Renting out a property sounds, on paper, like a fairly straightforward arrangement. You need house; I have house. I want money, you have money. It is, in theory, one of the more civilised transactions available to two consenting adults. And then the tenant moves in, and somewhere between the lease signing and the first inspection, something goes profoundly, structurally, occasionally biologically wrong.
Reddit recently asked landlords to share their worst tenant experiences, and the thread is everything we need to know about human audacity behind closed doors. We have property damage that defies explanation. We have missing rent payments accompanied by excuses of genuinely impressive creativity. In these instances, the security deposit was never going to cover the trauma.
#1
Not me, but my old landlord and the tenant who occupied the apartment I lived in before me. Sort of.
It was an old lady who lived all alone. She was on social security and her son handled her finances but never visited her in the first floor unit she occupied. He would swing by, take the mail from her mailbox, drop off the rent, and be on his way.
So no one knew she had d**d until the neighbors began to smell it. The police estimated that she'd been d**d on the floor of her bathroom for three months. The body had putrified and no small amount of her vital fluids had seeped through the old floor and into the crawlspace under the apartment. Some of it had even oozed past the lip of the door frame and into the hallway, where it had set up a kind of mold colony and habitat for wayward insects. But that was not the extent of the horror. The stench, I was told, had been so bad and the unit so hermetically sealed that the odor had built up and built up and built up until nothing in the apartment could hold it back. The smell had permeated the doors, the walls, the furniture, the appliances. Everything.
So my landlord, kind old man that he was, ripped out those doors and walls. Tore up the floor. Took out the windows while he was at it. Gutted the bathroom and two feet of dirt below it. Completely re-did the unit with brand-new materials, double paned modern windows, new tile, excellent hardwood floors.
But this unit was in California, you see, where the law states that if someone has d**d in the residence in the last three years you have to disclose it to new tenants. So no one would rent from him. "How did she d*e," they would ask. "Where did she d*e?" "How did you find her?"
No one wanted the apartment.
So when my roommate saw that the list price had fallen 40% of the cost of surrounding units, he arranged for us to see the unit. We didn't care that someone had d**d there. We only cared that the clean-up had been legit. And it certainly had. Everything new, everything clean, everything excellent.
So we got a lease on a two bedroom, 1500 sq. ft apartment in Beverly Hills for $1000/month plus $100 for a tandem parking space. Unheard of.
All because some kid was too lazy to visit his mom, even when he was right outside her door.
For my landlord, he was a wonderful man who took a horrible financial hit as a result of this negligence (of both the mother and the property). A word of advice to landlords: Call your tenants to see if you can help them with anything, and also to make sure they're still alive.
It was an old lady who lived all alone. She was on social security and her son handled her finances but never visited her in the first floor unit she occupied. He would swing by, take the mail from her mailbox, drop off the rent, and be on his way.
So no one knew she had d**d until the neighbors began to smell it. The police estimated that she'd been d**d on the floor of her bathroom for three months. The body had putrified and no small amount of her vital fluids had seeped through the old floor and into the crawlspace under the apartment. Some of it had even oozed past the lip of the door frame and into the hallway, where it had set up a kind of mold colony and habitat for wayward insects. But that was not the extent of the horror. The stench, I was told, had been so bad and the unit so hermetically sealed that the odor had built up and built up and built up until nothing in the apartment could hold it back. The smell had permeated the doors, the walls, the furniture, the appliances. Everything.
So my landlord, kind old man that he was, ripped out those doors and walls. Tore up the floor. Took out the windows while he was at it. Gutted the bathroom and two feet of dirt below it. Completely re-did the unit with brand-new materials, double paned modern windows, new tile, excellent hardwood floors.
But this unit was in California, you see, where the law states that if someone has d**d in the residence in the last three years you have to disclose it to new tenants. So no one would rent from him. "How did she d*e," they would ask. "Where did she d*e?" "How did you find her?"
No one wanted the apartment.
So when my roommate saw that the list price had fallen 40% of the cost of surrounding units, he arranged for us to see the unit. We didn't care that someone had d**d there. We only cared that the clean-up had been legit. And it certainly had. Everything new, everything clean, everything excellent.
So we got a lease on a two bedroom, 1500 sq. ft apartment in Beverly Hills for $1000/month plus $100 for a tandem parking space. Unheard of.
All because some kid was too lazy to visit his mom, even when he was right outside her door.
For my landlord, he was a wonderful man who took a horrible financial hit as a result of this negligence (of both the mother and the property). A word of advice to landlords: Call your tenants to see if you can help them with anything, and also to make sure they're still alive.
36points
#2
First day I moved into my apartment last year, my landlord told me about the worst kid to ever live there.
He told us that there was this kid subletting an apartment over the summer for his rather shy sister. No problems, the sister was normal and he came with good recommendations. However on the first night there, he threw a rager of a party. Loud music, too many people, didn't end until the police needed to be called for noise violations.
The next morning, my landlord comes up and tells him that, get togethers are fine, but parties of that scale are not allowed, it was in the lease he signed, and he was willing to give the kid a second chance.
Bad decision. More violent party this time, with property damage to boot. Landlord stormed up there and told him to have his s**t out of the apartment by tomorrow at noon.
The kid was pissed off, and decided to throw a "getting evicted party" and got about 5 of his friends in there to trash the place and break everything they could find. They punched holes in the walls, broke lights and smashed the windows. It all came to a grinding halt when the kid decides to headbutt a hole in the wall and hit a supporting metal beam and broke his neck.
