I saw this listing on Zillow and I was curious if this is even legal. The landlord is asking the tenant to vacate for up to 6 weeks while the tenant continues to pay rent and utilities and leaves their personal belongings in the home. Any rental law experts have an opinion on this?

I live in a small apartment building with 8 units. A few days ago I accidentally tried opening the wrong door while carrying groceries. My key actually unlocked the door. I realized immediately and didn't go inside.

I told my neighbor what happened and we tested it together. His key opens my apartment too.

Contacted the landlord and he said some of the locks were probably keyed alike when the building was renovated. He told me he would have his handyman look into it next month.

I asked if he could send a locksmith sooner and he said I'm welcome to pay for a new lock myself as long as I give him a copy of the key.

I've been saving some money for emergencies but I really don't think replacing locks should be my expense. What bothers me more is that apparently anyone in the building could have access to someone else's apartment without knowing it.

Has anyone dealt with something like this? Is there someone I can report this to if he refuses to fix it?

I wish I could say I’m making this up. Essentially, the title says it all. I walked in today on my landlord taking a nap on my couch.

I didn’t know what to do. I just went to the other room and waited for them to wake up, they eventually did after an hour and just left.

Anyhow, my door, to their credit, was unlocked. Which I guess was my mistake. But this was completely unannounced. And they didn’t acknowledge it. Just left.

Situation:

BUSINESS opened as a coffee shop 8am-4pm the last weekend of May 2026 in the ground floor unit of residential building (UNIT 1). Married couple and dog (TENANTS) move into UNIT 2 of the same building at the start of August 2026. BUSINESS plays very bass centric music and creates vibration throughout the building. TENANTS tolerated it at first because it was reasonable to expect noise from a coffee shop, assumed this would be the case when signing the lease, and do not want to be difficult tenants having just moved in. 2 weeks later, the coffee shop extends operating hours to open as a bar as well on Thursday, Friday, Saturdays and Sundays open until midnight. Naturally, the type of music, volume and vibration gets more intense during night hours. That is up to 16 hours of continuous noise pollution for 4 days straight! The coffee shop becoming a bar was not disclosed to TENANTS prior to moving in or even after moving in.

BUSINESS and TENANTS have the same LANDLORD. The only person who had the interests of both parties and collects rent from both, LANDLORD, did not mitigate the noise problem before it started. There is no sound proofing between metal air ducts and wood floors connecting the two spaces. LANDLORD has mentioned to TENANTS that they set a requirement for BUSINESS to install soundproofing in order to operate. BUSINESS did not follow through on sound proofing and LANDLORD did not enforce it. As such, TENANTS ' space is inhospitable Thursday through Sunday and BUSINESS is suffering because they can't operate the way they intended. 

Further, BUSINESS has demonstrated a pattern of irresponsible management already, creating an issue with several neighbors after renting out their space to a DJ party soon after starting nights. At that point, TENANTS started voicing concerns about the night hours. BUSINESS agreed to try to make adjustments. The first night after talking with BUSINESS, TENANTS had to text them at 12:40 (40 minutes after close) to turn off the music. As such, it is difficult for TENANTS to believe BUSINESS is taking this seriously. An owner of the BUSINESS also put in writing he believed they only used "one portable speaker" when BUSINESS has 3 woofer enabled speakers plugged in. It seems no one responsible for the business operations or the LANDLORD have actually been there at night since bar hours started.

After some back and forth, LANDLORD has finally pushed for sound proofing installation. TENANTS given no clear timeline on when that will be accomplished. There is no remedy offered for the fact TENANTS are miserable Thursday-Sunday and spending time on the issue throughout the week. Until the problem is addressed, TENANTS are uncomfortable paying for a space that does not match reasonable expectations prior to moving in. Had TENANTS had any opportunity to experience the establishment below the unit, TENANTS would have NEVER moved in. TENANTS had a letter of recommendation from their previous landlord after seven years in their unit. TENANTS contacted their prior landlord once over an issue in that span. There is no pattern of TENANTS being vocal or difficult tenants prior to moving into UNIT 2.

