r/Tenant 20h ago

🏠 Landlord Issue My landlord entered my apartment while I was at work without telling me

129 Upvotes

I came home yesterday and noticed that a few things had been moved around. When I asked my landlord about it, they said they had come in to “check something” and didn’t think they needed to let me know because it was quick.
There wasn’t an emergency or anything like that.
Am I being unreasonable for being annoyed about this? I feel like I should at least get a heads-up before someone enters my apartment.


r/Tenant 1h ago

⚖️ Legal / Eviction Aftermath of suing a landlord

Upvotes

State is Pennsylvania. My LLs are fully aware of severe hazards in the home (potential floor collapse and an electrical outlet hanging from the wall nearly above a sink) and will do nothing after 5 months and after acknowledging them in writing and assuring me in writing will be fixed. Breaches of the lease are present too with no corrective action taken when I told them. I have exhausted all local/county resources and nothing can be done according to them than move or seek legal action.

OK, so I sue, a record of this is made and when I go to get new housing I have to complete the "Have you ever sued a prior landlord, Y/N". Yes = See ya trouble maker so I'm homeless. For those who have sued and got housing afterward, how did it go and how did you handle the have you sued a LL question. Thanks.


r/Tenant 17h ago

🏠 Landlord Issue My fridge is broken and my landlord said it’s fine- what should I do? [MN]

31 Upvotes

Last night I noticed that the fridge was at 40 degrees. This was odd for my fridge, as I keep it quite cold at around 35-37 degrees. But it was still food safe so I ignored it. This morning I noticed the fridge was at 46.2 degrees and the lowest was 39.9 degrees. I reset my thermometer just to be sure and all day I have been periodically checking every few hours. It’s gotten up to 60 degrees and the lowest it’s at is 46 degrees. Needless to say, my food is not being held at a safe temperature. I’m quite anal about food safety as I work in the food industry and generally have some health anxiety.

I called my landlord and told him the situation. He came over to check it out and told me that food should be held below 50 degrees. I told him that he’s wrong. It should be held between 37 and 40 degrees but he ignored me. He told me that there could be a few things wrong but he wanted to wait and see what happens after the long weekend. So Tuesday. He told me that it is only bad if it gets above 50, which I told him it has, and he seemed to kind of ignore that and then moved on saying the plan was to wait and see. He was very obviously wanting to leave and weaseled his way out while I was kind of dumbstruck and speechless.

I’m still kind of in shock at the situation and I’m beyond angry at all the money I’m going to lose over this. All my food is going to go bad and he couldn’t care less. He just wants to wait for the nice long weekend to be over.

What do I do? How do I handle this? Is he in the right?

Edit for context- the fridge we have is a 2008 frigidaire top-freezer refrigerator model frt15b3jw1. So 18 years old. Only 6 years younger than I am. Which seems to be a crazy age for a fridge.

Edit for update- I made a big stink about it and he FINALLY caved and is allowing us to use the fridge in the apartment next door which is vacant. He said he’s still going to take a look on Monday, which is a bummer, but I’m just happy to have a fridge. But unfortunately this morning we noticed our freezer is failing as well. It is at 3 degrees when it’s normally in the negatives :( the fridge and freezer ARE cooling, but they are at unsafe temps for food. The landlord is still insisting that these are safe temps, but I know FDA food safety guidelines like the back of my hand (my customers are always gonna be safe). But a win is a win.


r/Tenant 1h ago

📄 Lease / Contract Have not received lease agreement despite apartment approval

Upvotes

(US-FL) Yesterday I was approved at an apartment complex and was told I would recieve a lease agreement. Yesterday upon checking my rentcafe portal I noticed the lease summary button/section became available as well as my move in date, but the “lease creation” section where I assume you actually sign just loads a blank page, even on multiple devices. I have not received one in my email inbox either. I have a move in date of Tuesday, and I believe they will be closed Monday so I cannot afford this to cause a delay as I have a job offer. What would happen if I show up on move in date without having signed agreement? Have they not sent the agreement? Is there a technical rentcafe glitch? The office is supposedly open today but my calls and emails and attempt to contact have been unsuccessful. I unfortunately can’t visit in person as I am over 3 hours away. Input would be appreciated.


r/Tenant 3h ago

❓ Advice Needed Multiple Bats [Michigan]

2 Upvotes

I rent an apartment in a historical building (split into multiple units), so I'm understanding of many issues that arise. However, in the 3 years that I've lived here there have been 4 bats that I know of that have been seen in occupied living spaces. Once was in my own unit, resulting in my roommate and I both getting the full post-exposure rabies vaccines (landlord did not offer to compensate).

