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If you’re a tenant, chances are that you've had to deal with at least one nightmarish landlord. Whether it’s charging for absurd things like elevator use, jacking up the rent, or ignoring countless requests for routine maintenance, it can be hard to cope with such less than honest property owners. Of course, not all renters are innocent and not all proprietors are unreasonable. But if yours is making your life a living hell, we know just the place where you can share your troubles.

A little corner of Reddit ironically called r/LandlordLove collects the most unsettling cases of grimy landlords and their cheap tricks. As the moderators put it, the subreddit “is a tenant-friendly space meant for posting about both the individual and systemic problems caused by landlordism”.

To tell you more about it, Bored Panda has compiled this list to show you some of the most preposterous stories. Scroll down and tell us in the comments below if you have experienced anything like this.

If you still can’t seem to get enough, be sure to check out our previous posts on landlords' neglect here and here.

#1

Capitalism Is Inherently Unfair. It Favors The Wealthy

Capitalism Is Inherently Unfair. It Favors The Wealthy

VeggieCat_ontheprowl , twitter.com Report

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of large business owners forget that money works on a cycle. If you want people to buy your products, you must pay your workers enough to afford them.

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Bored Panda reached out to /r/LandlordLove for a quick chat. A representative of the mod team, u/RIPNightman told that it is a community of tenants—no landlords allowed. The users behind the group "are politically conscious and versed in left theory regarding Landlords and housing." This sub is a place for tenants to come and vent about bad Landlord experiences they've had. "Or more generally to discuss the systemic issues we face with our current system of Landlording in the Western world," u/RIPNightman explained.

When it comes to the most common situations that end up getting posted in this subreddit, there's a variety of them. "I would say our most common posts are terrible Landlord DIY, current articles about tenant/landlord conflicts, memes, examples of Landlords doing awful things and tweets about Landlords that are especially poignant," the mod said. "While they don't always get much traction, we also have a lot of posts by tenants venting or ranting about situations they've had with their Landlord."

#2

Should Be Illegal

Should Be Illegal

Goneisthedead Report

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C. Wade
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To put things in perspective, in the UK at least, in 1980 ​the average house price was £19,500 (£84,517 adjusted to inflation in today's money) while the average yearly wage was £6,000 (£19,000 in today's money). Nowadays, the average house price is £265,000 while the average yearly wage is £25,000. That's 3 and 1/4 worth of yearly wages vs 12 and 1/2. Also, for anyone that would argue it's due to overpopulation - the population in 1980 was 56 million people, in 2021 it is 68 million. According to the most recent government figures released in November 2020, 268,385 homes in England had been empty for at least six months. How is this fair?

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When asked where did the inspiration to create /r/LandlordLove come from, the representative told us that it came from a frustration with the current system of landlording in the USA. "A system with its roots in feudalism where housing is not considered a right, but a privilege to be paid for. I've had a number of bad experiences with Landlords which influenced me. I've come to find out my struggles are very common, things like my deposit being kept by the Landlord despite me leaving the place spotless."

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However, nothing u/RIPNightman experienced is as severe as some things that end up getting posted on the subreddit. The moderator gives out examples such as landlords banning spices and oils, ignoring safety laws or just generally trying their best to evict vulnerable tenants. Everyone has a horror story to tell and this user wanted to create a space for tenants to share them and joke about how nightmarish their landlords are.

#3

Hmm Landlords Don't Want Tenants That Know Their Rights?

Hmm Landlords Don't Want Tenants That Know Their Rights?

DecommodifiedGuevara , twitter.com Report

#4

Karen Landlord Can't Even Handle Other People Using Spices

Karen Landlord Can't Even Handle Other People Using Spices

jonmpls , twitter.com Report

According to u/RIPNightman, landlords hold a unique place in capitalist society: "Those getting into property management often do so with the explicit goal of being able to live off of this investment income. In most instances, the Landlord doesn't build the house -- they purchase the property to rent out."

"Successful Landlords contract out all labor which is required for upkeep. Many spend as little money as they can to maintain these properties, especially the smaller "mom and pop" Landlords. What we have is a class of individuals that can be compared to societal leeches. People who live off of the money their tenants earn working for a living while doing as little as they can in return," the creator explained.