The kid got charged with absolutely everything, the girls who lived there previously were politely told to not return the next year and the kid missed his freshman year of university and $10,000 dollars worth of scholarships because he couldn't leave the hospital or move independently.
My landlord pretty well told me that as long as I don't do anything that stupid, that we will probably get along.
He told us that there was this kid subletting an apartment over the summer for his rather shy sister. No problems, the sister was normal and he came with good recommendations. However on the first night there, he threw a rager of a party. Loud music, too many people, didn't end until the police needed to be called for noise violations.
The next morning, my landlord comes up and tells him that, get togethers are fine, but parties of that scale are not allowed, it was in the lease he signed, and he was willing to give the kid a second chance.
Bad decision. More violent party this time, with property damage to boot. Landlord stormed up there and told him to have his s**t out of the apartment by tomorrow at noon.
The kid was pissed off, and decided to throw a "getting evicted party" and got about 5 of his friends in there to trash the place and break everything they could find. They punched holes in the walls, broke lights and smashed the windows. It all came to a grinding halt when the kid decides to headbutt a hole in the wall and hit a supporting metal beam and broke his neck.
The kid got charged with absolutely everything, the girls who lived there previously were politely told to not return the next year and the kid missed his freshman year of university and $10,000 dollars worth of scholarships because he couldn't leave the hospital or move independently.
My landlord pretty well told me that as long as I don't do anything that stupid, that we will probably get along.
33points
#3
I've got some good ones for this.
Had a whole house being rented. Evicted tenant. Went to clean up after they left and this was the basement. They had a dog that went in the basement to c**p. Instead of cleaning it up they poured latex paint on it to seal in the smell. The dog kept c***ping and they kept pouring. A latex-dog p*o lasagna filling an entire room. The floor was a mound about 4ft high and 10ft wide, filling the entire basement, of nothing but layers of latex paint and dog c**p from several years of them living there. Took air hammers and chisels and weeks of work to clean.
Once we got that done we were able to get the the storage closet in the basement. It was jammed shut from this c**p on the floor but the door had a hole in the top. They used this closed off room with the hole as a diaper disposal for their infant. A room about 4ftx4ft filled to the top with years of dirty baby diapers.
Had a whole house being rented. Evicted tenant. Went to clean up after they left and this was the basement. They had a dog that went in the basement to c**p. Instead of cleaning it up they poured latex paint on it to seal in the smell. The dog kept c***ping and they kept pouring. A latex-dog p*o lasagna filling an entire room. The floor was a mound about 4ft high and 10ft wide, filling the entire basement, of nothing but layers of latex paint and dog c**p from several years of them living there. Took air hammers and chisels and weeks of work to clean.
Once we got that done we were able to get the the storage closet in the basement. It was jammed shut from this c**p on the floor but the door had a hole in the top. They used this closed off room with the hole as a diaper disposal for their infant. A room about 4ftx4ft filled to the top with years of dirty baby diapers.
31points
Landlords get a lot of hate. Lord knows I have had my fair share of bad ones. But they deserve a little slack. Research from Pegasus Insight found that 26% of UK landlords experienced rent arrears in the past year alone, more than one in four. Landlords are just running a business, so if money is constantly late, I wouldn't be very happy either.
And the property damage figures are equally grim, with between 24% and 29% of landlords reporting active damage to their properties by tenants every single year. Not even just wear and tear. Actual, deliberate, or catastrophically negligent damage to someone's property and investment. The landlord experience is not, for a significant portion of people doing it, the passive income fantasy that the internet would have you believe.
#4
My parents used to be landlords back in the early 2000's. There are a lot of stories but this one sticks out to me the most.
One of their tenants was a nice French couple. Pretty new to the city, broken English and all. Didn't complain much never caused any problems. The husband used to have polite conversation with my dad and brought up his cat being sick. His fur falling off, losing a lot of weight, which was very odd since everytime they left the apartment for work they would leave food for this cat and come back home to an empty bowl. So they took the cat to a vet with no prevail.
Until a couple of weeks later..
The husband comes to my parents door and starts complaining about a lizard in their apartment. Confused as to why this dude didn't just throw it outside, since it was probably someones pet that went astray, he decided to have a look for himself after the French mans persistence.
My dad gets to the apartment and the man tells him its in the closet. So he swings it open casually but falls backwards from pure shock.
A m***********g komodo dragon sticks out his slithering tongue right at my dad as he hurriedly calls animal control. If you didn't know, komodo dragons are f*****g huge. Far from the size of a tiny lizard.
This dragon made a den with whatever was in that closet and grew up in it for months, feeding itself with the poor cats meals. Very eerie to think about that couple living with a gigantic creature in their closet for months.
One of their tenants was a nice French couple. Pretty new to the city, broken English and all. Didn't complain much never caused any problems. The husband used to have polite conversation with my dad and brought up his cat being sick. His fur falling off, losing a lot of weight, which was very odd since everytime they left the apartment for work they would leave food for this cat and come back home to an empty bowl. So they took the cat to a vet with no prevail.
Until a couple of weeks later..
The husband comes to my parents door and starts complaining about a lizard in their apartment. Confused as to why this dude didn't just throw it outside, since it was probably someones pet that went astray, he decided to have a look for himself after the French mans persistence.
My dad gets to the apartment and the man tells him its in the closet. So he swings it open casually but falls backwards from pure shock.