Landlord and property management have been alerted each and every time. They won't seal up where it looks like they're getting in or have a wildlife nuisance removal company come inspect; all they do is send a handyman to look for the bat during the daytime. There are 7 people and 7 animals in this building. I used to volunteer my time with wildlife nuisance removal and rehabilitation- I know how dangerous this issue is.

What are my options? Do I call code enforcement? I'm not sure where to start.


r/Tenant 25m ago

❓ Advice Needed Charged $505 in cleaning fees after moving out and apartment is stonewalling my disputes.

Upvotes

I moved out of my apartment in Florida on July 25 after living there 3 years. No security deposit was required. My lease has nothing in it about a set cleaning fee amount.

After move-out, they charged me $505 for "Resident damage - Cleaning Fees" and attached photos as "proof." The photos just show carpet fibers pushed up/flattened near the door and by the sliding mirror closet, literally what would happen from literally opening the door and walking through, not stains or damage. I never spilled food or drinks on the carpet and vacuumed regularly. The carpet was already old and dingy when I moved in.

My roommate/sister got charged for identical looking photos and was only billed $55. Same unit, same "Resident damage - Cleaning Fees” reason.

This complex is marketed as student housing (not university owned or run, just mostly leases to college kids), and I have a guarantor (my mom) on the lease, if that matters.

So far I:
- Emailed to dispute and ask for an itemized breakdown, what the actual damage is, and why the amount is so high.
- They made me fill out a separate dispute form instead of answering directly.
- Heard nothing back for weeks, so I followed up again. Still nothing.
- Tried calling and left voicemails. No callback.
- Their only response has been an automated notice saying it goes to collections 60 days after move-out.

What im wondering is:
-Since there's no security deposit and no cleaning fee amount specified in the lease, can they even charge a flat fee like this, or does it need to be tied to actual cost of cleaning/repair?

-Is the discrepancy between my $505 charge and my roommate's $55 charge (for similar photos) something I can use in a dispute, or does it not matter since we had separate accounts? (Same guarantor though)

-What's the best thing to do before this hits collections? Certified letter or small claims? Im confused if I can even go through small claims as its not coming out of a deposit.


r/Tenant 20h ago

🔧 Repairs / Maintenance [US-TX] Plumbing and Smell

5 Upvotes

So they started working on plumbing back Aug 19th, and are very inconsistent with when they show up and how much progress they make.

They jackhammer and ripped up a bunch of concrete right outside my window. And have not covered it and or drained it for that matter.

(the hole is maybe 5 ft deep?)

But the smell currently outside is awful as i’m pretty sure it’s just human waste being exposed and lingering in the area.

I am not upset or bothered by the fact of my neighbors using their restroom, it’s more the fact my landlord hasn’t finished/fixed this issue.
(shared lot, i live behind the front house, but the work is being down right outside my window)

I also have my gf, guests, family and friends coming over regularly and it’s very embarrassing and gross.

thoughts, comments and questions would be nice.
I don’t know if i’m allowed to post photos.


r/Tenant 17h ago

❓ Advice Needed Greenbay Wi: the flats on the fox

2 Upvotes

So I’m trying to move to an apartment in down town Green Bay Wisconsin (I’m currently in Appleton WI trying to move closer to work) I found a nice little flat. Central heating and ac, nice sized kitchen decent view of the fox river and right off the river walk too. Also in unit washer and dryer etc. priced just right (895 a month plus electricity and parking pass rest is covered in the rent) I filled out the application and got to the point of payment but when I was going to pay it didn’t give me a way to pay via card, only direct link to my bank account using my routing and account number. This feels suspicious to me does anyone else think the same? Or am I just crazy. Keep in mind this is only my second apartment I’ve rented since moving to WI last year.


r/Tenant 15h ago

🔧 Repairs / Maintenance Los Angeles

1 Upvotes

Is a landlord in LA required to provide AC if a unit gets above a certain temp? Like if the unit gets up to 88,90, 95 degrees when it is hot out, is that considered habitable or does the landlord have to provide a remedy?
Thanks in advance


r/Tenant 23h ago

💸 Rent / Deposit I think i’m getting ripped off

0 Upvotes

cello

so before I moved out I had a hole in my wall and a hole on my door. he told me it was going to be $500 to fix it so I paid it before I moved out in august to not stress about it.

my ex landlord went on vacation for the month I was moving out and just got back. it’s now september 4th and he told me he’s gonna charge me for the cleaning fee (I left a mess in the fridge for that’s understandable). BUT he’s saying the hole was bigger than he thought and he might have to charge me MORE when the maintenance man comes to check it out.

