“Not How Things Are Done”: Karen Explodes With Rage When Renter Goes Over Her Head To Landlord

When you’re renting, there’s usually a landlord. However, some landlords don’t want to deal with all that fuss and hand over the responsibilities to a property manager. In the U.S., more than half (51%) of landlords choose to hire a property manager.

One recent story online highlights what happens when that property manager is another tenant. The renter describes how the Karen on-site landlord was doing everything she could to drive them out of the rental. So, when the time to move out came, they paid her back by going straight to the landlord with receipts about how she neglected to manage the property.

A renter found a creative way to get back at their Karen on-site landlord

Person handing over keys to tenant, representing an on-site landlord interaction related to rent issues.

Image credits: rawpixel.com / freepik (not the actual photo)

They went straight to the landlord and got her fired, and her rent doubled

Text excerpt describing a tenant’s experience with an on-site landlord who acted awful and rent was doubled.

Text excerpt describing an on-site landlord tenant arrangement where the landlord acts awful and rent gets doubled.

Text excerpt describing an on-site landlord acting awful with petty rules and issues, leading to rent doubled.

Frustrated woman sitting on couch with hands raised, upset about on-site landlord actions and rent increase.

Image credits: Wavebreak Media / freepik (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt discussing tolerance of annoyances from an on-site landlord who acts awful before rent doubled.

Text excerpt explaining tenant conflict and landlord's decision due to credit checks in an on-site landlord situation.

Tenant describes on-site landlord acting awful by ignoring leaking water heater before rent doubled at lease end.

Tenant warns on-site landlord acts awful and enforces strict cleanliness for final inspection before move-out.

Person wearing gloves watering flowering plants with a green watering can outdoors on a sunny day, illustrating on-site landlord acts.

Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)

Text excerpt showing a tenant planning petty revenge after spotting the on-site landlord, related to rent doubling dispute.

Text showing a tenant sharing a friendly message to an on-site landlord who acted awful and had rent doubled.

Text excerpt showing a landlord acting positive during an inspection before the rent is doubled, highlighting on-site landlord acts awful.

Text excerpt showing a tenant explaining water heater leak issues to an on-site landlord acting awful before rent was doubled.

White water heater attached to a yellow wall with pipes and power cord illustrating on-site landlord acts awful concept

Image credits: Jannissimo / freepik (not the actual photo)

Tenant shares email evidence with on-site landlord, highlighting unresolved issues before rent doubled and deposit was released.

Text showing a tenant negotiating with an on-site landlord who acts awful, resulting in rent effectively being doubled.

Text describing a tenant’s confrontation with an on-site landlord acting awful over rent payment issues.

Woman shouting angrily with hand near ear, expressing frustration over on-site landlord rent increase dispute.

Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / freepik (not the actual photo)

Text describing an on-site landlord acting awful and arguing while doubling rent and enforcing strict inspection rules.

Text describing a tenant calmly handling an on-site landlord acting awful before rent was doubled dispute.

Tenant shares experience with onsite landlord acts awful and facing rent doubled after new landlord takes over duties.

Image credits: peppersteak_headshot

Having an on-site property manager is beneficial for owners, but only when it is done right

Renting a property can be a great way to have a stable income. But with that comes the many worries of being a landlord. Some owners decide to relinquish the hassle of being a landlord and assign the role to another person.

Sometimes, they’re even professionals who are called property managers in the industry. The Karen in this story is hardly an official or a professional manager, but more and more owners are choosing to have representatives who will manage their properties adequately.

In 2017, the number of owners choosing to have professional property managers was 30%, and by 2024, that percentage had risen to 36%. Granted, 64% of property owners choose to remain landlords or delegate that role to family, friends, or, as in this case, other tenants.

Whether or not to hire a professional manager is a personal decision, of course, but experts point out several advantages that make delegating the job to an on-site professional easier.