A m***********g komodo dragon sticks out his slithering tongue right at my dad as he hurriedly calls animal control. If you didn't know, komodo dragons are f*****g huge. Far from the size of a tiny lizard.
This dragon made a den with whatever was in that closet and grew up in it for months, feeding itself with the poor cats meals. Very eerie to think about that couple living with a gigantic creature in their closet for months.
24points
#5
We had a tenant who lived in a shared apartment room for a few months. His flatmate was complaining about smells and cleanliness issues. When we checked, everything seemed sort of normal, very messy, but nothing extraordinary. After the guy failed to pay his rent again, we evicted him.
One day before the eviction date I sat with him and we agreed that he could leave some heavy furniture in the room to be picked up a few weeks later, but the room needs to be otherwise cleared out and he has to hand over the keys. He agreed that he would be able in the following morning.
Well, the next day he did not give the keys back in the morning and his room door was locked. I texted him and he claimed he had forgotten to return the keys and took them with him. I explicitly asked if the room was cleared out - except for the furniture - and he wrote "Yes.".
I fetched the spare key and opened the door and to my disbelief, the room was not cleared out.
At first I only noticed about 8 plastic shopping bags on the ground, a lot of rubbish, including rubbish bags lying around openly with actual rubbish in them. Dirty dishes all over the place, especially on the table. A lot of personal items still flying around.
At first it seemed his room was so messy, that he simply couldn't finish cleaning it up and had to leave after starting. Since the room was supposed to be rented to another person a few weeks later (luckily I already expected some troubles and postponed this), I had to start cleaning it up.
Then the real horror came to light. The plastic bags were filled with plastic bottles, and in those - you guessed it - was urine. There were about 30 or 40 of them, each containing about 1 or 1.5 liters of urine. The dishes were also awful, they have been standing around for several weeks by the smell and larvae in them. The least problematic dishes "only" hat mold/fungi on them...
Opening the wardrobe it was clear that he had stored wet clothes in it. The whole thing was already falling apart and solid wooden boards were just bending from their own weight, so soaked were they. The wall behind the wardrobe was full of mold (luckily only on the wallpaper surface, otherwise this would have gotten really expensive). Under the table was some spilled food on the carpet, which was moldy as well. The same for under the bed, which he had apparently two king-size mattresses on. The stench was really strange, a mix of all the dirtiness in the room and some scented candles or room spray or something.
It took me and 2 other people about 3-4 hours to superficially clean the room out. It took another few days of a few hours work each to renew and clean up the whole room (mold removal, wallpapers, carpet, cleaning doors and windows, ...)
We never saw anything of the rent that was still due and that guy even had the audacity to threaten to sue us. Also found out that apparently he has very high debt everywhere, so suing ourselves would not bring us the money back. We got really careful after this with our tenants.
One day before the eviction date I sat with him and we agreed that he could leave some heavy furniture in the room to be picked up a few weeks later, but the room needs to be otherwise cleared out and he has to hand over the keys. He agreed that he would be able in the following morning.
Well, the next day he did not give the keys back in the morning and his room door was locked. I texted him and he claimed he had forgotten to return the keys and took them with him. I explicitly asked if the room was cleared out - except for the furniture - and he wrote "Yes.".
I fetched the spare key and opened the door and to my disbelief, the room was not cleared out.
At first I only noticed about 8 plastic shopping bags on the ground, a lot of rubbish, including rubbish bags lying around openly with actual rubbish in them. Dirty dishes all over the place, especially on the table. A lot of personal items still flying around.
At first it seemed his room was so messy, that he simply couldn't finish cleaning it up and had to leave after starting. Since the room was supposed to be rented to another person a few weeks later (luckily I already expected some troubles and postponed this), I had to start cleaning it up.
Then the real horror came to light. The plastic bags were filled with plastic bottles, and in those - you guessed it - was urine. There were about 30 or 40 of them, each containing about 1 or 1.5 liters of urine. The dishes were also awful, they have been standing around for several weeks by the smell and larvae in them. The least problematic dishes "only" hat mold/fungi on them...
Opening the wardrobe it was clear that he had stored wet clothes in it. The whole thing was already falling apart and solid wooden boards were just bending from their own weight, so soaked were they. The wall behind the wardrobe was full of mold (luckily only on the wallpaper surface, otherwise this would have gotten really expensive). Under the table was some spilled food on the carpet, which was moldy as well. The same for under the bed, which he had apparently two king-size mattresses on. The stench was really strange, a mix of all the dirtiness in the room and some scented candles or room spray or something.
It took me and 2 other people about 3-4 hours to superficially clean the room out. It took another few days of a few hours work each to renew and clean up the whole room (mold removal, wallpapers, carpet, cleaning doors and windows, ...)
We never saw anything of the rent that was still due and that guy even had the audacity to threaten to sue us. Also found out that apparently he has very high debt everywhere, so suing ourselves would not bring us the money back. We got really careful after this with our tenants.
20points
#6
I own a few houses, all of them have tenants. For the most part everything has been fine....except for the one tenant.
Important details. I pay for everything in the rent because I didn't want to deal with tenants who got behind on utilities etc. It's just easier that way, all in one price. Each suite has a basement suite and a main floor suite.