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#5

Gotta Love Mortgage Lenders

Gotta Love Mortgage Lenders

reddit.com Report

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Scagsy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can only borrow money from a bank if you can prove that you don't need it.

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As if the interactions between tenants and landlords weren't complicated enough, the contracts themselves can be the beginning of a problem. It seems that not tailoring the terms to individual tenants leaves more and more room for deception and harassment. A study looked over around 170,000 residential leases filed in Philadelphia and found out that the amount of bad terms has sharply increased over 20 years.

Unlawful and oppressive terms such as not having landlords accountable for neglect or requiring tenants to accept rental terms "as-is" since they might not have another choice. This happens because owners are often taking shared lease forms from "cheap internet forms" for a small fee. "As such, common contracts increasingly substitute for oral leases and proprietary forms, tenants face a more hostile legal terrain," researchers explained.

But what is the issue with landlords using shared forms? "Generally, such shared form leases contain worse rules for tenants than the proprietary leases they replace," they said. "Over time, it has become easier and cheaper for landlords to adopt such common forms, meaning that access to justice for landlords strips tenants of rights."

#7

An Interesting Idea

An Interesting Idea

sokra3 , twitter.com Report

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wish it worked like that where I live. Here, it's perfectly legal for landlords to increase the rent however they want between tenants. However, it's not legal for them to raise the rent more than a certain amount every six months for the same tenant. That leads some landlords to care for current tenants less, so they can pressure them to leave and hike up the rent for new tenants.

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#8

Good Lord, The Hailfax Sub Is Just Ripe Lately

Good Lord, The Hailfax Sub Is Just Ripe Lately

Witafigo Report

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Nor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A thieving snake. Some people have money sign instead of eyes

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#9

I Just Remembered This Awful Psa From During The Pandemic Asking Women Not To Prostitute Themselves To Landlords Because They Lost Their Jobs And Can't Afford Rent. How Can Anyone Believe Our Society Is Normal?

I Just Remembered This Awful Psa From During The Pandemic Asking Women Not To Prostitute Themselves To Landlords Because They Lost Their Jobs And Can't Afford Rent. How Can Anyone Believe Our Society Is Normal?

reddit.com Report

As people say, power tends to corrupt, and some proprietors think they have so much of it that they start acting unlawfully. Almost half of renting adults in the UK have fallen victims to illegal behavior from landlords or letting agents. Some respondents of the survey revealed that they have to put up with owners bursting into their homes without getting permission or ignoring safety concerns like broken smoke alarms or lack of central heating.

The most concerning thing is that nearly one-in-ten tenants said they have been assaulted, threatened or harassed. "Home is everything. Yet, millions of private renters across the country don’t feel safe or secure in theirs because of landlords and agents who flout the law," Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said. "Enough is enough. Nobody is above the law and renters are tired of being powerless to enforce their rights."

#10

Publicly Admitting That They Regularly Steal From Their Tenants

Publicly Admitting That They Regularly Steal From Their Tenants

yuritopiaposadism , twitter.com Report

#11

Landlord Expected Tenant To Leave A Bunch Of Their Property Behind

Landlord Expected Tenant To Leave A Bunch Of Their Property Behind

jonmpls Report

#12

Housing Is A Human Right

Housing Is A Human Right

RIPNightman Report

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To end homelessness, house people. The answer really isn't that hard. In the U.S., when you look at the amount most cities currently spend on services for unhoused residents, it's not that different than the costs of simply housing people. Accountants show that it's financially feasible. Stop making housing into a morality test. Create affordable, no barrier housing. House people.

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This powerlessness can sometimes start to feel overwhelming. Tenants need to pass so many tests to get their application accepted while landlords are required to tick far fewer boxes. As if there are not enough stories of people who have to endure days or even weeks without water or with a leaky roof. More often than not, landlords do not seem to rush to spend money on making your living space, well... livable.

#13

Wow We Sure Did Hold Those Banks Accountable!

Wow We Sure Did Hold Those Banks Accountable!