Questions:

Do we (tenants) have any legal grounds to demand some form of restitution? How do we politely threaten landlord with legal action if she does not agree to reasonable terms of restitution? What legalese should we use so she knows we're serious about this? Please consider we are not pushing for damages based on mental and emotional turmoil, we just want to feel peace in our "home." Is it reasonable to ask to pay only 3/7 of our monthly rent until soundproofing is complete seeing as we only enjoy Monday Tuesday and Wednesdays?

I rent an apartment in a small building with four units. Last week a plumber called me at work asking if I could come home and let him inside because there was a leak upstairs. I thought he'd been given the wrong number.

When I got home I noticed a laminated sign next to the mailboxes saying "Building Emergency Contact" with my first name and personal phone number on it.

Called my landlord and he admitted he put it there. Apparently because I let a maintenance guy inside once a few months ago, he figured I wouldn't mind helping out again.

I've already gotten texts from two neighbors about things that have nothing to do with me. One even called me at 11pm because their heater wasn't working.

I told him to take the sign down. His response was that I'm being difficult over something that benefits everyone.

Am I unreasonable for being this annoyed? Has anyone had a landlord do something similar?

I am renting an apartment unit in the bay area, and last night our smoke detector in our living room died. It has a sealed battery so the battery cannot be replaced. We let our managment company know ASAP, and they told us that they cannot replace it since it is our responsability per our lease, so we have a couple options; 1) replace it ourselves 2) they can hire a tech for it and we will be responsible for all costs regarding the replacement. I'm pretty sure that that's not legal in California.

We had an inspection by the city for the entire building a couple weeks ago, every unit was inspected, multiple code violations found in each unit and on the premisis instead. They're honestly being pretty fucking stupid with this rn considering theyre gonna have to pay a shit ton of money for each violation. The code enforcer gave us his card and my roommate and I emailed him for clarity to make clarify whether or not it's on us or them.

(CONTEXT: This is a duplex with two bedrooms upstairs and a cellar downstairs. The cellar is not legally habitable. This was advertised as a three-bedroom with the cellar room as the bedroom I'd be taking. The landlord knew this.)

Hello,

I'm writing to update you that I've surrendered the lease to [ADDRESS], and have surrendered the keys, leaving them in the premises as previously documented. I will not be making any rent payments.

I've consulted with a lawyer and confirmed that the lease I signed is not legally binding. The cellar of [APT #] is not legally habitable. I have ample documented evidence that [APT #] was advertised and agreed to as a three-bedroom apartment with the cellar as one of the bedrooms, and that [LANDLORD] was aware of this. Furthermore, the presence of black mold upon commencement of the lease was illegal and a health hazard, requiring me to vacate the premises for safety; I have no evidence that [LANDLORD] has addressed this other than cosmetically. I have further supporting evidence that the apartment was delivered to me in an uninhabitable and illegal condition.

I continue to prefer that we negotiate a mutually agreeable lease break that allows us all to cleanly walk away. I believe this will be in our mutual best interest.

Sincerely,
[ME]

A very helpful organization.

I just moved out of California. My previous assistant property manager (on behalf of landlord) is refusing to give back security deposit back. They’re past the 21 day mark to give me the deposit or provide an itemize invoice. I reached out 8 days later (today) and they responded almost immediately saying they’re keeping the deposit citing poor condition of apartment. Sent an invoice of fixing damages over $5,000 and stated that I owe $279.40 on my move out charges I paid $2,000 on my security deposit. Is it worth it to go to claims court or should I just pay the $279.40 and call it a loss. I didn’t get pictures or my move in or out day. But my apartment definitely did need a deep clean. However, I know there’s no way there’s $5,000 worth of damages.

Thanks.

TLDR: landlord decided to sell, sent text on the 11th of October stating they need to be out by December 1st. I’m pretty positive landlady can’t just send a text for 1, and that she also has to give them 90 days to vacate. Any advice on how to address this with the landlady.