• Renters are happier. With a good on-site manager, complaints and repairs can be handled more quickly, leading to the tenants wanting to either stay longer or prefer this property to others.
• Efficient maintenance and repairs. This one is especially relevant to this story. A professional on-site manager is supposed to handle complaints efficiently, regardless of how they feel about the tenant.
• They collect rent on time. The landlord himself might not be able to visit his property often, but an on-site manager has a much better chance of collecting rent from tenants by the due date simply because of their proximity to the renters.
• They might build stronger relationships with the tenants. Again, the opposite happened in this story, but this just shows how bad a property manager, “Giselle,” really is. Tenants rarely look at landlords as their friends because of the power dynamic. But a tenant who lives next to you and is sort of the landlord might seem much more relatable.

A bad on-site manager might get a property owner in trouble

Image credits: Drazen Zigic / freepik (not the actual photo)

This story is like a cautionary tale against assigning an unofficial property manager. Whereas professional property managers are well-versed in tenant and landlord laws, someone like “Giselle” only gets themselves into this position by accident and lacks the knowledge and necessary skills to represent a property owner properly.

But how can landlords have the guarantee that a property manager is legit? Even if it’s not a professional, some information about them might help get a better picture of whether a person is trustworthy enough to be an on-site manager.

The experts at Beach Front Property Management recommend considering these factors:

• What kind of experience with properties do they have in general?
• Have they managed other properties in the past?
• Do they have any knowledge of leasing agreements, the tenant eviction process, and the legal standards for maintaining a property?

Having someone inexperienced like “Giselle” managing a property can even be dangerous for an owner. The author of this story could’ve potentially sued both “Giselle” and the true landlord for not making timely repairs and making their living space uninhabitable or dangerous.

The tenant in this case showed a good example of how record-keeping and a paper trail can be your friend. The landlord, it seems, should follow in that example.

Commenters thought that “Giselle” got exactly what she deserved

Reddit user discussing landlord issues with lost checks and rent doubling in a conversation about on-site landlord acts awful.

Text comment on a white background describing an on-site landlord acting awful and a tenant’s rent being doubled.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment praising clever use of props, discussing how the on-site landlord acted awful but rent got doubled.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing tenant frustration, relevant to on-site landlord acts awful and rent doubled issues.

Reddit comment stating telling the truth leads to consequences related to on-site landlord acts awful rent doubled situation.

Comment detailing a tenant's experience with a negligent on-site landlord causing serious maintenance issues and rent doubling frustrations.

Text conversation discussing an on-site landlord acting awful leading to tenants’ rent being doubled and dealing with the landlord directly.

Text excerpt describing a frustrating experience with an on-site landlord who acts awful and leads to rent being doubled.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment expressing anger, illustrating frustration with an on-site landlord acting awful and rent being doubled.

Screenshot of an online comment saying she got what she deserved, related to on-site landlord acts awful rent doubled.

Reddit comment praising a story about an on-site landlord acting awful leading to rent being doubled.

Comment on a forum post about an on-site landlord acting awful and a tenant’s rent being doubled as a consequence.

Screenshot of a Reddit comment describing an on-site landlord acting awful and losing a favorable rent deal.

Comment praising a revenge story about an on-site landlord acting awful and rent being doubled, expressing belief in karma.

Comment text on a white background discussing anger issues, related to on-site landlord acts awful and rent doubled situation.

Comment praising a dish, included in a discussion about an on-site landlord acting awful and rent being doubled.

Reddit user discusses landlord doubling rent and issues with security deposit on on-site landlord acts awful situation.

Comment on a forum post with a user named ex_Ural reacting positively after an on-site landlord acts awful and rent gets doubled.

Comment praising an epic payback on an on-site landlord who acted awful and got rent doubled.

Comment on rent discount and taxable income related to on-site landlord acts awful gets rent doubled situation.

Comment on social media discussing an on-site landlord acting awful and rent being doubled in a heated conversation.

Reddit user sharing a story about an on-site landlord acting awful and a tenant facing rent doubled unexpectedly.

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