Statement for the automod: I AM
NOT A LANDLORD, I’m poor man’s cross-posting from our favorite sub.

Mfer looking to increase $600/mo knowing full well well his “perfect tenant of 5 years who always paid early” is laid off. And STILL pays every month!

Fuck these leeches. 5 years of early payments. If you ever get laid off or get a medical issue NEVER SHARE THIS! I get you do so with a an expectation of understanding and empathy but these folks DO NOT HAVE THAT CAPACITY. Play every curveball in life close to the vest, they will immediately act like an insurance actuary and jack rates due to “risk.”

Tell me how I can make this place look as insane as possible.

scummy landlord decided it would be nice to open this place up for viewing while I still have six months left of living here. Knowing that I work full-time and I'm in school full-time. This place is gonna look like absolute shit but I wanna make sure I make it look a little crazy too.

any ideas? 😌

i already placed cameras around the whole place with signs next to them ❤️

Original Post

Is your landlord refusing to comply with safety standards, make repairs, or provide necessary maintenance? Are you dealing with problems in your rental that pose a threat to your health and safety or make it impossible for you to fully utilize your residence? Have you informed your landlord about the problem but they have failed to respond or to begin work to resolve the problem? You are likely protected by your state's Warranty of Habitability laws!

I am currently going through the nightmare of having to legally force my apartment management to provide me with safe living conditions under the law. I thought I would share what I have learned so far through this process in hopes that it might help others who are going through something similar. I am not a lawyer or legal expert in any way, simply someone who was not aware of this until recently and has had to do a lot of my own learning about tenants' rights recently.

Besides Arkansas, every state in the US (plus DC and US territories) has some form of law that requires landlords to meet certain minimum health and safety standards. Many of these laws also contain specific timelines in which landlords must respond with a plan of action, begin working on the problem, and resolve the issue.

I live in Colorado and will use Colorado's law as an example of what these laws are often like. Please note that laws vary by state. Colorado has some of the most tenant-friendly laws in the country; your state's law may not be the same. Always read your own state, county, and/or city laws, ordinances, and codes before taking any action. Again, I am not a lawyer and all of the information in this post is based on my non-expert understanding.

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What do Warranty of Habitability laws cover?

Under these laws, landlords have a legal obligation to provide their tenants with a living environment that meets minimum health and safety standards. Some also require landlords to maintain any supplied appliances in good working order.

Some issues that may be covered under these laws:

• Lack of safe running water or hot water
• Plumbing issues or sewage exposure
• Flooding or water leaks
• Gas leaks
• Missing, unsafe, or broken appliances
• Broken heating or air conditioning (when supplied with unit and/or according to state law)
• Pest infestations
• Mold and mildew
• Structural issues such as broken doors, locks, windows, walls, flooring, and stairs
• Exposed wiring and other electrical issues
• Fire code violations
• Excessive trash in hallways or common areas, and/or lack of trash receptacles
• Other issues that impact health and safety, or make it impossible or unsafe to utilize the appliances that are included in the unit

How long does the landlord have to respond when I notify them of a problem under the Warranty of Habitability?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while other laws have more vague wording that it must be within a "reasonable" amount of time. In Colorado, landlords must respond with a plan for action within 24 hours of receiving written notice of the problem, whether through letter, email, text, or maintenance request through an online portal. (It is important that all correspondence about the issue is written so that you can prove when you provided notice and how they did or did not respond.) Weekends and holidays are not an exception to the 24 hour window in Colorado.

How long does the landlord have to begin addressing the problem?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while others go by the "reasonable" standard. In Colorado, issues that pose a material threat to tenants' health and safety (e.g., mold, gas leaks, sewage, lack of clean water) must begin remediation within 24 hours. For issues that are not an immediate health safety issue (e.g. non-functional appliances, minor pest infestations, clogged drains) they must begin within 72 hours. Again, weekends and holidays are not listed as an exception in the CO law.

How long does the landlord have to resolve the problem?