Ok. So the tenant from hell....well the first thing she did was get a duck. Yes. A live duck. It s**t everywhere and squawked constantly. Due to a loophole in the lease caused by my own naievity (I said small pets, with no specifics) it took me quite some time to make sure the duck was gone. Next it was rats...except she let them breed so they were bloody everywhere, including their s**t. She also seemed to think old takeaway containers were a great home decoration. So we've got a colony of semi domestic rats, old food everywhere, and yes her two children living in this. She would manage to set the stove on fire at least once bi weekly, frequently had "family" stay for longer than allowed (including inebriated and high people passed out on the lawn) and she apparently decided to sublet my garage at the property to other people as a way of recouping some of the rent. It took me about 8 months and thousands of dollars in legal fees to get her out, and then another thousand + for professional cleaning.
Worst part of this is...she was my friend at the start.
Important details. I pay for everything in the rent because I didn't want to deal with tenants who got behind on utilities etc. It's just easier that way, all in one price. Each suite has a basement suite and a main floor suite.
Ok. So the tenant from hell....well the first thing she did was get a duck. Yes. A live duck. It s**t everywhere and squawked constantly. Due to a loophole in the lease caused by my own naievity (I said small pets, with no specifics) it took me quite some time to make sure the duck was gone. Next it was rats...except she let them breed so they were bloody everywhere, including their s**t. She also seemed to think old takeaway containers were a great home decoration. So we've got a colony of semi domestic rats, old food everywhere, and yes her two children living in this. She would manage to set the stove on fire at least once bi weekly, frequently had "family" stay for longer than allowed (including inebriated and high people passed out on the lawn) and she apparently decided to sublet my garage at the property to other people as a way of recouping some of the rent. It took me about 8 months and thousands of dollars in legal fees to get her out, and then another thousand + for professional cleaning.
Worst part of this is...she was my friend at the start.
19points
#7
I own one house that I rent out. I took a small apartment to be closer to work. Had the same tenant for 6 years, rarely any issues.
One day he decides to stop paying. This happened about a month into a long work strike I was in. So I have no work income and no rental income (about $800 after paying mortgage). He says that I didn't fix a few relatively minor things and I was forcing him to live in unlivable conditions. It was: broken sliding glass door handle, 1 cracked kitchen tile, leaky refrigerator. I scheduled to go out and fix it several times but he always canceled.
Anyways, his dad used to be a lawyer and the tenant started making threats that he wasn't paying anything until I fixed stuff. At this point I decided f**k him. Served notices to pay or leave. He said go f**k yourself, he'll own my house at the end of this B******t and told me to get a lawyer. I didn't. I just had him served with eviction papers.
On court day he pays me everything he owed me and messages me 'not to lie to the court'. he didn't show up for court , so I win and a sheriff will be tossing him on his a*s within 2 weeks.
A few days before he was getting evicted he contacts me and asked me to please not evict him and that he'll cut the s**t out and pay his rent. Since the prime real estate selling season was over I decided sure. Raised the rent. He's been good for 2 months now.
One day he decides to stop paying. This happened about a month into a long work strike I was in. So I have no work income and no rental income (about $800 after paying mortgage). He says that I didn't fix a few relatively minor things and I was forcing him to live in unlivable conditions. It was: broken sliding glass door handle, 1 cracked kitchen tile, leaky refrigerator. I scheduled to go out and fix it several times but he always canceled.
Anyways, his dad used to be a lawyer and the tenant started making threats that he wasn't paying anything until I fixed stuff. At this point I decided f**k him. Served notices to pay or leave. He said go f**k yourself, he'll own my house at the end of this B******t and told me to get a lawyer. I didn't. I just had him served with eviction papers.
On court day he pays me everything he owed me and messages me 'not to lie to the court'. he didn't show up for court , so I win and a sheriff will be tossing him on his a*s within 2 weeks.
A few days before he was getting evicted he contacts me and asked me to please not evict him and that he'll cut the s**t out and pay his rent. Since the prime real estate selling season was over I decided sure. Raised the rent. He's been good for 2 months now.
17points
The security deposit exists specifically to protect landlords from tenant damage, which sounds like a reasonable system right up until you look at how it actually plays out. Industry data shows that in 80% to 90% of all tenancies, tenants receive all or part of their deposit back. This means that in the cases where genuine damage has occurred, the deposit is covering it only a fraction of the time.
In fact, 90% of the time that a tenant causes significant property damage, the repair costs completely eclipse the deposit, leaving the landlord to cover the difference out of pocket. The deposit is basically just a gesture of good faith, because it won't cut it when the landlord needs a financial safety net.
#8
Story from my Uncle.
An asian family moved into his building. They owned a restaurant.
Some time after they moved in, the apartment directly below them was complaining about water damage in their ceiling. Uncle goes to check it out and sure enough, much of the ceiling has water damage. Can't find any broken pipes or the like so he goes upstairs.
He explains the situation to the asian family upstairs and says he just needs to investigate the water problem. At first they won't let him in. Then when he finally manages to get in he finds they have built A FARM IN THE LIVING ROOM.
They literally boarded up the living room, filled it with dirt, and were growing crops. Water damage was basically from them having to water said plants.
An asian family moved into his building. They owned a restaurant.
Some time after they moved in, the apartment directly below them was complaining about water damage in their ceiling. Uncle goes to check it out and sure enough, much of the ceiling has water damage. Can't find any broken pipes or the like so he goes upstairs.
He explains the situation to the asian family upstairs and says he just needs to investigate the water problem. At first they won't let him in. Then when he finally manages to get in he finds they have built A FARM IN THE LIVING ROOM.
