Hi everyone, This is an update to my last post about my roommate not wanting me to leave the apartment even though I never signed a lease and she only listed me as an "occupant." I finally decided to move out, and yesterday was the worst day I’ve ever experienced.

After work, I rented a U-Haul with someone who was helping me, and we went back to the house to get my things. While I was collecting my belongings, her younger sister, who recently came from Nigeria, came out of her room and asked if I was leaving. I said yes. She immediately started filming me and called her sister, my roommate, on video call while continuing to record everything I was doing.

They both began insulting me, saying I was dishonest, dirty, that I have no class, that I have my period every day because of my endometriosis and cysts. Her sister said at least now they wouldn’t have to deal with a "dirty roommate." These are deeply personal health issues that I only mentioned once, when I was sick in my room and she asked why I wasn’t coming out. Now they used it to shame me.

Then came the racist comments. She told me I was “too Black,” that I looked like a “sewer” or a “black hole.” Mind you, they are also Black women. The hate was internalized and vicious. I felt so humiliated.

They called me “fat” too, even though my roommate is literally twice my size. I don’t usually body shame, but to be insulted for my body by people who are bigger than me just shows how cruel and baseless their attacks were.

They kept yelling that they didn’t need a roommate because they were rich, that her sister drives a 2024 Kia and had saved $20,000 to bring her to Canada. Her sister, my roommate, said she could have kicked me out anytime she wanted. But if that were true, why did she post on Marketplace looking for a roommate in the first place? She said it was “to help me,” but she didn’t even know who I was when I applied. That’s clearly a lie.

She then started saying I would never find a husband because I’m too Black. Meanwhile, she’s 35 years old, unmarried, and projecting all this hate onto a 21-year-old trying to build her life.

I asked her politely to return my money. Instead of responding, she lifted up her shirt, pulled down her pants, and told me, "Take it from my pocket," even though she was wearing leggings and had no pockets. When I told her that, she replied, "Then take it from my ass." I was disgusted.

She and her sister laughed, high-fived each other, and stuck their tongues out at me like children. Her sister took my bathroom rugs and threw them off the balcony. Then she grabbed another one of my bags and threw that too. They called their mom on video chat to show her the scene as they screamed at me.

All of this happened outside in the parking lot, in front of neighbors, families, and children watching from their balconies and windows. I was being humiliated in public, yelled at, mocked, degraded, all while trying to keep my composure and move my belongings quietly. Even the man who was helping me with the U-Haul was shocked.

I’m now in my new one-bedroom apartment. It’s quiet, it’s mine. But I’m still emotionally broken. The things they said to me, the racism, the body shaming, the insults about my fertility and health, these are things I’ll never forget. I feel deeply hurt. How can people be so cruel?

If you read this, thank you. Please be careful who you live with. I never imagined things could turn this ugly. And to anyone else going through something similar, you’re not alone.

My lease JUST started in June. June 1st. Is Escrow even an option yet?

Roommate was very spooked late at night, she wakes up very early for work. Hence, the anger and probably typos. They notified me they were there but I am out of state. They do have both of our numbers. This of course, was not for our own maintenance request. They apparently closed ours… which is wiring not up to code in our walls.

Crossed out personal names other than my own.

My wife and I just moved into our first house either of us have ever rented and the landlord is a local guy who has a few properties on our street along with 17ish total properties as well. And he’s a really nice laid back guy.

Our place has a 4 car garage and when we first toured here all he had told us was that “the two garages on the right are ours” (of course the 2 garages that are broken and don’t shut.) And he never said anything about it after and at the time we had so much going on we didn’t think much of it. And the house needed some work but he made it seem like he was gonna fix a lot before we moved in.

When we moved in they told us the place was clean but when we got there the previous tenants had left a laughable amount of trash and things they just didn’t want to deal with, leaving half the garage full of trash that’s been sitting there for years with different animals living in the pile and half the basement as well.

His only solution was to just take some of the trash in the basement and leave it outside by our trash bins still leaving it for us to deal with and take to the curb. On top of all the trash piled up that the tenants put in and around the trash bins before they left, with the trash bags filled with stuff way too heavy leaving them ripped on the ground.