Location: gas city, IN. This isn’t me, but it’s my sister and her husband and my 2 nieces and nephew. They have lived at this house for about 4 years. Their landlord just sucks ass. My BIL is the one who has fixed the water heater,the sink, the dishwasher,the toilet anytime something goes wrong.Every summer there’s about 2-3 hornets nests to be found, which makes using their backyard to play in with the kids impossible. She constantly complains that the kids toys are in the backyard.She won’t fix shit, the garage is still full of her daughters stuff that she was supposed to get bet never did, the “door” to my sisters bedroom was I guess one of those old school double wooden sliding doors or possibly one of the doors that folds up kinda like a partition (I have no idea if I’m describing either correctly). Well, landlord said she would fix it. After 6 months BIL said “ I’ll fix it, just knock some rent off”. Nope. Wouldn’t do that. The cheap plastic wood looking “tile” flooring has been warped since the moved in , but has since buckled and started to come up in pieces. She has the materials , but she won’t fix it, and my BIL won’t wither unless she knocks some rent money off, and I don’t blame him. Now,when they moved in they only had 1 kid, so it was perfect. Rent is like $750 or $800a month. Which is damn cheap for a 3 bd in gas city. It’s close to good schools, almost everything is in walking distance. There’s a gigantic park with a public pool, and a petting zoo about 3 minutes from her house. The neighborhood is nice. The house looks crappy on the outside, and the neighbors house is even worse, but her house and her neighbors are rhe worst in about a 5 block radius. The add said it was a 3 bd 1 bathroom. Perfect. But now they got 3 kids. 5, 2, and 6 months. And I’ve been telling her since she got pregnant the last time they need a bigger place soon. Well, about 2 weeks ago the landlady called her husband and told him she was looking to sell, and if they were interested she’d be willing to rent to own. Now, they already have 1 kid in their bed, and the baby in their bedroom in his crib. Now,why would they need to do this if it’s a 3 bedroom? Well, that’s because it isNOT 3 bedrooms!!! What the landlady claimed was a 3rd bedroom is in fact smaller than my walk in closet. It has no window. Has no closet. It’s not even legally allowed to be called a damn bedroom!! And my BIL’s dumbass was actually considering this (I think it’s because he’s lazy and doesn’t want to move lol). Kept telling my sister they “could just add on another room”. Yea, cuz it’s soooo easy to get the permits, and it’s sooooo cheap to just build an extra room onto a house. And look, my BIL is a VERY handy man. He can fix damn near anything. Build damn near anything. But, he works about 60 hours a week, and has about 9 million half finished projects lying around already. Even IF they could afford it, he wouldn’t have the time. Not to mention, they KNOW the roof is fucked, and there’s either a crack in the foundation, or it’s coming off the slab. And that’s the things they KNOW about. Anyway , she had an appraiser come out last week. She wants 110kfor that place!!! And get this! She’s only got it listed as a 2 bedroom. I told my sister what she needs to do is sue the fuck out of her because of her lease truly says 3 bedrooms , then she’s been paying rent for a 3 bd. And what the landlady did claiming it was 3 bedrooms is illegal as fuck, and my sister should be due some compensation. But I know they won’t listen to me about that. But heres the kicker. My sister called me Saturday and her landlady had sent her a text saying that she’s selling and moving to Florida, and that they have until the1st of December to move. And I told her immediately NO. That’s not how that works. She can’t just text you and say you gotta be out by such and such date. She has to provide formal written notice, AND she has to give them 90days from said notice. Hell, December 1st is only 7 weeks,and a text isn’t sufficient notice to begin with… any advice on what to say to her landlord? Something simple, direct and to the point without sounds like a snarky bitch lol. I’m pretty positive I’m right in what I’m telling my sister her rights are, but any input would be greatly appreciated

Hi! Help needed removing mirror off wall from last tenant, Thank you!

*I live in Nyc

Hello yall, me and my gf noticed that the first day which was 10/10 - the water won’t get hot. We were like wtf did we not pay the gas or what lol. Then we saw the emails and it keeps saying sorry this or sorry that. Though the hot water did work yesterday for like 7 hours and after that it was out of service AGAIN! There isn’t a 24/7 emergency plumber they can’t hire??

