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Everyone’s dream is to have their own house or apartment one day. It’s just different when the property belongs to you as you can make sure it is in good condition and is not dangerous to live in. Most of you probably have experience with renting, whether it was a long-term home or a temporary stay and in some cases might have noticed that the landlords don’t care about the rented property as much as they would if they lived there themselves. 

There are landlords who actually don’t care at all and have no sympathy for those who have to live in horrible conditions. And when nobody helps them, they go online to vent about what they are going through, so Bored Panda compiled some of the terrible stories that people shared.

#1

mirandalang Report

Landlords don’t have a good reputation. Of course, there are caring landlords who fix the problems tenants have immediately and even are decent people that you can have a cup of afternoon tea with.

But these kinds of landlords aren’t talked too much about because they are just normal and how they are supposed to be. What people do talk a lot about are the landlords that come to check on their tenants unannounced, who don’t fix mold growing on walls and who increase rent months into the contract. 

#2

Our Landlord Keeps Saying There's Nothing Wrong With Our Shower

Our Landlord Keeps Saying There's Nothing Wrong With Our Shower

Cheddar18 Report

#3

What Happens When Your Landlord Refuses To Deal With Bathroom Damp Properly

What Happens When Your Landlord Refuses To Deal With Bathroom Damp Properly

Renegade_Phylosopher Report

Bored Panda got in contact with Dan Wilson Craw, the Deputy Director of Generation Rent, an organisation that is "fighting to stop renters being unfairly evicted from their homes" and who is "fighting for renters to live in safe, decent homes that they can afford." They are the team behind the hashtag #VentYourRent" which is a movement towards change.

We asked why some landlords seem to not care about the people who live in their properties that might be even dangerous. Dan Wilson Craw didn't have a certain answer, "It is hard to know how slum landlords sleep at night, but the rental market attracts unsavoury characters who know that they can make a lot of money from desperate people who will accept very poor housing that rarely gets inspected. If a tenant complains it is easy to force them out with a rent increase or a no-fault eviction, and replace them with someone else who is desperate for a roof over their head."

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#4

RhysRHarper Report

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

I'm pretty sure that no matter what country you are in, you call the local housing authority to report substandard living conditions and you cannot be expected to pay full rent. In fact, I think the landlord may even be responsible for accommodating you somewhere else until the problem is fixed.

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People who shared their experiences online had their ceiling collapse even though they warned their landlords that it would if nothing was fixed. Some people were constantly visited by their landlords without calling first, and others had to deal with literal mushrooms growing from cracks.

These issues should be fixed by the landlord even if they aren’t legally required to as it’s their property and it would be unfair to put that burden on the tenant because they won’t live there forever. Plus, tenants often pay ridiculous prices for being able to live there so it is reasonable to expect that money to be used to make their homes livable. 

#5

$1950/Month Shower Completely Falls Apart Been Like This For 2 Months And Various Calls To Maintenance And Still Nothing

$1950/Month Shower Completely Falls Apart Been Like This For 2 Months And Various Calls To Maintenance And Still Nothing

severelyhersublime Report

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

That's going to require an entire rehab of the shower cubicle. I would suggest a call to the local housing authority.

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#6

dinorwicport Report

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

Holy rat! And I thought fridge is one of the very few places that is rat proof.

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The Deputy Director explained what are the legal requirements for landlords in the UK, "Landlords have to keep properties in a safe condition and must also ensure the property has an Energy Performance Certificate, an annual gas safety certificate and in some cases a licence. When a tenancy starts, the landlord must protect the tenant’s deposit, and provide a How To Rent guide. If any of these things are missing the landlord cannot evict the tenant without providing a reason – though if your home is unsafe you need the council to serve an improvement notice to protect you. Although landlords ordinarily don’t need a reason to evict tenants, they must still follow a legal process. If landlords fail to license their properties, ignore an improvement notice or evict a tenant illegally, the tenant can claim back rent."

