Poor Tenant/Landlord Relationships...
@LovingLife139 (1504)
United States
February 16, 2010 8:29pm CST
Hi everyone! Many people rent a building, room, or apartment from a landlord from some point in their lives. When you involve personal property and money exchanging, it won't always go well. So whether you are a landlord or tenant, or have ever been one, have you ever had a bad experience that you'd like to share?
Here's one of my personal experiences. I've never been on the tenant's side of the relationship. I've been a landlord since I was fifteen, and so far I've been lucky with great tenants...all except one. I own a home not far from my own that I rent out to a woman and her family. This is the type of person that is never to blame for anything, complains when things don't go her way, and just nods with a sniff when they do. Let me just point out that I was taught real estate by my father...and he is a fair and much more giving landlord than most are. So this woman decides she can walk all over me when there's a problem, because not only am I nice, but I am extremely young to be her landlord and am a tiny little thing. 
Anyway, there was one occasion where this tenant needed her entire flooring in the kitchen replaced due to a negligent drain leak which caused water damage throughout the kitchen and laundry room. I agreed to come in and replace the floor, since I figured it needed replaced sooner or later anyway, with my own money (as I knew this woman had trouble paying the rent with her husband's recent termination from his job, although negligence is something I don't pay, according to our lease). After picking up supplies, my handyman and I were about a half hour later than we had planned to get to her house. The woman has the audacity to say that since I'm "so late," her and her husband have made plans to go out. This woman, mind you, is getting her entire kitchen and laundry floor replaced for free although it was her idiotic negligence that caused the problem, plus, at the time she was nearly three weeks late with the rent at the time. Thinking back on it later, I wished I'd said, "I'm late? I guess that makes two of us!" 
Any experiences or rants about tenant/landlord relationships, whether residential or commercial, that you have to share?
Anyway, there was one occasion where this tenant needed her entire flooring in the kitchen replaced due to a negligent drain leak which caused water damage throughout the kitchen and laundry room. I agreed to come in and replace the floor, since I figured it needed replaced sooner or later anyway, with my own money (as I knew this woman had trouble paying the rent with her husband's recent termination from his job, although negligence is something I don't pay, according to our lease). After picking up supplies, my handyman and I were about a half hour later than we had planned to get to her house. The woman has the audacity to say that since I'm "so late," her and her husband have made plans to go out. This woman, mind you, is getting her entire kitchen and laundry floor replaced for free although it was her idiotic negligence that caused the problem, plus, at the time she was nearly three weeks late with the rent at the time. Thinking back on it later, I wished I'd said, "I'm late? I guess that makes two of us!"
Any experiences or rants about tenant/landlord relationships, whether residential or commercial, that you have to share?1 person likes this
3 responses
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
17 Feb 10
I've never been a tenant, but we have been landlords. We have had good tenants, but one we had to have evicted by the law. They stopped paying rent and the house was a real mess. They kept pidgeons in the house. The chickens used the back steps as perches - and they never cleaned the steps. There were holes in the walls - fighting? There was rubbish everywhere. We sold the house.
@LovingLife139 (1504)
• United States
17 Feb 10
Goodness...some tenants those must have been. You have to wonder sometimes if these people always live like this or if it's just because they don't own the property. My dad once owned an apartment with some nasty tenants...he went down to collect the rent one day to find them moved out. He said he found more than one dirty diaper thrown onto the wall. ONTO the wall. He said he'd had no problems with them before this, but what is the excuse for such dirtiness? Clearly there had to be mental issues involved...even the dirtiest living people may just leave diapers on the floor, but throw them onto a wall? Yikes.
@recycledgoth (9894)
•
17 Feb 10
I have been both a tenant and a landlord in my time, with both good and bad experiences hun. As a tenant I had to put up with rats in the bathroom, the landlord said it wasn't his responsibility to control the vermin and that I should put the lid on the rubbish bin to stop them coming to the property !! As a landlord I only had one bad experience though. An old friend and I were joint owners of a flat for a couple of years and we let the place out to a "professional businessman" - sheesh you should have seen the state of the place when we went over to remind him that he hadn't paid the rent. It was filthy dirty, the kitchen and bathroom were close to being a health hazard and he had the nerve to say he wanted a rent reduction because we didn't offer a cleaning service. Needless to say, he had to find somewhere else to stay pretty quickly. I'm rather glad we were able to sell off the flat soon afterwards, even though we had to completely clean out and redecorate.
1 person likes this
@LovingLife139 (1504)
• United States
17 Feb 10
Wow...professional businessman, I can tell. 
It's amazing how you see people who look to be decent people, then you rent them an apartment or such...you begin to realize exactly how some people live!
The tenant I mentioned is the only one so far I've had a problem with. My dad's been in the business since he was seventeen, and he's had plenty. There was one just about a year ago where he rented this house out to a family with kids, and told them they had to change a water filter or else the water coming into the house would get dirty, plus he shows them how. Months later they have an issue with mice, and my dad goes over to see if he can get rid of them before he calls an exterminator. Wouldn't you know that they're cooking with brown water? My dad told them they NEED to change the water filter, and that's why the water's brown. He then even showed them how to do it once again. More time goes by...the tenants move out and sue my dad, claiming his property had health hazards and that it was his fault their kids were sick.
The case was eventually thrown out of court, but that appalled me. It angers me that people take advantage of a nice landlord when they get one, but complain to no end when they get a bad one. These tenants eventually lost their kids to Child Protective Services, and I think they were trying to place the blame on my dad and his property. People these days and trying to blame someone else for their problems....
It's amazing how you see people who look to be decent people, then you rent them an apartment or such...you begin to realize exactly how some people live!
The tenant I mentioned is the only one so far I've had a problem with. My dad's been in the business since he was seventeen, and he's had plenty. There was one just about a year ago where he rented this house out to a family with kids, and told them they had to change a water filter or else the water coming into the house would get dirty, plus he shows them how. Months later they have an issue with mice, and my dad goes over to see if he can get rid of them before he calls an exterminator. Wouldn't you know that they're cooking with brown water? My dad told them they NEED to change the water filter, and that's why the water's brown. He then even showed them how to do it once again. More time goes by...the tenants move out and sue my dad, claiming his property had health hazards and that it was his fault their kids were sick.
The case was eventually thrown out of court, but that appalled me. It angers me that people take advantage of a nice landlord when they get one, but complain to no end when they get a bad one. These tenants eventually lost their kids to Child Protective Services, and I think they were trying to place the blame on my dad and his property. People these days and trying to blame someone else for their problems....
@LovingLife139 (1504)
• United States
17 Feb 10
Apparently she wanted me there at the very minute I said I might be there. I basically ignored her statement and told her I'd lock up when I was done...both the handyman and I had done work at the home before, and both of us preferred the family to be gone. Otherwise they all stand around and try to tell us what we're doing wrong.
It's hard to work with her. But she does send the rent with the late fee every month, and switching tenants would mean at least a month or two without rent from that particular location. Sometimes you have to grin and bear it.