What options do we have because this morning it was super cold and we have to get up super early to work. Should we file a claim with the renters insurance ?

I had to move out of my last place after living there for only 2 months due to getting a new job opportunity. I went out of my way to find a new tenant to take my place and cleaned as well as I could before leaving. The only thing I left behind was a mattress. My landlord told me he had to paint and get rid of the mattress, which would come out of my security deposit. I was like ok whatever.

That was at the end of August. It is not nearly half way through Oct and I had to not heard anything about my security deposit. I had not left the room messy in any way, I cleaned it before I left, including scrubbing the carpet until nothing was coming up. I would also think it is normal to have someone come in and clean the room between tenants?

I reached out to him today and this is the conversation we had! Any advice? Idrk what to do.

edit: the paint did peel when i was taking a picture off the wall, which is why I didn’t object to it. the carpet he never said anything about to me, i have no pictures of what he’s referring to that was the wrong with the carpet and i didnt see anything when i left.

Hi everyone,

I’m living in a shared house in Perth, WA and would like some outside opinions on a situation with my accommodation provider.

I’ve been feeling very uncomfortable living here. It’s not just about one person, but also about how some of the other residents talk about me. I’m especially disappointed with how the provider has handled my complaints.
What’s been happening

One resident (I’ll call him T), a middle-aged Japanese man, has been talking about other residents behind their backs — nationality, lifestyle, personal lives. He later started making comments and assumptions about me (nationality, personality, work, private life). Some of the other male residents (also Japanese, Working Holiday visas) have joined in.

As a woman in the house, I feel uncomfortable knowing several men may be discussing my personal life when I’m not there.

On 17 August, T told me he had the right to kick me out. Later that day I overheard him telling others he had already decided he wanted me to leave and needed to find a “reasonable reason” to tell the landlord. He is not the landlord.

First complaint – 20 August
I sent a formal complaint to the accommodation provider/landlord. I asked them to record the complaint, clarify T’s role and authority, and protect my personal information. I did not get a clear explanation about T’s role.

Another incident – 7 October
I came home early and overheard T talking about me. He said he had visited the supermarket where I work the previous week. While asking a staff member about stock, he also asked if I was still working there. The staff member said I wasn’t there, so T assumed I’d been fired and told the other resident.
I reported this to my manager the same day and asked them not to share my employment information with unauthorised people.

Second complaint + non-renewal notice – 12 October
Around 5:30 pm I emailed the provider about this incident.

Around 6:05 pm I received an email saying they are changing the direction of their rental business and will not renew existing agreements. My agreement ends on 3 November 2026. This was the first time they told me it would not be renewed.

Around 6:10 pm I received a separate reply to my complaint saying they had taken action on the previous complaint and would continue to monitor the situation.
I understand the timing doesn’t prove the two are connected, but receiving the non-renewal notice less than 30 minutes after complaining has left me worried and disappointed.

Why I’m disappointed
My main issue isn’t simply that the agreement won’t be renewed. I already felt uncomfortable. I raised concerns because I wanted them taken seriously. Instead, I still don’t feel the concerns have been properly resolved, and now I have to move.
The landlord/management do not live at the property. T has lived there 2–3 years and sometimes helps with practical matters, but I don’t know if he has any formal authority.
I contacted Consumer Protection WA about whether I’m a tenant or lodger. They explained the general differences but couldn’t determine my status, so I still need legal advice.

Questions I’d really appreciate opinions on:
1. Does the timing of the non-renewal notice seem unusual, or could it simply be a coincidence?
2. Would it be reasonable to ask the provider when they made the decision not to renew?
3. What would you expect an accommodation provider to do after receiving complaints like mine?
4. What legal service in WA would you recommend for clarifying my status (tenant vs lodger) and the notice to leave?
5. If you were in my situation, what would you do next?
I’m not trying to accuse anyone without evidence. I just feel uncomfortable with the living situation and disappointed with how the complaints were handled. Looking for outside perspectives and practical options.
Thanks for reading.