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#8

Decyoo Report

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Landlords are paid for just owning a property by a person who doesn’t have it. That means they have power over them and because their tenant needs a place to live, they can dictate the rules.

Their main objective is to earn money because landlords may not even have a job and rely on income from their renters. They put the least amount of money into the house after it has been rented to someone so that they can earn more. 

#9

Is This Safe And Secure? Landlord Is Denying Our Maintenance Request

Is This Safe And Secure? Landlord Is Denying Our Maintenance Request

clichecuddlefish Report

Our interviewee agrees that "Ultimately a lot of the rights that tenants have to a safe home are undermined by the sheer power imbalance in the rental market, where landlords can bully tenants into silence with the threat of a Section 21 notice or an unaffordable rent increase, and the housing shortage means few tenants can simply move somewhere better."

We wondered if there is anything that people should take notice when signing a contract to avoid getting into such homes that are falling apart and the landlord is indifferent to those issues, but turns out, there is not much help from that "Tenancy agreements will rarely include information that will help tenants avoid getting ripped off, or show tenants where to look to understand their rights."

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#10

ShartiTheClown Report

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Who Panda 420
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought I had mice at my old apartment. It turns out it was just a mouse a little baby causing all this damage luckily I was able to back it into a pantry and catch it with a pasta strainer once I released it I never had a problem again for 7 years till I moved out. Well not with mice.

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Those nasty landlords are usually not business people who are used to meeting their clients' needs and compromising because at the end of the day, a landlord and a tenant have a business relationship as the former provides a service and the latter buys that service.

Those numbers they see in cash or in their bank accounts may make them even more greedy and forget to budget for maintenance, repairs and other expenses that come with owning a property.

#12

At My Airbnb There’s A Mushroom Growing Out Of The Bathroom Door

At My Airbnb There’s A Mushroom Growing Out Of The Bathroom Door

sipicup Report

Have you ever been in a similar situation as people who shared their stories? If you have any of your own, feel free to share them in the comments! Also, don’t forget to upvote the stories that you felt were the most unfair and let us know your opinion on how such situations can be prevented.

#14

RentingLondon Report

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

I would say naming and feeding them would make them "pets" and those aren't allowed. So the landlord would have to get them out.

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#15

I Brought Bed Bugs Home From Airbnb Stay

I Brought Bed Bugs Home From Airbnb Stay

luffykintail Report

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

That's unfortunate, but often the problem is not known until it's too late.

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#16

MisterABK Report

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

If your landlord let's himself in without notice, why not just call the police?

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#17

Culture_Katy Report

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

Whilst it is pretty crappy, this is likely to be perfectly legal. Someone has to pay for the damage and unless you have insurance, it is unfortunately likely to be you that has to pay.

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#18

CaliforniaJen1 Report

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

Exactly what part of the building were you supposed to stay in? Also, cable running through the pool!?!?!?

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#22

I Was At An Airbnb With This Extremely Dirty Sponge (Left). We Asked The Owner For A Cleaner One And She Gave Us This (Right)

I Was At An Airbnb With This Extremely Dirty Sponge (Left). We Asked The Owner For A Cleaner One And She Gave Us This (Right)

ProblemSelect222 Report

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#25

francescaa_96 Report

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

If this is a property with locking rooms for different tenants, then it is classed as a HMO (House of Multiple Occupancy) and there are a whole raft of additional rules that need to be complied with, especially around fire safety. The door may or may not be compliant, but it will have to have adequate smoke alarms etc.

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#26

llamasareright Report

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

Landlords who rent to students know that their tenants are almost certainly unaware of the laws that protect tenants. They get away with a lot of illegal stuff that way. (I live in a college town.)

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#28

siandocksey Report

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

I had a landlord who hired a service to mow the lawns. The mower threw a rock that shattered our front window and the landlord expected us to pay to replace it.

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#30

ljwaltje Report

Note: this post originally had 36 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.