They literally boarded up the living room, filled it with dirt, and were growing crops. Water damage was basically from them having to water said plants.
17points
#9
2 bedroom unit, rented to two girls. [Grown woman, mind you with jobs etc]. Complained there were roaches [previous tenant had no roach problem, we even had it cleaned and so none]. We get it taken care of, still complained there were. Now we're thinking she or her roomate brought them.
Skim to them both leaving on Oct 31. We get the key and check the unit, it is trasheddd. They left most of their behind, bottles on the counter, glasses, plates, cutlery, clothes, shoes, food just all over the place. And roaches...lots of them.
We call junk removers, they dont remove unless it's roach free. Called pest control; they advise to remove the things before they do their jobs. FML.
Skim to them both leaving on Oct 31. We get the key and check the unit, it is trasheddd. They left most of their behind, bottles on the counter, glasses, plates, cutlery, clothes, shoes, food just all over the place. And roaches...lots of them.
We call junk removers, they dont remove unless it's roach free. Called pest control; they advise to remove the things before they do their jobs. FML.
Report
16points
The case of Elizabeth Hirschhorn is the kind of story that makes property lawyers salivate and landlords reach for something stronger than tea. Sascha Jovanovic, a homeowner in Brentwood, Los Angeles, originally rented his luxury guest house to Hirschhorn through Airbnb for a short-term stay. When the stay ended, she declined to leave. What followed was 570 days of rent-free living in a multi-million dollar property.
Hirschhorn countersued Jovanovic for extortion and emotional distress, and her lawyers identified that a shower in the property had been built without a specific city permit, which, under Los Angeles's strict housing ordinances, meant the unit could be classified as an illegal rental. An illegal rental means no rent is technically owed. The legal gridlock this created kept her in the property for over a year and a half before police finally oversaw her departure.
#10
We had one tenant who wouldn't pay rent. We followed the protocols to evict him but he kept getting the judge to agree to an extension. He ended up staying rent free for 7 months. He also complained about anything and everything. "The neighbors are too loud" "Someone's car alarm went off across the street", "one of the neighbours has a cat and I'm allergic". There is literally nothing I can do to remedy those situations.
When he finally got evicted he left the apartment in shambles. Holes in the walls, curtains stained with what I can only assume was doo doo, and the rug was littered with cigarette burns.
I wouldn't wish someone like that on my worst enemy.
When he finally got evicted he left the apartment in shambles. Holes in the walls, curtains stained with what I can only assume was doo doo, and the rug was littered with cigarette burns.
I wouldn't wish someone like that on my worst enemy.
16points
#11
She brought three cats and drama. It was my fault for accepting someone who wanted to keep three cats. Surprisingly, none of the trouble stemmed from her pets, which she kept immaculately clean. In fact, it was the *cleaning itself* that grew out of control.
The first few months passed peacefully, with no problems. Then, she started lagging with her rent. This wouldn't have been a terrible issue, since I'm tolerant of a few days late and maintain a healthy savings buffer for unexpected expenses, vacancies and late rent checks.
It was when I surprised her in the middle of one of her cleaning binges that things began to disintegrate. I had stopped by to grab some supplies in the house for a minor repair, or for a monthly inspection. She didn't expect me to appear in the building, and was carrying a spray bottle and rag in her hands. Apparently, this had been going on for some time. Another tenant warned me of some eccentric behavior she had noticed in her housemate, but didn't go into details. I should have seen the warning signs, but brushed it off at that moment.
Her cleaning and reorganizing grew more intense, until it transformed into hostility towards the other tenant who did not share her intense focus. She insisted that the three of us meet, to compile a schedule of how and when the other tenant would participate in cleaning of the house. The “Cleaner” rejected any proposals that did not explicitly set an hour and minute along with the specific cleaning tasks for her housemate. The other housemate found this absurd, and would only agree to a general description of the cleaning tasks. Our negotiations failed to converge on an acceptable schedule, and I had to excuse myself while the Cleaner shouted for me not to leave. After that, she bullied the other tenant and patrolled the kitchen any time her housemate walked through or prepared coffee.
Was it an obsession, or just a front? She stopped paying rent, and this drama might have been just a distraction to earn extra time out of sympathy. In the end, I had to evict her. Strangely enough, both of them left at the same time, and I think that she might have shamed her housemate into footing the bill for her next apartment.
Looking back on the whole thing, I'm surprised that she didn't find more success in a job where she cleaned houses. It won't make you a billionaire, but it will pay the bills and can always be found, especially in my city.
The first few months passed peacefully, with no problems. Then, she started lagging with her rent. This wouldn't have been a terrible issue, since I'm tolerant of a few days late and maintain a healthy savings buffer for unexpected expenses, vacancies and late rent checks.
It was when I surprised her in the middle of one of her cleaning binges that things began to disintegrate. I had stopped by to grab some supplies in the house for a minor repair, or for a monthly inspection. She didn't expect me to appear in the building, and was carrying a spray bottle and rag in her hands. Apparently, this had been going on for some time. Another tenant warned me of some eccentric behavior she had noticed in her housemate, but didn't go into details. I should have seen the warning signs, but brushed it off at that moment.