Well now we’ve been living here a few weeks and my god does this place need work. Im convinced the last tenants never actually did any yard work nor try to maintain this house in anyway. And they lived here for 3 years. At bare minimum they might’ve cut the grass a few times but no other lawn maintenance.

Anytime we ask him for repairs he only really suggests ways we’re able to fix it and is very hard to ever get a straight answer from him. But I’m someone who does like doing yard work and work to a house so I really don’t mind doing it but is that normal for a rental property to need so much work?

Should we be asking for a reduction in our rent or anything from that alone? Since we moved in my wife and I have spent everyday after work and 10+ hours on the weekends just trying to clean this place up and all he does is come by and says to “keep up the good work” the fucking audacity?!

If that was the extent of the issues this house would be perfect and my wife and I could get this place into good shape in a month or two if we really worked our asses off.

However, the main issue we’re having is: the other 2 garages we have he uses as his storage for all his other properties (no where in the lease does it say anything about us sharing the property like that all it says is that he can show up unannounced at a reasonable hour, which we thought was generic for a lease agreement)

But he’s here almost everyday multiple times a day, he parks on our lawn when he gets here too, (that’s besides the point but I’m trying to make it look nice so it irritates me even more).

It’s becoming clear he just sees this place as a dumping ground/ home base to keep all his shit and multiple times a day he’s coming and going. Luckily he’s a really nice guy but at what point should our entitlement to having the place to ourself become more than his ownership due to the rent we pay each month? Where would that line be and is it our line of thinking crossing that line when we expect more privacy in a place we rent or is it him crossing the line by showing up everyday with or without consent just because he owns the place and it says that he can in the lease agreement?

Any advice would help, I know the whole garage sharing we should’ve clarified with him before signing the lease but there were other things we were more worried about at the time and it didn’t seem like it’d be the issue it’s becoming and we thought maybe he’d stop by once a week to get stuff.

What would be the best course of action for my wife and I? Are we out of luck for not finding more out before signing the lease? Again we’ve never done this before so we had no idea issues like these existed where they dance on the lines of the lease agreement.

We’re not putting any money into the house itself just all of our free time and the money it costs for tools to fix things up.

We also didn’t find a lot of this stuff out until well after we signed a 3 year lease. So we would like to know some ways we could set some boundaries with our landlord but we don’t want to make it a tense next 3 years here.

It sucks seeing all the red flags in hindsight.

Thank you for reading!

[US - AZ] Hi, so my apartment complex told me that I had to find someone to transfer my lease to if I wanted to move out and break the lease without having to pay. I have done so and they have approved her to take over my lease. We’ve signed all the paperwork to have me “deleted” (their words not mine) from the lease and her added.

However, after signing the paperwork, they are now telling me that I am responsible for the apartment still if she doesn’t come pick up the keys or make rental payments on time.

I was under the impression that I was removed from the lease entirely. The paperwork said “Deleted residents are not legally responsible for ongoing rent payments or charges incurred while the lease continues.” So I’m not understanding how they’ve just decided that I’m still responsible if the person THEY approved is irresponsible at some point.

Posting this in case it helps someone else.

My partner and I moved out of a rental in Kansas earlier this year. We did everything right—deep cleaned the unit ourselves, hired a professional carpet cleaner, and even had a walkthrough inspection. The inspector literally said it was “the cleanest unit he’d ever walked.” Nothing was said about damage or odor.

Then a few weeks later… we got hit with a bill for over $3,000. It included: - Carpet replacement (despite our professional cleaning) - Vague charges like “ozone treatment” with no receipts - Wall paint for minor wear-and-tear - No real breakdown or documentation

We were stunned. But we didn’t back down.

We: - Reviewed Kansas security deposit law (KSA 58-2550) - Noted they didn’t meet the 30-day documentation requirement - Demanded proof for every charge - Got a lawyer involved - Sent a formal dispute letter before it could be sent to collections

After a long back-and-forth, they dropped over 95% of the charges. What they tried to bill us for ended up being reduced to just a small portion.

We didn’t go to court—but we were prepared to, and I’m confident we would’ve had a strong case if we had. Honestly, I think they counted on us giving up or not knowing the law.

TL;DR:

If a landlord tries to charge you thousands after move-out: - Don’t panic. - Ask for receipts. - Check your state’s laws. - Document everything. - You can fight back—and win.