DecommodifiedGuevara Report

#15

At Least Somebody Is Thinking Of The Poor Landlords /S

At Least Somebody Is Thinking Of The Poor Landlords /S

nekkototoro Report

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Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We can't have that now, can we. Imagine low-income people buying property OMG. /s

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I heard on the news that the 1% of the east coast of America are pissed off, because the ultra wealthy are moving in, making the once snobbery millionaires look like a poor person. You know things have gotten out of control when gentrification is impacting long time resident millionaires

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember reading this was fake news. If anyone actually believed that though, it would be horrible.

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah this is totally believable... it's not even remotely close to satire. Like, if you put -Rand Paul or someting like that after it, I'd be like, sure, that is what he'd say.

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Lara Verne
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, low-income people not becoming homeless is a nightmare scenario?

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Tobias Rieper
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

eww next thing you know they will be renting out properties with affordable rent

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Troux
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is FAKE. https://checkyourfact.com/2021/10/13/fact-check-leo-varadkar-say-rent-freeze-nightmare-scenario/

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Hugo Raible
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I like rent freezes. Landlord will nevertheless select people with a good salary, but those still need to play less.

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RedstonewolfX
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how this is right under the post about landlords COMPLAINING that low-income people can't get on the ladder. The irony

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Jeff Striks
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This just in: Risky property investments no longer have risk as long as there are poor people to pay it off for you

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If you have fallen victim to such nightmarish landlords, there are ways to protect yourself in the future. One of the biggest issues tenants have to deal with is not getting back their security deposits. Ben Landy, founder of Lease Buyout Advisors said, "When you first move into an apartment, take pictures and document the condition. And as you’re surrendering the property, take pictures again. If there’s a dispute, you can prove how you received the apartment in the beginning."

#16

Pretty Nice Of This Landlord To Incentivize His Tenants To Exercise

Pretty Nice Of This Landlord To Incentivize His Tenants To Exercise

Faolin_ Report

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#17

Ok Let’s Add Thievery To The List

Ok Let’s Add Thievery To The List

beardowns0806 Report

#18

The American Nightmare

The American Nightmare

mtravisrose , twitter.com Report

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Jill Pulcifer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I feel you, we lived in our last apartment for 7 years and paid 64,000! We left to purchase our own home and got a loan for 86,000 that it will take us 30 years to pay off... Its painful when you think about it.

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According to Jonathan Stein, a California consumer law attorney, "With digital pictures these days, the date that a picture was taken can be tweaked fairly easily." So if you wish to be extra careful, adding today's newspaper in the photos will leave no doubt when the images were taken. Another thing to have in mind is requesting a walk-through with your property owner before moving out (just don't forget to get everything in writing!) It's best to leave yourself at least 10 days so you would have time to fix any issues your landlord sees.

#19

Thank You Landlord, Very Cool!

Thank You Landlord, Very Cool!

sc0511 Report

#20

They're Going After Kids Too

They're Going After Kids Too

eliechallita Report

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Jihana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Only in the USA (sorry, Americans, I am sure it's a great country, but things like these really are only possible in the USA)

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When it comes to landlords entering the premises unannounced, you should familiarize yourself with the laws in your state. Usually, the landlord needs to give you a 24-hour notice before entering (unless it's an emergency) but some states simply require "reasonable" notice. If they enter without permission, it can be hard to get the evidence to protect your rights. "If a landlord forgets to provide notice and comes into the house, if that’s the only thing the landlord has done wrong, then call the landlord and let them know they did something wrong," Stein explained.

#22

Landlords Work So Hard

Landlords Work So Hard

Hater-Bot , socialistdogmom Report

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Nor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do they become so greedy, that they no longer maintain their units/buildings

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#23

Right?

Right?

JoHeller Report

#24

I Informed My Landlord That The Law States I’m Required To Give 20 Days Notice To Move Out In A Month To Month Lease, Not 30. She Was Not Happy

I Informed My Landlord That The Law States I’m Required To Give 20 Days Notice To Move Out In A Month To Month Lease, Not 30. She Was Not Happy

Dreadwalker Report

If there's something that needs repairing, landlords should deal with it straight away. Well, at least in theory. In real life, that's usually not the case since property repairs are expensive and owners sometimes can ignore your inquiries. Even though rules and guidelines differ from state to state, the most important thing is to record the needed repairs and collect evidence.