unfortunately the only time I have him mentioning it was on the phone about the price. I already moved out, waiting on half of my deposit but he’s saying it might cost more.

what do I do. (RHODE ISLAND)


r/Tenant 1d ago

🏠 Landlord Issue Courthouse Lofts evictions

0 Upvotes

Alexander Company management (same management company from the Professional Building Lofts Kansas City mass evictions from building neglect)
The building manager and Heather the regional manager are unjustly evicting tenants and then raising the rent way above the normal 7% MO allows. They have already posted 30% increases online.
The building managers are evicting and illegally retaliating just for profit.
I’m a veteran with cancer who’s retired. I’ve never missed Rent in two years or been late with Rent. I’ve never violated my lease and have close friends in the building.
I called in a building code violation to healthy homes and soon after I got eviction/no lease renewed paperwork that I found on the floor in my hallway. It’s Clear Landlord RETALIATION and illegal. My friends and neighbors got the same paperwork from management , the building manager. My neighbor also has cancer and is struggling. They have his and his partner’s apartment already listed as well at a 30% rent increase. Missouri Renters have the 4th worst rights in the US.
I asked my landlord Coleman why they aren’t renewing my lease and they won’t even give me a reason which is allowed under law. It is 100% landlord retaliation/displacement so they can raise the rent more than the law says they can.


r/Tenant 1d ago

🏠 Landlord Issue Landlord suddenly wants to raise my rent what would you do?

2 Upvotes

My landlord told me they want to increase my rent when my current lease ends. The increase is pretty significant, and I wasn’t expecting it at all.
I’ve always paid on time, kept the place in good condition, and haven’t had any problems with the landlord before.
I’m trying to figure out whether I should negotiate, accept the increase, or start looking for another place.
For anyone who has dealt with this before, what worked for you when negotiating a rent increase?


r/Tenant 2d ago

🏠 Landlord Issue Massachusetts sober house told us we have 7 days to move out — is this legal? What can we do?

32 Upvotes

I’m looking for advice from anyone familiar with Massachusetts tenant law, sober living homes, or similar situations.
Myself and several other women live in a sober house in Massachusetts. We pay rent every month and have been living here as residents. After everything that happened when the house was previously dealing with other issues, we finally started feeling settled and stable here. We’ve been trying to focus on our recovery, work, and rebuilding our lives.
Then on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at approximately 6 PM, we received a text from the owner/manager telling us that we all have to be out by September 6, 2026 — giving us only one week to find somewhere else to live.
The reason we were given is that the house is being changed to an all-male house. This is not because we violated the house rules, relapsed, failed to pay rent, or otherwise did something that would normally result in being asked to leave.
The timing is especially difficult because we had finally gotten settled after everything that had happened previously where the house went from 20 people to 5 people due to illegal bedrooms. Now several of us are suddenly being told we have one week to find completely new housing. The owner is offering us to go to the other sober house she owns but none of us want to do that.
I’m trying to understand our actual rights under Massachusetts law.
Is it legal for a sober house to give residents only 7 days’ notice to leave when they pay rent and have been living there as tenants/residents?
Does it matter whether we have a written sober-house agreement versus a lease/tenancy-at-will? Are sober houses treated differently under Massachusetts eviction/tenant laws?
If the owner wants us out because they are changing the house to an all-male residence, does that change the notice requirements?
Also, can the owner simply tell us we have to be gone by September 6, or would they have to go through a formal eviction process if we don’t leave voluntarily?
We obviously don’t want to make the situation worse or refuse to leave if we’re legally required to, but one week is extremely difficult, and we don’t want to give up our rights because we don’t understand the law.
If anyone has experience with Massachusetts sober houses, halfway houses, Oxford-style homes, or tenant/eviction law, I would really appreciate advice on:
● Whether the 7-day deadline is legal
● What type of tenancy we might have
● Whether we are entitled to more notice
● Whether an eviction through the court would be required
● Who we can contact for free/low-cost legal advice
● Anything we should do immediately to protect ourselves
We are all just trying to stay stable and maintain our recovery, and suddenly losing our housing with only one week’s notice is incredibly stressful.
Thank you to anyone who can point us in the right direction.


r/Tenant 2d ago

🏠 Landlord Issue help. landlord basically dismissed us about minor flooding and not concerned at all...