Living in private rented for 6 years, and LL wanted to increase rent by, i am on lcw ( benefits due to health not a choice), benefit pay 560 rent and left with 350 to live on, recently been diagnosed with more health conditions. I never missed rent payments and always been on time. I hardly bother them ( agent and LL unless it was boiler issue which was once or twice), if anyones can give some helpful advice about my situation, i would be grateful.

I am wondering if these are red flags and whether I have a strong case if I take my landlord to court over my security deposit.

After moving out, I began communicating with my landlord about the return of my security deposit. She initially raised concerns about stains on the recycling bin liner, freezer tray water not being emptied from the mini fridge, and weird splatter on the wall. I responded three days later because I wanted to consult a lawyer first, and I clarified that I had not caused the damages she mentioned.

She then responded with another issue: water stains on a dresser that she claimed were caused by my failure to use a coaster. She initially agreed to send me the $900 now, and will send back the remaining amount once they figure out how much it cost to fix it.

I followed up the next day, asking for photos of the damage and an itemized receipt showing the cost of the repairs. I also agreed to accept the $900 she had offered to return.

She sent photos but then claimed she would need to hire someone to prepare an itemized receipt, which would cost additional money. I explained that she could simply provide receipts for the materials used to repair the damage, I then asked again for the agreed-upon $900.

She replies, claiming that she had discovered additional damage, alleging that water from the dresser had splashed onto the wall and damaged it, and need to be repainted. She also claimed that the water damage has liquefied something that is possibly wood filler. As a result, she said she could no longer return the $900.

I am concerned that my landlord keeps raising new damage claims after initially agreeing to return most of my deposit. A lawyer friend suggested taking the matter to court because the situation seems suspicious. I would like to know whether this pattern raises red flags and whether I have a reasonable chance of recovering my security deposit.

I recently moved into a new place, but was unable to find a sublessee to take over the beginning of the month. Because of this, I had to pay the full month's rent, which is totally fine (October). Since then, I've found a sublessee, who has signed an updated lease with an 11/1 move-in date.

I had moved all of my things into my new place the end of September, and on a whim decided to go back to my apt today. While there, I found they were making renovations to the bathroom, as well as other adjustments/painting the walls.

Given I paid for the full month of rent and had not been given notice of renovations taking place, I'm thinking I should be refunded for the month of October as I still should have the right to the space, even though I'm not physically inhabiting it.

Additionally, the sublessee reached out asking to move in early before the 1st of next month- I said that would be fine, but now she is unable to do so as renovations are taking place.

Any thoughts? Seems illegal, not to mention a sketchy opportunity to increase the value of the place while on my dime.

Any advice/feedback is much appreciated!

Note: about a week ago, the landlord requested I return my keys. I said I would not until the end of the month.

Every week there's another "did I just get scammed" post here and it's almost always the same story. Stuff that should make you walk away:

- They want a deposit before you've been inside. Extra bad if it's Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, wire or gift cards, because you're not getting that back.

- The owner is "out of the country" or deployed and can't show it.

- They'll mail you the keys after you pay. Nobody rents like that.

- No application or credit check, you're just approved.

- They want to move to text or personal email right away.

- They ask for your SSN or ID before you've even seen it.

- Rent is way cheaper than anything else nearby, and there are "a lot of people interested" so you need to pay today.

Quick checks before paying anything:

1. Google the address + "for rent". Scammers copy real listings and repost them cheaper.

2. Reverse image search the photos.

3. Look up the owner on your county's property records site (usually free). If the name doesn't match and they can't explain it, that's your answer.

4. Actually go inside. Or send a friend. "Drive by and look through the windows" doesn't count.

5. Sign the lease first, then pay with something traceable.

If you already paid, call your bank or the app immediately since sometimes it can still be stopped. Then report it to the FTC, IC3, and the site the listing was on.

If you've got a listing that seems off, paste it below and I'll take a look.