#25

Leech Paints Over A Roach

Leech Paints Over A Roach

Hater-Bot , twitter.com Report

#26

Bein A Nasty Creep, Breaking And Entering, Harassing Tenants

Bein A Nasty Creep, Breaking And Entering, Harassing Tenants

RIPNightman Report

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#27

Doin Work

Doin Work

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BigOrangeTractor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why are people so set on dividing people into set A and set B and saying some people in set A are bad therefore everyone in set A is bad therefore everyone in set B is automatically in the right no matter what they do? There are terrible landlords and terrible tenants and good landlords and good tenants and every shade of grey in between.

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"Always take pictures of the issue and email it to your landlord so that you have documented proof," Shawn Breyer, owner of Breyer Home Buyers, suggests. "If your landlord does not take reasonable action, meaning they’re not getting quotes and scheduling repairs, then it’s a good idea to report the needed repairs to your local code enforcement agency. They will come out to the property, assess whether it’s a code violation, and fine the landlord."

#29

What A Mystery! Leechlords Are A Leading Contributor To The Homeless Crisis

What A Mystery! Leechlords Are A Leading Contributor To The Homeless Crisis

RIPNightman Report

Even though it seems that there are plenty of stories about greedy landlords, chances are we'll see even more similar posts in the future. According to Pew Research Center, more Americans are renting now than at any point in the last 50 years. It's hardly surprising since home prices are skyrocketing and many young adults earn too little to be able to pay the down payments.

Between 2006 and 2016, the number of households renting their home grew dramatically while the number of homes headed by owners remained relatively flat, partly because of the lingering results of the housing crisis.

#31

Redlining Single Moms

Redlining Single Moms

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How is a single mom a problem? Is it because the landlord was some sort of weird religious freak who thinks women MUST be with men? or what?

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#32

Ohhhh Lord

Ohhhh Lord

SpagettiRegretti Report

#33

God Is Indeed Good

God Is Indeed Good

Damien687 , weightoven Report

People younger than 35 continue to be the most likely of all age groups to rent—in 2016, they added up to about two-thirds of this age group. One reason for this could be that younger people are not that likely to settle down and they might enjoy the flexibility and freedom they have as tenants.

However, in researchers' opinion, "The increase in U.S. renters over the past decade does not necessarily mean that homeownership is undesirable to today’s renters." Most of them say they would like to buy a house in the future, but financial constraints are an obstacle.

#34

I Was Asked To Take A Survey

I Was Asked To Take A Survey

DoriahLover Report

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ZAPanda
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually I disagree with this one, I am loving not having a long term commitment, the amenities in the building, and not giving a rats about maintenance.

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#35

Totally Cool. Discrimination Based On Being A Decen

Totally Cool. Discrimination Based On Being A Decen

Bruno_Fernandes8 Report

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Flat out illegal where I live to discriminate based on gender identity. That's f****d up.

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#36

Won’t Somebody Think Of The Landlords?

Won’t Somebody Think Of The Landlords?

BasicallyMilner Report

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There are good landlords, there are inexperienced landlords, and there are the most gnarly owners you have ever seen. If you ever feel stuck in a helpless situation where you're being taken advantage of—collect evidence. Once you have it, you can seek further help and, of course, share it with the r/LandlordLove community to find some support.

#38

Mao

Mao

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Pungent Sauce
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my youthful naivety I rented my deceased mums house to a friend of a neighbor who “was handy” for $250/mo under market rate under the handshake agreement that he would keep the place up, including her rather impressive garden. Long story short, after 3 years I gave him the boot and had to dump $6K and hundreds of hours back into the place, including razing the lawn and ripping up a 2nd driveway they’d installed through the former garden. I live there now, and don’t have to deal with tenants or landlords, so there’s that.

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#39

Important Reminder

Important Reminder

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Mazer
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The ripple effect devastates the economy, renters have no spending money to replace things or buy new. These issues impact everyone like it or not.

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#40

Imagine Bragging About Living Off Of Other People's Labour

Imagine Bragging About Living Off Of Other People's Labour

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Jihana
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well...what else are landlords supposed to do with the rent money? Of course they will spend it however they like. Sure, bragging is not nice, and they should spend some of the money for the upkeep of the property, but still, this one is kind of weird.

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