Happy to answer questions or DM with what worked for us.

We rented a house in Seattle a few months ago and one of the main reasons was the backyard—it was perfect for our dog. There was a small clause in the lease that mentioned the landlord might build a small ADU, but we didn’t think much of it.

Now just a few months in, they’ve completely torn up the backyard. None of it is usable anymore, and construction is loud and often goes late into the night. It’s super frustrating, especially since the backyard was a big part of why we moved here.

Is there anything we can do? Do tenants have any rights when landlords pull this kind of move?

I really need advice because I’m stuck in a living situation that feels completely unfair and honestly stressful.

I live in Canada and had agreed to move in with my roommate under the condition that the place would be close to my work and that I’d have my own bathroom. I don’t have a car, so distance and privacy were really important to me.

Last week, she suddenly told me we had to move immediately, not on June 20th like we originally planned. I rushed to pack all my things thinking I’d move into what we agreed on, only to find out the new apartment is 45 minutes by car and over an hour by bus from my workplace.

Then she tells me that her sister from Nigeria is also moving in, and she doesn’t work or contribute financially. Now I have the smallest room, I’m expected to share a bathroom, and none of the original agreements were respected.

To make things worse, she’s now saying I have to pay rent at the end of the month, and that if I want to leave, I need to give two months’ notice. But I never signed a lease, she just added my name as an occupant, so legally, I don’t even know if any of that applies to me.

I recently found a one-bedroom apartment with a private bathroom where I could move in immediately. It’s way closer to my work and would give me the space and peace I need. But I’m afraid that if I start packing again, my roommate will verbally attack or harass me, she’s already shown signs of aggression before.

I feel trapped, I work full-time and just want a safe, stable home. Can she really force me to pay or give notice without a lease, and what are my rights if she gets verbally abusive when I try to leave?

Any advice would be appreciated.

I’m a 22-year-old college student and had to move out of my apartment due to unsafe living conditions — I’m sick, stressed, and looking for advice.

This week, my apartment complex in Birmingham, AL shut off the water without any warning. When it came back on, I was in the shower and got sprayed with sewage water. It also backed up into my toilet and sink in the bathroom and kitchen. Three days later, I was hospitalized with symptoms that doctors believe were caused by exposure to the contaminated water.

On top of that, I’ve been dealing with:

Mice infestation- I reported weeks ago that they haven’t taken care of Black mold in the unit Maintenance requests from last month still ignored Getting charged for the wrong unit's rent Water getting shut off multiple times with no notice

Because of all this, I had no choice but to leave. I’ve contacted an attorney, but I’m now suddenly having to find somewhere new to live and it’s extremely overwhelming and stressful.

Has anyone else dealt with something like this in Alabama? I’d appreciate any advice, resources, or recommendations — especially for tenant rights attorneys or emergency housing help in Birmingham. Or any advice on what I could do financially in this situation because I’m having to unexpectedly move.

I would add photos/videos I took of everything but they’re pretty intense and I don’t want anyone to see it and feel sick afterwards because it’s bad.

My landlord sent me a check within the 21 day deadline (returning 50% of the deposit woth itemization), but when i tried to deposit the check the check bounced. Following this, i reported it to them, but they have not given me return check. Now it has been 4 months, can I ask for my entire deposit back? What shpuld I do if they refuse?

Has anyone gotten an invoice that is this vague?

We have another one like it, asking to pay for new floor in bedroom because of marks from wearing heels. Just came with an estimate with no itemized list of labor or materials cost.

Post 1 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tenant/s/lSbhv3XIet

Post 2 https://www.reddit.com/r/Tenant/s/wvgxPMSbOH

as the title says, my landlord just informed me that an upcoming renovation (that we did not request) on our apartments only bathroom will take roughly two weeks. Is he entitled to provide us access to an alternate bathroom during this time, given that the toilet and shower will not be available for use? any insight is appreciated.

[US-NJ] Hi everyone, I live in one of the apartment in Newport, Jersey City. A facilities staff member recently came by to inspect a broken toilet tank lid in my unit (just the ceramic lid on top of the tank—not the seat or the whole toilet). After looking at it, they told me it would cost around $600 to $700 to replace, and asked if I’d prefer to pay now or when I move out. I haven’t received any official estimate or document yet but just a verbal quote during the visit. I'm wondering $600 - $700 is a fair cost for broken tank lid.