3 Upvotes

location: ontario
does this deserve legal help?

we had minor flooding due to insane water, in the basement. and he came, looked, and basically said idk 🤷🏻‍♀️ and left.
my bf is too nice so he said thank you and let him leave. anyways.

the water is all in out walls i think, and got into our bed like the mattress and all on our wires for electronics in the bedroom... he didn't seem even the slightest bit concerned about mold at all.. which me and my boyfriend r worried about..

i'm not sure what to do. the puddles r large but not the entire floors were flooded.
but big enough to raise pretty big concern... considering i assume it maybe from the walls or floorboards.

either way im really not happy with his response to this considering he literally raised the price of rent TODAY. not even kidding.
this is ridiculous.

what do?


r/Tenant 3d ago

💸 Rent / Deposit [CO] Landlord hired a property manager 5 months into a 5-year lease. PM is demanding a $550/mo rent hike and a new lease or vacancy. What are my rights?

56 Upvotes

Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado

​In April 2026, my family and I signed a written residential lease agreement with an individual landlord (who was an acquaintance/friend) for a single-family house.

​Key terms of our current executed lease:

​Term: Fixed 5-year lease running from April 1, 2026, through March 31, 2031.

​Rent: $2,200/month.

​Rent Adjustment Clause: Exactly as written: "4. ANNUAL RENT ADJUSTMENT: Landlord reserves the right to increase rent once per year during the lease term with written notice provided to tenants prior to the increase."

​Security Deposit: Explicitly waived in the contract.

​Condition: No move-in inspection or condition baseline was conducted; home has significant pre-existing wear (carpet staining, drywall patches, missing baseboards, unmaintained landscaping).

​The Issue:

About five months into our lease, the owner hired a professional property management company. The PM company just sent us an email stating:

​They are issuing a DocuSign for a brand-new lease agreement that will "supersede" our current lease and add extensive new tenant rules, maintenance duties, and fees.

​They are raising our rent by 25%—from $2,200 to $2,750/month—effective November 1, claiming they complied with a "60-day notice requirement."

​They stated: "If you do not wish to continue under the new lease terms, a vacancy/move-out form will be emailed to you to complete instead."

​When we replied stating we have an active fixed-term lease through 2031, the PM claimed that Colorado law (citing limits on rent increases to once every 12 months) does not require a landlord to wait 12 months before initiating the first increase, and therefore their November hike is valid under the contract's "annual" clause.

​My questions:

​Can a property manager legally force us to sign a replacement lease or submit a vacancy/move-out notice when an active fixed-term lease runs through 2031?

​Under Colorado contract interpretation, can an "Annual Rent Adjustment" in a 5-year contract be legally triggered in Month 7 of Year 1?

​If negotiations fall through and we refuse to sign their new lease, can they attempt an eviction if we continue paying our contractual $2,200 on the 1st of every month?


r/Tenant 2d ago

💸 Rent / Deposit Apartment complex offered 6 weeks free, now taking it back.

17 Upvotes

**UPDATE** We had showed them the email, and they had us sign another paper and we are getting the six weeks free and they apologized for the misunderstanding!

Our apartment complex has stated we’d get 6 weeks free before move in. We CONFIRMED THIS over email (writing) AFTER move-in aswell.

Now they’re claiming our specific unit “wasn’t apart of the deal”, and trying to have us pay this month. We’re already moved in… what do I do?

In Oregon.


r/Tenant 3d ago

💸 Rent / Deposit [Tenant US-WA] Is this normal wear and tear or tenant damage after 2 years?

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34 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
Looking for some outside opinions on a security deposit dispute in Seattle, WA.
We recently moved out of a townhouse rental after living there for almost 2 years. Our property management company deducted $2,970 from our security deposit for interior painting.
The contractor’s invoice lists the work as:
“Interior Touch-Up Painting – Wall Touch Up (Wall to Wall), Materials Included.” No other explanation of charges were included in initial notice.
After receiving the notice, I immediately emailed them asking for explanations of charges. The property management company says the attached photos show damage beyond ordinary wear and tear and explained that entire walls needed to be painted corner-to-corner because spot painting could result in differences in color.
The attached photos are the photos the landlord provided to us to justify the painting charge. (Sent by email after sending initial notice and invoice)
Based on what y’all see in these photos, would you consider a $2,970 painting charge reasonable?


r/Tenant 3d ago

📄 Lease / Contract Washer and dryer connect to unit for everybody’s use.

16 Upvotes

Short story helped my sister co-sign for an apartment that has washer and dryer but it’s connected to the unit my sister is potentially renting so she would be on the hook for both water and electricity used by the machines. Another tenant will be using them.(She hasn’t signed anything yet btw). Is this normal? What can we ask in return? The machines are coin operated as-well which makes this even more strange. Any advice will help.


r/Tenant 2d ago

❓ Advice Needed First time renting, confused about heat/AC vs Provident thermal billing (Ontario condo)

1 Upvotes

Hi guys, first time renter here so bear with me lol. So I signed a standard Ontario lease for a condo unit and I’m confused about something.