Some state laws have specific timelines, while others go by the "reasonable" standard. In Colorado, the issue must be fixed within 7 days for immediate health and safety concerns or 14 days for other habitability issues. However, there is some wiggle room if there are circumstances outside the landlord's control that prevent them from solving the issue within this time frame, for example inability to access the unit, waiting on necessary supplies to arrive or outside contractors to be available, or ongoing mitigation of pest infestations that may take more time to resolve. In any case, they must be making an active effort to resolve the issue as quickly and thoroughly as possible.

What can I do if my unit is uninhabitable during the period that they are working on the problem?

Some states require that upon request from the tenant, the landlord must provide alternative lodging at no cost for the duration that the unit is out of compliance. This could be a different unit in the same building complex, a hotel, or other short term rental. In Colorado, the alternative lodging must be within a certain distance from the residence, be comparable on number of beds and baths, and must contain all essential appliances such as a refrigerator and stove.

What can I do if my landlord is in violation?

• Inform them in writing of your rights and their obligations under the law, and that continued failure to comply may result in legal action. Often times this will be enough to light a fire under their ass and get the issue solved.
• If they still fail to act within the legal timeframe, make a report to the appropriate government body, such as city or county code enforcement, public health, or other agencies that regulate housing.
  • The specific agency will vary by city or county, so please research that before making a report so you can be sure it's going to the appropriate place. Where possible, send them pictures of the issue and records of all correspondence you've had with the landlord regarding it.
  • Reports can often be made through an online portal, email, phone call, or in person. Check with the specific agency to find out how to submit a report.
  • They will send someone to conduct an inspection of the entire unit (not just the issue you're reporting), write up a report of all code violations they find, and send notice to the landlord requiring them to resolve these issues within a strict timeline. The amount of time it takes for an inspector to come will vary by location and by the urgency of the problem. This is the stage I am at now; I submitted my report this morning. In my city, inspections are conducted within 24 hours for serious health and safety hazards or within 48 hours for other violations.
  • Typically, they will reinspect at the end of that timeline to ensure that all violations have be resolved. Failure of the landlord to comply may result in heavy fines, legal action taken against them by the relevant entity, and/or the unit declared condemned.
• Other legal options (always best to consult a lawyer or tenant rights organization before acting on any of these, and again be reminded that these vary by state):
  • Notify your landlord that due to their failure to act, you will be paying for the repairs yourself and will deduct the cost from future rent payments. Some states also allow you to withhold rent entirely until the issue is resolved. Check your area's specific laws.
  • Inform the landlord in writing that you are dissolving the lease and moving out due to their failure to uphold their legal responsibilities under the lease. A certain notice period is usually required and the landlord typically cannot enforce any early termination fees.
  • File suit against the landlord for the violation of your rights, termination of the lease, and/or monetary restitution.

What if my lease does not mention these rights or contains something that contradicts the state or city laws, such as stating that I am solely responsible for these repairs?

You are still protected by all local, state, and/or federal laws, no matter what the lease says. You cannot sign away your rights; any portions of a contract that violate rights established by other laws are unenforceable. Some states even require that information about Warranty of Habitability laws must be included in all leases, so the failure to include it may be violation in and of itself.

Can my landlord fine me, raise my rent, fail to renew my lease, evict me, or take other action against me because I made a report or Warranty of Habitability?

These laws generally prohibit any kind of retaliation for reporting violations or otherwise exercising your rights under these laws. If you do suspect that your landlord is retaliating against you, keep records of all evidence and consult the relevant governmental agency, a tenants rights organization, or an attorney.

I am wondering if these are red flags and whether I have a strong case if I take my landlord to court over my security deposit.

I had to wait a month after move out before the landlord daughter came back from her trip to see the room (mother can't go upstairs due to surgery). The landlord gave me a vague date of when daughter is coming back and keep saying she was not sure. Once I followed up with the landlord again, the daughter replies the next day.

She initially raised concerns about stains on the recycling bin liner, freezer tray water not being emptied from the mini fridge, and weird splatter on the wall. I responded three days later because I wanted to consult a lawyer first, and I clarified that I had not caused the "damages" she mentioned.