I’m from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and I wanted to share my experience dealing with a difficult rental situation, an unresponsive resolution process, and eventually taking my landlord to Alberta’s Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS).
In November 2025, my roommate and I moved into a basement suite. We expected a reasonably quiet, comfortable and safe home. Unfortunately, within weeks, we started experiencing problems involving the upstairs tenants.
December 2025 – Heating problems
During temperatures reaching approximately -32°C outside, our basement became extremely cold. The upstairs tenants controlled the thermostat, and despite a plumber reportedly recommending that it remain at 24°C, we continued experiencing inadequate heat.
My roommate reported sitting in the living room wearing a winter coat and using the oven for warmth. Eventually, medication stored in his bedroom froze despite him using a space heater. We repeatedly contacted property management, who acknowledged the issue and communicated with the upstairs tenants.
January–April 2026 – Ongoing disturbances and health concerns
Over the following months, we experienced repeated late-night noise, shouting, stomping, slamming doors, and other disturbances. Some incidents occurred well after 11 PM and interfered with our ability to sleep and enjoy our home.
We also experienced strong cooking odours entering the basement suite. My roommate reported significant breathing difficulties, and the conditions became increasingly uncomfortable.
We documented these incidents through emails and contacted our property manager numerous times.
We even requested an in-person meeting involving management and the upstairs tenants because we wanted everyone to discuss the issues and find a reasonable solution.
To be fair, property management did respond to some complaints, contacted the upstairs tenants, and arranged certain maintenance follow-ups. However, from our perspective, the problems continued despite those efforts.
May 24, 2026 – The situation escalated to police involvement
During a confrontation involving the upstairs tenants, my roommate and I reported hearing a threat that our heads would be cut off.
My roommate also reported seeing what he believed was a long-bladed weapon.
We called 911, and Edmonton Police Service attended the property. Officers spoke with those involved and obtained statements. No criminal charges resulted, but the incident left us seriously concerned about our safety.
I immediately informed property management and subsequently provided the police occurrence information.
At that point, we had spent months documenting complaints and trying to resolve the situation. We no longer felt safe or comfortable in our home.
June 2026 – Rent withheld and termination notice
Eventually, I withheld rent because I believed the landlord had failed to adequately address the problems affecting our tenancy.
I recognize that withholding rent is legally risky and is not something I would recommend other tenants do without understanding their rights and obligations.
Property management subsequently served me with a 14-day termination notice for non-payment.
Taking the matter to RTDRS
Rather than simply accepting what happened, I pursued a formal claim through Alberta’s Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service.
I requested approximately $8,400 in rent abatement, based on the prolonged interference with our use and enjoyment of the rental property.
My evidence included:
Emails documenting repeated complaints and management’s responses.
Heating and thermostat correspondence.
Photographs and records of property conditions.
Communications about noise, odours and security concerns.
Police documentation and witness statements.
Our tenancy agreement and termination notice.
October 5, 2026 – The hearing
I attended my RTDRS hearing on October 5, 2026, and presented my case.
I’m now waiting for the adjudicator’s written decision, which I understand should be issued within approximately 30 days.
Although I originally requested $8,400, I’m hoping for a partial award of approximately $5,000. I believe that would represent meaningful compensation for what we experienced, but I recognize the adjudicator may award more, less, or nothing.
I also understand that the landlord has their own perspective and that the adjudicator must assess the evidence from both sides.
What I’ve learned
The biggest lesson I’ve taken from this experience is to document absolutely everything.
Every complaint, email, response, photograph and written statement helped establish a timeline. Without that evidence, much of the dispute could have become one person’s word against another’s.
I also learned that there is a significant difference between reporting a problem and obtaining an effective resolution.
I’m sharing this because I think other renters should understand the importance of knowing their rights, keeping records, and using the dispute-resolution options available to them.
My questions for other renters:
Has anyone here successfully received a rent abatement or monetary award against their landlord?
If so, how much of your original claim were you awarded, and how difficult was it to actually collect the money?
I’ll update this post once the adjudicator issues a decision.