Her cleaning and reorganizing grew more intense, until it transformed into hostility towards the other tenant who did not share her intense focus. She insisted that the three of us meet, to compile a schedule of how and when the other tenant would participate in cleaning of the house. The “Cleaner” rejected any proposals that did not explicitly set an hour and minute along with the specific cleaning tasks for her housemate. The other housemate found this absurd, and would only agree to a general description of the cleaning tasks. Our negotiations failed to converge on an acceptable schedule, and I had to excuse myself while the Cleaner shouted for me not to leave. After that, she bullied the other tenant and patrolled the kitchen any time her housemate walked through or prepared coffee.
Was it an obsession, or just a front? She stopped paying rent, and this drama might have been just a distraction to earn extra time out of sympathy. In the end, I had to evict her. Strangely enough, both of them left at the same time, and I think that she might have shamed her housemate into footing the bill for her next apartment.
Looking back on the whole thing, I'm surprised that she didn't find more success in a job where she cleaned houses. It won't make you a billionaire, but it will pay the bills and can always be found, especially in my city.
16points
#12
Obligatory not me, my grandfather.
He was(retired) a doctor at a Children's Hospital. He decided to rent this house to some young nurses he worked with. Well I guess stuff started happening and they weren't paying rent. Now my Grandfather is the best man I have ever known. Intelligent, kind, giving.. I mean hem was an oncologist for children! You have to be a good person to do that. They must have pushed him really hard. He eventually told them they had to leave.
What do these young nurses do?
Trash the house. **S**t** in the sinks and on the floor. They tore the house apart! He had to do a lot of work after to fix everything.
They s**t in the sinks! They worked with him. Who in their right mind does that!
He called their parents and told them what they had done. I think there were also repercussions at work.
He was(retired) a doctor at a Children's Hospital. He decided to rent this house to some young nurses he worked with. Well I guess stuff started happening and they weren't paying rent. Now my Grandfather is the best man I have ever known. Intelligent, kind, giving.. I mean hem was an oncologist for children! You have to be a good person to do that. They must have pushed him really hard. He eventually told them they had to leave.
What do these young nurses do?
Trash the house. **S**t** in the sinks and on the floor. They tore the house apart! He had to do a lot of work after to fix everything.
They s**t in the sinks! They worked with him. Who in their right mind does that!
He called their parents and told them what they had done. I think there were also repercussions at work.
Report
16points
Linda and Russell Callahan are the closest thing the rental market has to a full-time criminal enterprise. This husband-and-wife duo spent several years systematically defrauding independent landlords using a refined method. They would identify high-end properties, approach landlords with forged financial documents, fake references, and in some cases stolen identities, secure the keys, and immediately stop paying rent.
From that point, they deployed every available legal mechanism to drag out the eviction process for months (sometimes years) before law enforcement finally forced them out and they simply moved on to the next property and the next unsuspecting landlord. The scam unravelled when local journalists identified the pattern across multiple cases and published it, and criminal charges followed.
#13
A month ago we had a tenant whose friends were asking us if we had heard from him. No one had seen him in two weeks. A couple of serious heat waves come through and I go to the apartment to see if he's in there d**d.
I get to the apartment and there are flies everywhere and the smell of cat p**s. I prep myself mentally that there's definitely a d**d guy in there. Open the door, two cats run up to me. They're seriously hungry and thirsty. I start calling out the tenant's name to no reply.
I walk toward the bedroom and see his body underneath the blanket. I walk closer to see him and his head had melted into the pillow and his back was covered in maggots. The grey color of his body is something I've never seen before and will never forget. F**k, I had a few stiff drinks that night.
I get to the apartment and there are flies everywhere and the smell of cat p**s. I prep myself mentally that there's definitely a d**d guy in there. Open the door, two cats run up to me. They're seriously hungry and thirsty. I start calling out the tenant's name to no reply.
I walk toward the bedroom and see his body underneath the blanket. I walk closer to see him and his head had melted into the pillow and his back was covered in maggots. The grey color of his body is something I've never seen before and will never forget. F**k, I had a few stiff drinks that night.
16points
#14
Latest: Rabbits loose and breeding in master bedroom. They just turned them loose in there on the carpet. Pig in side yard. Yes, actual PIG. This house is in the middle of a town. Pulled off shower spigot and handles so no showering in the house. Pulled down curtain rods, curtains, etc.
Two years ago: Parent rented one year, kid rented the next year. There was two years' worth of dog s**t in the backyard when they moved out! They never picked up a single t**d.
Many years ago: They built a fenced in pen against the back of the house and threw all their garbage in it. I paid the garbage, all they had to do was take it to the curb! I had to clean up two years worth of garbage, dirty diapers, food stuffs, etc. which was full of rats, mice, roaches and various other beasties. OMG!
Two years ago: Parent rented one year, kid rented the next year. There was two years' worth of dog s**t in the backyard when they moved out! They never picked up a single t**d.
Many years ago: They built a fenced in pen against the back of the house and threw all their garbage in it. I paid the garbage, all they had to do was take it to the curb! I had to clean up two years worth of garbage, dirty diapers, food stuffs, etc. which was full of rats, mice, roaches and various other beasties. OMG!
15points
#15
I have a couple of good ones;
I got a call from my tenants saying there was a water leak, I arrived to find that the tap on back of the house was pulled off the wall and leaking water everywhere, I asked the tenant what happened and she told me that it was just like that when she went outside. I turned the water off and while fixing the pipe I heard banging and saw the garden shed shaking like it was about to fall down.