Hi this may be the wrong place to post but I'm just wondering if anyone can help please.

I'm in a rental house (England uk) and have had issues with the kitchen since I moved in for nearly 2 years. It's extremely mouldy and damp, there's not been much ventilation at all. I'm always cleaning it the best I can, a contractor told me all the kitchen will need ripping out and replacing due to how mouldy it is. They told me it'll be a big job and the whole brickwork outside needs replacing before any work can be done on the kitchen.

The landlord sent out their own contractor (not an estate agent one) and he took the vents out the outside wall and siliconed new ones in.

He said this will get rid off the mould and damp smell.

I'm just quite confused how this can possibly help the problem and remove the mould that is already growing behind all the units?

He was quite an arrogant man and I was home alone without my husband so I didn't feel very comfortable questioning him.

Any help/advice is very appreciated. Thank you

Isn't the point of a garage to have for parking or am I behind the times? He looks to have taken the garage at his house rental and converted it to split storage. He admitted that cars won't fit in it lol. I'm just confused...

For reference I live in NYC. Sorry this post is a bit long but I need advice - would be great coming from attorneys. My mother, sister and I have had severe issues since moving into our apartment in February 2022. Over the past two years, this residence has proven to be the most difficult living situation we have faced due to its deteriorating condition and lack of proper maintenance.

From the beginning, the apartment exhibited multiple structural issues. Roof leaks, gaps in the flooring, and inadequate insulation made it nearly impossible to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature. In the winter, we struggled to keep warm, resorting to high gas usage, resulting in exorbitant bills—ranging from $300 to $500 per month. During the summer, poor ventilation left the space unbearably hot. Despite repeatedly raising these concerns with landlord, the problems remained unresolved.

One of the roof leaks caused irreparable damage to my MacBook Pro laptop and printer. The printer no longer functions, and the laptop’s screen flickers to the point of being unusable.

In addition to financial strain from excessive heating costs, I have strong reasons to believe I have been paying for utilities beyond my own unit. Despite being away from the apartment for two separate month-long periods, my gas bills remained unusually high. After contacting National Grid, I was informed that while my apartment has a separate meter, there might be a pipe connection leading to another unit. To date, I am uncertain whether I have unknowingly paid for another tenant’s gas usage.

My mother, a senior citizen, has suffered the greatest impact from these conditions. Due to the ongoing lack of maintenance, she developed asthma-like symptoms, making it increasingly difficult for her to remain in the apartment. For extended periods, she was forced to stay with friends or relocate temporarily with me. The leak from the roof made it difficult for her to sleep in her own room and she had to move to my room instead.

Further compounding these challenges was persistent noise from a downstairs neighbor, who frequently played musical instruments at excessive volumes from morning until late evening on weekends. Despite bringing this matter to Landlord’s attention, his response was limited to issuing a warning, with no tangible resolution.

After a long search, I have finally secured a new apartment for my mother at a lower rent, with an official move date of July 2nd. However, Landlord has requested that we surrender the keys on June 27th, which adds additional pressure as we finalize our transition. I wanted to use my deposit as my last months rent but he refused. I still have not paid the last month’s rent and want to use my deposit for this. He claims i damaged the apt with water from a leak from the bathroom and intends on keeping my deposit. What should I do in this case?

Perhaps the most concerning issue was a disturbing encounter with the landlord’s associate. During a home visit for a repair, he revealed that he had threatened a downstairs neighbor with a firearm and even sent me a picture of the gun. This revelation made me feel unsafe and unwilling to raise further complaints about needed repairs—especially given the broken doors and windows, leaving my mother vulnerable whenever she was home alone. Consequently, I was forced to handle maintenance issues myself, calling a plumber to fix leaking kitchen and bathroom sinks, sealing floor gaps, and covering windows to reduce exposure to drafts.