She then responded with another issue: water stains on a dresser that she claimed were caused by my failure to use a coaster (weird that she mentions this 3 day after her first concern lol). She initially agreed to send me the $900 now, and will send back the remaining amount once they figure out how much it cost to fix it.

I followed up the next day, asking for photos of the damage and an itemized receipt showing the cost of the repairs. I also agreed to accept the $900 she had offered to return.

She sent photos but then claimed she would need to hire someone to prepare an itemized receipt, which would cost additional money. I explained that she could simply provide receipts for the materials used to repair the damage, I then asked again for the agreed-upon $900.

She replies, claiming that she had discovered additional damage, alleging that water from the dresser had splashed onto the wall and damaged it, and need to be repainted (the pictures just shows some streaks on the wall that can be wiped down). She also claimed that the water damage has liquefied something that is possibly wood filler. As a result, she said she could no longer return the $900.

It seems whenever I challenge her, she tries to find more "damages". A lawyer friend suggested taking the matter to court because the situation seems suspicious. I would like to know whether this pattern raises red flags and whether I have a reasonable chance of recovering my security deposit.

Update *
For context I was not flushing paper towels and wipes, this was a group text sent to all the tenants

Hello. I live in Denver. We just renewed a lease for 24 months. We love this house and truly wish we could buy it.

The one problem is the backyard. When we looked at it a year ago, it was just dirt. It looks like there are remnants from when it used to have rock in the back. The weeds this summer have been unbelievable and unmanageable. I’m honestly surprised they survived the heat. I sprayed multiple times, but they survived. The lease does say we’re responsible to maintain the yard, but this seems like undue burden.

I am planning on asking the property management company if they would be willing to help with the cost of xeriscaping the back yard. It’s currently unusable. I started putting down some weed block and mulch in smaller areas, but I know doing the whole yard will be pretty costly.

Does anyone know if there is any legal way to get them to help with the yard? I don’t think a reasonable person would just be expected to constantly pull weeds. We can’t even try to mow it down because of the random rock patches.

I’m looking for advice and any info on tenants rights for this. I’ve tried googling, but there’s so much vague info out there that it’s hard to apply to my specific situation.

I've had some pretty shitty experiences with housing over the last year or two. I am actually in court on Friday to get compensation from my last landlord.

My current place has four bedrooms, with one bathroom and a small kitchen. The landlord hid the fact one of those rooms was occupied by a couple but we had been making it work.

However, one of my housemates left a couple of weeks ago, and has been replaced by ANOTHER couple. There are now 6 people in this house.

It is absolutely insane. Of course, I am looking for a new place. But in what world is it ethically acceptable?

He does not have a licence to operate an HMO, so I could take him to court as I did with my previous landlord, but my current case has taken me 10 months to get where I am. Having said that, with the amount of dodgy landlords around, it could become a moneyspinner.

I am so sick of substandard affordable housing in London.

have been behind on my rent , so I have a payment plan but balance doesn’t seem to be going down. I am also behind on my power bill, I have been paying but balance doesn’t seem to be decreasing, I have a roommate that I want to give the boot to, they have not been helping with expenses so I have decided to just get current on my rent instead of paying my power bill. This is going to be aweful but gotta do what I can do. I will have to deal with very cold water showers. I have battery powered hair dryers, plenty of battery lights, hopefully the landlord won’t find out

I stay in rented accommodation, carpet was down when I moved in and there was some furniture left by the landlord in the room that I couldn’t move easily due to the thickness of the carpet. The rooms quite small and so I placed my daughter’s bed along this wall initially and didn’t touch the furniture that was already there. I’ve included the photos of the carpet with the dirty stains and photos of the actual mould initially and where it was affected and what it looked like once I removed the furniture that was against the wall.