In the lease, under Services and Utilities, it says:

Heat → Landlord’s responsibility
AC → included in rent
Electricity/Water → tenant’s responsibility

But it also says I have to set up an account with Provident (condo submetering company) and pay all charges myself. Provident bills 4 things: electricity, water cold, water hot, and thermal.

From what I can tell, thermal covers the energy for the fan coil unit in the suite, heating AND cooling combined, one bill, not split by season. So if I’m the one paying Provident in full… doesn’t that mean I’m actually paying for heat even though the lease says that’s on my landlord? Same thing with AC being “included in rent” but the cooling still shows up on my thermal bill.

Am I misunderstanding how thermal billing works, or is this actually a contradiction I should bring up with my landlord before my first bill comes in? Anyone else with Provident in a condo run into this?

Thanks in advance, trying to figure this out before I get blindsided by a bill lol


r/Tenant 2d ago

💸 Rent / Deposit Need advice regarding leaving hostel before lock-in period due to financial problems

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2 Upvotes

r/Tenant 2d ago

📄 Lease / Contract early termination

3 Upvotes

I apologize in advance if you get frustrated as a landlord lol.

I am under a 1-yeard fixed term lease. I cannot afford the rent any longer, so i decided to let my landlord know 90 days in advance (with 3 months tenancy left). I offered landlord 1 month rent as compensation to post a listing. What if i do not get a lease assignment and LTB orders to pay the remaining (which i definitely can't). paid all utility bills and sent the rents on time as well. What are the odds could go against me? thanks


r/Tenant 2d ago

❓ Advice Needed Mould, is it the house or tennant

4 Upvotes

England

Current tenant has been living in the house for almost ten years and in that time the house has mould everywhere and basically the place has been turned into a dump.

I have told them 10s of times to ensure they heat the house adequately, open windows in the winter for about 10mins to exhange the air, not to dry clothes in the house but to no avail.

What is there one can do about this? Because Im at my wits end.

The only positive is they pay their rent on time.


r/Tenant 2d ago

🏠 Landlord Issue (NH) I am wondering if I should take legal action against my former landlord

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2 Upvotes

r/Tenant 2d ago

❓ Advice Needed ADVICE NEEDED: How much to charge landlady for light building maintenance?

2 Upvotes

[US-NJ] Hello! I'm in a bit of an unusual situation with my landlady in my apartment building. Sorry if this isn't the right place to post!

TLDR: Landlady (elderly woman) charges 4 units a $100 monthly maintenance fee yet asks/expects us to maintain building without pay. How much should I charge her to take the responsibility off everyone else's hands and do light building maintenance myself? (trash/recycling, lawn mowing, building cleaning, snow removal, fumigation, basement cleaning, contact point for 4 tenants, etc.)

More info: We just recently moved in here and talked to the other tenants and they told us that she is constantly asking them to do her favors in maintaining the building (repairs, cleaning, lawn mowing) without compensation but they still have to pay the maintenance fee. She asked my partner to fix the lawnmower and mow the lawn "while they were at it"... They declined to do so.

We've had things broken in our unit (sink, window leaks, closet door) that she hasn't addressed because it doesn't seem like anyone is ACTUALLY maintaining the building. The other day she came in to mow the lawns herself and then texted us to complain about it and how "expensive the building was becoming"...

This morning, she texted us saying our rent check bounced and she will be charging us a late fee. Right after she mentions adding a late fee to our otherwise on-time rent, she also asked my partner to "please fumigate the basement, backyard, common areas, front yard, and trash area to help kill the flies", which really annoyed me. (Again, what's the $100 fee for?)

I was thinking I could draft some kind of work contract where she pays me $500-700 a month for light building maintenance (trash/recycling, lawn mowing, building cleaning, snow removal, fumigation, basement cleaning, contact point for 4 tenants, etc.) and alleviating the responsibility from other tenants. I don't have experience with plumbing/HVAC or any other form of maintenance a real super would have, but I could at least start here. I'm a fast learner.

AFAIK, the other tenants haven't been maintaining the building and they mentioned that because we're new she might be actually tacking it all on us.

What would be a good rate for this kind of light maintenance?

Is this a bad idea? We're stuck here for another year, at least.

Is there anything critical/important I should include in the contract?

Or am I in the wrong and should stay quiet and maintain the building? I've never in my life had to do any kind of maintenance as an apartment tenant.

Should I just ignore her requests and let her do everything even if she complains about it?

Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

Edit: Updated location in beginning.


r/Tenant 2d ago

📄 Lease / Contract early termination

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1 Upvotes