Renting can be a nightmare. It’s bad enough watching the biggest portion of your paycheck disappear into the black hole that is your rent in the first place. But if you ever get the feeling that your landlord is actively scheming against you… well, you might actually be right.
Recently, this screenshot from someone who infiltrated a Facebook group for landlords has been inspiring people to share their renting horror stories and tips to avoid them.
One Twitter user posted this screenshot
Image credits: mitchysuch
The private group is run by a self-described “a**-kicking landlord of 8 rental properties,” who strives to maintain a group where landlords can gather “for support and to save others [their] lessons learned.”
We’re not sure what it’s like in there, but this screenshot leaves us with a mental image of a round table of shadowy, stereotypical villains in capes twirling their mustaches and plotting the best ways to wring their tenants dry.
Here are some other Twitter users' reactions
Image credits: paulbraterman
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If you pay rent to someone who meets the lowest bar of decency (isn’t raising your rent, takes responsibility for normal maintenance of the property that you’re already paying them to use, and is honest about where your security deposit is going), congratulations! You’re one of the lucky ones.
One property owner based in Scotland replied that in his country, security deposits must be held by a deposit service that requires proof of damage to withdraw them. This wouldn’t be good news for the almost 25% of landlords who admitted to having unfairly claimed renters’ security deposits in a survey by US real estate network Porch.
If you have some of your own stories about bizarre excuses landlords have given to get every last cent out of you before you left, some of the responses will show you that you’re not the only one, and that knowing the law where you live can be crucial if you don’t want to get scammed.
The screenshot was also shared on r/trashy