I went over and had a look to find a pony "hidden" in the shed, when I asked the tenant about it she told me "Well when I had it tied to the house water started coming out"
I had to take the bond of the same tenant as when I went in for final inspection I found that the lounge room floor was covered in burns from a clothes iron, when she was told that she would lose her bond her excuse was "because you are kicking me out, I got stressed, and when I stress I drink and I wanted to get back at you for kicking me out"
So Classy....
I got a call from my tenants saying there was a water leak, I arrived to find that the tap on back of the house was pulled off the wall and leaking water everywhere, I asked the tenant what happened and she told me that it was just like that when she went outside. I turned the water off and while fixing the pipe I heard banging and saw the garden shed shaking like it was about to fall down.
I went over and had a look to find a pony "hidden" in the shed, when I asked the tenant about it she told me "Well when I had it tied to the house water started coming out"
I had to take the bond of the same tenant as when I went in for final inspection I found that the lounge room floor was covered in burns from a clothes iron, when she was told that she would lose her bond her excuse was "because you are kicking me out, I got stressed, and when I stress I drink and I wanted to get back at you for kicking me out"
So Classy....
Report
15points
Texas provided one of the most extreme examples of tenant damage. A property owner returned to her home after a lengthy legal battle to find it not simply damaged or dirty, but completely stripped. The occupant had sold all of the large appliances online. They had then held a garage sale on the front lawn, selling the landlord's personal furniture, family electronics, and household goods to the neighbours.
All that was left was rotting food, destroyed drywall, and piles of rubbish. The financial devastation was total. The neighbours, presumably, got some excellent deals on second-hand appliances and have chosen not to think too hard about where they came from.
#16
My parents have owned properties for a while, so there are a number, but the one that I'm personally invested in is the last tenant. They decided to rent out my childhood home and I suggested it to a coworker. I had worked with this woman for several years, and thought she and her family were decent people. I trusted them.
They brought bed bugs into the place, did quite a bit of damage to the walls. They also pulled out and sold 100 year old hardwood trim, removed the central air unit and sold it, and just generally f****d the place up. They then proceeded to skip town after being kicked out once they found out that their wages were being garnished(show up to your court dates, kids).
Having tenants leave behind a pile of trash, horrifying bathrooms, and holes in the walls is common, but I hold a bit of a grudge on this one specifically.
They brought bed bugs into the place, did quite a bit of damage to the walls. They also pulled out and sold 100 year old hardwood trim, removed the central air unit and sold it, and just generally f****d the place up. They then proceeded to skip town after being kicked out once they found out that their wages were being garnished(show up to your court dates, kids).
Having tenants leave behind a pile of trash, horrifying bathrooms, and holes in the walls is common, but I hold a bit of a grudge on this one specifically.
Report
14points
#17
My extended family are, or were, landlords. Not sure if they got out of that what with the kind of c**p you sometimes have to deal with.
One story I heard was my uncle was having a conversation with someone outside a flat he was letting to some students. As the two were talking a couch came crashing out through the front window. I don't know how long that lot stayed after that.
The better story is another uncle had a nightmare family staying in a flat he owned. He had to kick them out because they caused nothing but trouble. Their son was sitting exams so they asked if he could stay until they were finished and my uncle said yes. Eventually he left ans my uncle went to see what damage was done to the flat. He found it immaculate, everything was clean and tidy, yet something seemed off. He went from room to room but could not find so much as a stain. Satisfied with the condition the flat had been left in he exited a room and went to close the door. That's when he realised what was wrong. There were no doors, anywhere. They had stolen every single interior door.
One story I heard was my uncle was having a conversation with someone outside a flat he was letting to some students. As the two were talking a couch came crashing out through the front window. I don't know how long that lot stayed after that.
The better story is another uncle had a nightmare family staying in a flat he owned. He had to kick them out because they caused nothing but trouble. Their son was sitting exams so they asked if he could stay until they were finished and my uncle said yes. Eventually he left ans my uncle went to see what damage was done to the flat. He found it immaculate, everything was clean and tidy, yet something seemed off. He went from room to room but could not find so much as a stain. Satisfied with the condition the flat had been left in he exited a room and went to close the door. That's when he realised what was wrong. There were no doors, anywhere. They had stolen every single interior door.
Report
14points
#18
We're military and rented out our house when we had to move duty stations. We had a property management company overseeing the day to day stuff. Basically we just sent money when something big broke. They would send us a yearly report full of normal maintenance things and on top of that, notify us of things that needed immediate attention. The HVAC busted one summer and needed replacing within 24 hours. The tree in the backyard got hit by lightening and took off a corner of roof. We really depended on the management company to let us know how everything was going.
We moved back into the house a year ago after 6 years gone, only to discover our management company passed every single tenant's move out inspection despite numerous lease infractions. Broken doors, holes in walls, towel bars hanging by a very literal loose s***w, screens missing, landscaping 10 kinds of f****d up, trash and cigarette butts stuffed into each and every air conditioning/heating vent, windows that had been sealed (painted) shut for over 2 years, cockroach infestation, f****d up paint, huge room ruining carpet stains, pets when there shouldn't have been pets, broken appliances, trash left behind, and to top it all off, the place hadn't been cleaned and no one had put a filter in the HVAC system for what must have been over a year.
We're still repairing. Still fixing years of a***e and neglect. We walked in the house and my husband and son immediately had asthma attacks. The tenants were sucky, obviously, but a whole hell of a lot of money could have been saved if the property management company had done it's f*****g job and taken the security deposits from s****y tenants.
