bronx, New York. She's a landlord from hell.
Moved in to an apartment in July, by Fall/Winter I had mushrooms growing through my carpet by the sliding glass door. Couldn't believe it. Of course my plants really liked the place with ALL of the moisture! My 3yr old (at the time) daughter and I finally moved out after her year+ of constant monthly ear infections and my constantly missing work. Wish I had reported the complex to the health department. At the time though I was just glad to be moved out of there and that my daughter wouldn't have any more ear infections. My boss was starting to not be too happy about my absences. Finally when it was time to move I mentioned to my superior that my absences should be a thing of the past....had to call in that next week after moving. My daughter had the chicken pox!!
Remember (way back) in "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", the health inspector is squabbling with a restaurant owner over whether they're looking at a rat turn or a raisin? Health inspector finally goes "Okay, if it's a raisin, you eat it!"
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Free psilocybin. Stop complaining. Or you know do something about it yourself
Careful, or the landlord will charge you extra rent if he finds out that you are gardening on his property!
Oh my God... Judging by the severe water damage around the window indicates there's a really amount of black mold growing inside those walls too... That's lawsuit material...
I would be long gone by now, but I know that's easier said than done :(
I gutted it out for four years with a landlord who was bat-crap crazy (I was waiting to see if the sale of the building would actually happen). How crazy? He tried to intimidate me with the Freedom of Information Act! To snitch on my neighbor so he could evict him for calling the Health Department! I was like "I took Con. Law, that's not how FOIA works. And no, I'm not going to give you a name." As I was moving out, he came in and stole $70 cash from my kitchen. I actually had a nanny cam in the room but I didn't have it set up, it seemed too paranoid. I guess it wasn't!
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First of all, never mind the mushrooms that window is nasty too. Second of all, move.
behind my toilet in my old apartment, there were mushrooms growing. he just killed them with bleach and hoped for the best
Yeah, even if you scrape off the mushrooms and treat the spot, you've still got damp rot/black mildew behind it.
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Wow. That place has gotta have incredibly high levels of toxic mold. Run!
This is so stupid. If you don't fix water damage in the beginning, you'll eventually end up with an complete wreck of a house
That's gross. I didn't think mushrooms could grow in ceilings, but here we are.
How rediculous especially when the tenants may have responded with real appreciation and gratitude if the issue would have been dealt with as promptly as possible.
How rediculous especially when their tenants might respond with real appreciation and gratitude If the issue had been dealt with as promptly as possible.
Are those shrooms? I'd hate to see what's on the other side of the ceiling.
Okay, I've seen like mold and a little bit of SMALL fungi in places, but these are literal MUSHROOMS growing out of the ceiling!
Landlord must be smoking those mushrooms. That could be the only reason he doesn't think this is a problem!
Put them in stew! It is cool that different varieties grow in different places.
looked like a cactus penis to me at first. Hope the landlord didn't say "Now you can grow your own garden. From the ceiling!" as an excuse.
The tenant should get their money back and find a better place... Holy Shit.
Wow mushrooms growing out of the ceiling and u thinks that okay... What a landlord... What if it fell down and there was kids in the home
Hey, who doesn't like to have some fresh mushrooms on hand when cooking
Landlord:"What? Mushrooms are pricey, you know. You should be thanking me."
omg I thought the one tiny one growing out of the windowsill in the bathroom (window is directly IN THE SHOWER - no way to keep the wood dry plus the whole house is mold infested) was bad lol that's NOTHING compared to these guys!
run away when you can and pray you didn't catch any infection from all the mold and mushrooms
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.
My Landlord Finally Installed A New Gated Entryway. I Feel So Much Safer Now
My Landlord Sucks
This is a structural / safety issue. If reported to the local government (or relative department), this could mean that the property would be deemed uninhabitable, and needing to be evacuated until repaired. The costs of moving etc, should theoretically be covered by the landlord.
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
I remember this story.. The heat turn down was at request of the energy company, so they could have every home not-freezing due to shortage on the grid or gas pipes. They had to be turned down to 15C (which is not warm, but above freezing). It was not the landlords idea to do this. This was an area-wide thing.
Landlord Charges Residents To Use The Elevator
These costs, should be included in the quarterly Strata fees that all property owners should pay..... unless the entire complex is owned by one person, and they're just being a tight-arse.
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
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
Candle beneath it: Heat goes down. Icecubes on top of it: Heat goes up.
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
Run. now. Run, and never look back. This is HIGHLY ILLEGAL for him to be taking photos of you without permission etc, within this context of him being your landlord. I'd be changing the locks, and looking for hidden cameras now. Seriously
Landlord Fitted A Shower Head Holder, Perfect For When I Finish My Shift At The Chocolate Factory
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
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.