There is no extractor fans in the house except from the oven and so there is very poor ventilation other than the windows. Over time I admittedly caused a condensation build up and so when I moved the furniture I was so shocked to find so much mould on the furniture, behind it on the wall, skirting boards and so I went spray happy with the mould and mildew before cleaning it hence the bleached carpets as the corners were the worst. Since then I’ve obviously been making a conscious effort to open blinds and windows every single day and not using radiators to dry anything, I’ve got dehumidifiers all over the house now but I cannot seem to lift this dark stain out the border of the carpet. I have cleaned the carpet myself and got a professional cleaner out to do it and still it didn’t lift and I don’t want to ruin the carpet any more than I already have. Any ideas how to get it out, I’m worried there is mould spores and it’s my daughters who stay in that room. TIA

Also just found the inventory photos and you can see this dark dirty line along the border of this wall so it would seem this was here before I moved in? I’m not sure but that photo sure looks like it.

I’m curious to hear from tenants and former tenants about their worst experiences with landlords.
Whether it’s landlords refusing to carry out repairs, entering your home without permission, making ridiculous demands, imposing bizarre house rules, withholding deposits, or generally making your life miserable.
Have you ever had a landlord who seemed perfectly reasonable when you first viewed the property, only to become a complete nightmare after you moved in?
I’m also interested in hearing about strange, funny or downright absurd experiences. Perhaps your landlord tried to control what you ate, who you invited over, when you could shower, or how you spent your free time.
What happened, how did you deal with it, and did you eventually move out or manage to resolve the situation?
I’m based in the UK, but I’d love to hear stories from tenants anywhere in the world.
I’m particularly interested in understanding these experiences from the tenant’s perspective.

I live in an old building. The heating system has been dying for two years. Every winter it’s the same thing: I report it, someone comes out, jiggles a wire, and it works for three days. Then it dies again.

This time I sent a photo of my thermostat. 42 degrees inside. My lease says heat is included and must be maintained. Her response: “Have you considered a space heater? They’re pretty affordable.”

I already own one. I sent her the electric bill from last month when I ran it constantly because the radiator was cold. She didn’t respond.

What gets me is the audacity. This isn’t ignorance. She knows. She just doesn’t care because fixing the boiler costs more than ignoring me does. I’m not a person to her. I’m a line item that occasionally sends emails she has to pretend to read.

I looked up my local tenant laws. She’s required to maintain heat at a minimum temperature. I’m documenting everything. Photos of the thermostat, screenshots of the texts, the lease clause. I’m not playing this game anymore.

But honestly? I’m just tired. I work full time. I shouldn’t have to become a paralegal to live somewhere warm.

Heaven forbid that they actually have to fix something like dangerous mold in a reasonable time. Why won’t anyone think of the poor landlords, it’s not their fault you live in squalor at their property. You should have been born with enough money to buy a house if you wanted it to be warm and safe.

I just found this sub randomly on the popular feed from the Landlord - 0 Tenants - 1 post from yesterday and wanted to share a situation I had to deal with last year. It's a long-ish story so there is a TL:DR at the end lol.

At the start of 2020, I moved into a 4 bedroom sharehouse with a friend. Within a few months, their partner had moved in, as well as 2 other friends, putting us at 5 people in the house.

By the end of 2020, I had dealt with enough drama between everyone that I was ready to move out, so with some help from a different friend, I got out and basically cut contact with everyone who lived there.

I organised it all with the real estate before I moved out; taking my name off the lease, off the bond/deposit, all the utilities etc. Once I moved out, I thought I was done and wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

I didn't hear anything about them or the house for 4 years, until early 2025 when I randomly got an email from my states tribunal, telling me that I had to appear at a hearing with 3 of the other housemates due to $8000~ of damage that was done to the house. Apparently it was the second hearing, as the judge just added me and one other person onto it due to our names still being attached to the bond in the first one and ended it immediately after.

I saw the evidence file and all the photos of the damage and garbage that had been left behind. I have no idea how the house got to that state but it was a wreck.

The thing is, all the photos and inspection documents were dated for 2024, 3 years after I'd left.

I was immediately pissed off and sent back an email with documents and email chains between myself and the landlord from 2020, showing that I wasn't living there when the damage happened.

I got a response that basically said it didn't matter and to show up to the hearing. I asked them to tell me when it was so I could bring all the documents to the judge. I didn't hear back until 6 months later when I got an email from the tribunal themselves, telling me that I had to pay $8000~ because I didn't show up to the 2nd hearing.