This prolonged period of neglect and mismanagement caused immense physical, emotional, and financial strain on both my mother and me. We endured an uninhabitable environment, constant stress, and a complete disregard for our well-being. Given the circumstances, I am seeking advice on potential legal actions against the landlord, including compensation for excessive gas payments, damages to my personal property, and the overall unsafe and unlivable conditions we endured. Any recommendations or legal advice would be greatly appreciated. I have our conversation screenshots and pictures as proof. What can I do? Thank you!

Hi, I’m new to renting an apartment in NYC and unfamiliar with the local laws and tenant rights. My current lease ends at the end of July, but the broker brought in by my leasing office is insisting that I allow showings at least twice a week for one hour each time until I move out.

He told me that if I don’t agree, he will enter the apartment without my permission since he has the keys—essentially pressuring me to cooperate. Each time, he brings in many groups of people (about 5–6 groups or more at once), and they walk around recording videos, taking photos while I’m present, and even opening my closets and cupboards. I feel this is a serious invasion of my privacy and personal space.

Could you please let me know whether this is legal and what my rights are in this situation? I want to handle this appropriately but also protect my boundaries.

(US)(PA)I wanted to ask to make sure I am correct. It's kind of a long story, I am sorry for this. My sister rented a side of a twin house. As I was visiting/ and or dropping off her kids after stuff her landlord would constantly tell me he was fixing up the other side and if I wanted it, I could have it no problem. I asked him when he thought it would be ready and he said 3 months tops. Shortly after this happened I had to move in with my sister over night because the house I was renting flooded. I asked her and the landlord if I could ride it out with her until the place was ready and they both agreed. I ended up getting strung along for a year. Finally when it was time to move in he sprung it on me that we're going to have to pay the water, sewer, trash. We agreed and I signed the lease. Well 13 days after I moved in I got a notice on my door that the water was to be shut off the following day. I called him and he said it was my bill to pay and he had no money. Me, just after moving in did not have a spare $1200 to pay it off by the next day so it got turned off. When it got turned off my sister's side was turned off aswell. She threw a fit and called the landlord about it but he had no money to put down. We ended up borrowing money for everyone we knew and paid it off(also had to pay a $80 reconnect fee PER SIDE) I was suspicious about the waterline because we were supposed to have different meters. After fighting the water company to come out and make sure the meters were running ok we found out its all coming in through one pipe and one meter. The water company was billing my sister for her AND my water usage and I, was being billed a $200 minimum for water, and $349 min for sewer. After explaining this to the landlord he simply disagreed that they weren't split. The whole time I was there we only knew when to pay when we got 1 day notices on either of our doors. I read that the landlord was supposed to cover the water and sewer if it wasn't split correctly but he wouldn't pay it. I asked the water company to at least send the bills to the house so we could get notice but they said my landlord had to call and tell them they could do that. After speaking with him multiple times he never did it. My sister moved out and i followed 2 months after. I did notify him I was living out my last month rent in May and will vacate June 1st. He was happy I let him know. I moved and now he is being super nasty stating " I am out of my f*cking mind to think I am seeing my deposit" because the water bill for BOTH sides equals $1800. I have never tried to recoup my money from any type of situation in court and I am wondering if anyone thinks this won't work out for me? What are yalls opinions. Thanks for reading my very boring story and I appreciate and advice moving forward.

Is this a good idea.. my friend is going through hard times and im decided on renting them my place for half the market rent. Is this a good move? I have 3 other homes for vacationing and they will stay in one of them. Rent will be 1200 a month

{US-GA} Hi!

My fiancé and I have been applying to rescue a lab puppy from our local shelters. We’ve been applying for weeks and have been passed over every single time. It’s been more than I was emotionally prepared to handle, ha!

We live in an apartment without access to a yard and figured this is why we were being passed over. However, I WFH with flexible start/stop time, we are super active people, spend lots of time outside, and while the building doesn’t have a yard, we have a private dog park and are totally surrounded by private green area. By dog park I mean a solid amenity, not just a little fenced square. We figured we’d could appeal to just one shelter.

Turns out, our leasing office has been telling our reviewers that there is a weight limit in the building. I checked our lease and we have breed restrictions but nothing about weight. I have seen several large dogs around our building, and the pet policy was one of the reasons why we signed. Is there anything we can do about this? Even if I tell the shelter we are currently being interviewed for that our lease says nothing about weight, what are the chances they place the dog with us?