How does one live like that? Treat other people's property like that? We are not realtors or property hoarders. You f*****s literally ruined my actual home, that I fantasized about returning to, that I bought when I was pregnant, to raise my children in, that I signed for on my f*****g birthday. You didn't wreck the house of some faceless bank or corporation. You slopped all over my memories like filthy f*****g pigs. Who the f**k stuffs garbage in air registers?! You could have set my s**t on fire and k****d yourselves. You were literally putting out burning cigarettes in trash filled air vents. What the f*****g f**k were you thinking you goddamned dipshitted a*****s?! And what the hell did you spill on literally half of the living room?
Holes in walls and broken doors are easy enough to fix, carpeting was ripped up and replaced. I had to hire a landscaping company to fix both front and back yards, had to hire a fire restoration company to clean all of the air ducts of more than a year of soot, grime, foot and pet smell, and had to replace all of my appliances. We patched, spackled, and painted for weeks. We still can't get the f*****g kitchen window open.
We took the property management company to court and settled for the amount of every single tenants' security deposit. It didn't cover all of the damage.
Tl;Dr don't ever rent out your home. Humanity is f*****g awful.
We moved back into the house a year ago after 6 years gone, only to discover our management company passed every single tenant's move out inspection despite numerous lease infractions. Broken doors, holes in walls, towel bars hanging by a very literal loose s***w, screens missing, landscaping 10 kinds of f****d up, trash and cigarette butts stuffed into each and every air conditioning/heating vent, windows that had been sealed (painted) shut for over 2 years, cockroach infestation, f****d up paint, huge room ruining carpet stains, pets when there shouldn't have been pets, broken appliances, trash left behind, and to top it all off, the place hadn't been cleaned and no one had put a filter in the HVAC system for what must have been over a year.
We're still repairing. Still fixing years of a***e and neglect. We walked in the house and my husband and son immediately had asthma attacks. The tenants were sucky, obviously, but a whole hell of a lot of money could have been saved if the property management company had done it's f*****g job and taken the security deposits from s****y tenants.
How does one live like that? Treat other people's property like that? We are not realtors or property hoarders. You f*****s literally ruined my actual home, that I fantasized about returning to, that I bought when I was pregnant, to raise my children in, that I signed for on my f*****g birthday. You didn't wreck the house of some faceless bank or corporation. You slopped all over my memories like filthy f*****g pigs. Who the f**k stuffs garbage in air registers?! You could have set my s**t on fire and k****d yourselves. You were literally putting out burning cigarettes in trash filled air vents. What the f*****g f**k were you thinking you goddamned dipshitted a*****s?! And what the hell did you spill on literally half of the living room?
Holes in walls and broken doors are easy enough to fix, carpeting was ripped up and replaced. I had to hire a landscaping company to fix both front and back yards, had to hire a fire restoration company to clean all of the air ducts of more than a year of soot, grime, foot and pet smell, and had to replace all of my appliances. We patched, spackled, and painted for weeks. We still can't get the f*****g kitchen window open.
We took the property management company to court and settled for the amount of every single tenants' security deposit. It didn't cover all of the damage.
Tl;Dr don't ever rent out your home. Humanity is f*****g awful.
Report
14points
Since this thread has been somewhat one-sided, the Independent Landlord offers a gentle reminder that being a good tenant is neither complicated nor particularly demanding. Pay your rent on time. Take care of the property as though it belongs to someone else, because it does. And communicate clearly with your landlord when something goes wrong rather than ignoring it until it becomes significantly more expensive to fix. Three things that should come naturally to most people, so make the effort, people!
#19
My time to shine!
My father, Mr landlordgb, has some stories from the 70s that can outshine mine. For some reason it was a crazy time!
The best one was a man who lived in a studio flat and seemed to have a few issues. He covered his entire floor in bin bags and essentially tried to create an indoor swimming pool. He was on the ground floor, however the huge amount of weight from his (presumably semi successful?) plan meant part of his floor collapsed and he came crashing through into the flat below.
Other than this to be fair most tenants have been pretty good. I'm sad that our longest serving tenant (53 years in the same flat!) is moving out as climbing the stairs is getting a little tricky.
My father, Mr landlordgb, has some stories from the 70s that can outshine mine. For some reason it was a crazy time!
The best one was a man who lived in a studio flat and seemed to have a few issues. He covered his entire floor in bin bags and essentially tried to create an indoor swimming pool. He was on the ground floor, however the huge amount of weight from his (presumably semi successful?) plan meant part of his floor collapsed and he came crashing through into the flat below.
Other than this to be fair most tenants have been pretty good. I'm sad that our longest serving tenant (53 years in the same flat!) is moving out as climbing the stairs is getting a little tricky.
14points
#20
Throwaway (but I really like this username...)
Tenants accidentally burned down my 2-unit building. Honest accident; s**t happens.
Building was a total loss, had to be demolished. Insurance covered mortgage only (not recent renovations), and demolition costs exceeded insurance allotment by tens of thousands of dollars.
In the fallout, I had to file for bankruptcy.
All of that I could handle. But when the tenants asked for their security deposit back, that's what pissed me off.
Tenants accidentally burned down my 2-unit building. Honest accident; s**t happens.
Building was a total loss, had to be demolished. Insurance covered mortgage only (not recent renovations), and demolition costs exceeded insurance allotment by tens of thousands of dollars.
In the fallout, I had to file for bankruptcy.
All of that I could handle. But when the tenants asked for their security deposit back, that's what pissed me off.
Report
14points