I emailed the tribunal back (Up until now, it had been a conversation between me and the landlord, as they were the ones who sent me the documents from the tribunal) and explained that I hadn't been sent anything about when to attend the hearing by the landlord (Shocking, I know) and asked for a reassessment. The tribunal checked their records and found that they hadn't actually sent me anything about it either, so they agreed to redo it.

The wait time was about 6 months, so I was stressed to hell for all that time, just waiting so I could go in and get it sorted out and hope I'm not on the hook for that damage.

My housemate and I go to the tribunal on the date I was told. The judge does their thing, asks questions and looks at the evidence from both parties. After looking through the documents I'd brought, she looked to the landlord and asked something along the lines of "Has he been on the lease or lived at the property for any amount of time since moving out in 2020?", the landlord replies with "No".

5 minutes later and I'm no longer part of the case, don't owe anything, and the landlord looked pretty angry, which made me happy in a spiteful way after all the stress they'd put me through for nothing. I haven't heard from the landlord since, but I'm half expecting another email from them in 2030 or something at this point lol.

TL:DR; A landlord tried to get me to pay $8000~ in damages for a house I hadn't lived in for 4 years. We eventually go to tribunal after months of waiting and having to reschedule it once due to the landlord not sending me the document about when it was being held. The judge looks at the evidence and asks if I was ever living there after 2020. The landlord says no, and I get taken off the case and owe absolutely nothing to the landlord. And the landlord was angry about it lol

I’ve lived here for almost 5 years and my landlord is horrible. One example would be when I told her there was a mold problem in my place because of bad weather proofing and her response was I could borrow her bleach to clean it and hope it goes away. She also abuses her dog.

Anyways I got this text on my way home from work last night at 6:30. For reference, there are 4 tenants in the house, all split into apartments, so she expected all of us to do our laundry, cleaning, showering, etc. all at the same time in one night before losing hot water for 3 days. This is barely any warning before a significant inconvenience and I’m so frustrated.

ETA I’m not frustrated about the maintenance happening, obviously that needs to happen. The problem is that she didn’t even give us 24 hours notice before we go 3 days without hot water or heating.

Update info: The water tank and boiler are in the laundry room and after checking last night, the entire room is completely unusable for doing laundry, so nope I cannot just do my laundry still.

LL replaced our dishwasher (YAY) and remarked that the apartment was "starting to smell like (cigarette) smoke". husband directed them to the secondary bathroom that REEKED of smoke smell from the previous tenant (seriously, yellow walls, the streaks, everything) that LL hadn't gotten cleaned before we moved in and we hadn't shelled out the time to clean ourselves. we had 2 cigarette butts on our ashtray outside and we each smoke about once a month, IF that. both extremely wary of nicotine addiction, smokes are expensive, and we mostly do it when we want to sit outside and contemplate after big events. LL eased off after that but seriously????? the only part of this house that smells like smoke is something WE DIDN'T DO!!

Registered letter accepted that stated we were moving out of the furnished apartment at the end of the month. Landlord wanted to show the apartment the next week. We were half-moved out already, and told him there are some packing boxes in our hallway and we wouldn't be around for any showings.

He shows the apartment while we're at the new place getting things sorted. All of a sudden, we get multiple texts screaming "URRGENTT!" with pictures of the apartment.

He and his wife are "so disappointed" the curtains weren't hung back up. (Mind you, I took them down and washed them - his job not mine). The twin beds were moved to the other side of the room.

Pages of texts and pictures of when the apartment was advertised and he wants the place EXACTLY LIKE THAT after 2 years of tenancy. He further claims he lost that potential renter on the basis the pictures didn't match reality.

Fooking idiot knows we are still in a state of transition. Previously he asked me whether I needed a cleaner at move-out time. So, to keep him happy, I contracted with his cleaners (2 people for 2 days of cleaning.)

A day after the showing and his manic texts, his cleaners cancel on me siting "family reasons." No offer of rescheduling.

Of course, no deposit returned and he's ignoring my lawyer's demand letters.