'That's 14 people in a small kitchen': Landlord brings young children to apartment showings at the home of another couple with youngsters, tenants complain she's being 'very unprofessional'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 18, 2023 11:00 AM EST

How would you feel if you knew your landlord was bringing a baby and a toddler to your place while she showed it to prospective tenants? I think most people would protest that, yet one landlord thinks she's actually perfectly fine bringing the kiddos along. 

As a parent, you love your kid more than anything else, and you think everything they do is cute and sweet and perfect. Even though you're head over heels in love with them, not everyone is as enamored with your little ones' antics. Parents deserve a lot of sympathy, because it's not easy to raise kids. 

But this landlord thought it would be appropriate to take her newborn baby and her toddler to a lengthy apartment showing. She basically had an unannounced "bring your kid to work day." She even admits that it was "difficult… to conduct business meetings with two kids." Sometimes you can't help but take the children along, but not everyone will be sympathetic towards you. 

Scroll down to check out the OP's entire story. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Redditors didn't want to side with a landlord on any issue, and told her as much. Then, this terrible boss had a deaf employee, and insisted on giving her the one type of assignment she couldn't do. 

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  • 01
    Tenant asking Landlord (me) to "Be More Professional".... L I am a small-time Landlord, with just 4 tenants. Earlier this year, I had two sisters that didn't respond to my requests to add of the gal's husband to the lease, though he was living with them. Not a BIG deal... but did I mention
    via u/nygibs
  • 02
    the pit bull they also brought home, without permission? I DO allow pets, and had previously approved their other dog. I asked nicely in person and by email in the months leading up to the malicious compliance...
    via u/nygibs
  • 03
    They also did not respond when I asked if they were happy there, and wanted to renew their lease for the following year. I asked again... Then I emailed them notice that I would start showing the unit 2 days later.
    via u/nygibs
  • 04
    I try to be a nice Landlord... I do. They had a newborn, as well, so I scheduled all of the showings within a 2 hour window on the same night so I could be in their space as little as possible. Also, because they had not responded, and it was now serious "crunch time" for getting another tenant and my spouse worked all the following two weeks during evening showing hours, I had the delightful inconvenience of bringing my 2 and 6 year old children with me to the showings. Because I'm not a corpor
    via u/nygibs
  • 05
    Try to imagine how difficult it is to conduct business meetings with 2 kids, right? Then imagine staggering showings every fifteen minutes, with prospective tenants who are also bringing their own kids. Just to further clutter your imagination, this is an 800 square foot 2 bedroom apartment with a cozy entryway. So I arrive with my two kids, to find that my tenants are still at home, along with the husband, the newborn and the other sister's boyfriend. So that's 7 people in a small kitchen alrea
    via u/nygibs
  • 06
    And I'm a mom. I have magical powers. So I'm holding my toddler, my daughter is safely under the dining table coloring, and I'm chatting with the prospective tenants and directing traffic while my actual tenants prepare to depart. If you didn't know this already, it's common practice in the US to leave the premises during real estate or apartment showings. This was their first apartment, so I actually emailed them ahead of time to let them know what is generally expected at showings (e.g. a rela
    via u/nygibs
  • 07
    They do eventually leave, after the boyfriend tells a prospective tenant that he, in fact, ALSO lives there. And I carry on with an exhausting scheduling of showings. And have my new tenants all picked out and lease signed by the next day. Awesome, right?
    via u/nygibs
  • 08
    The next night, I get a voicemail from the husband (who is NOT my tenant). I saved it, and just listed to it again, because it still gives me that same delightful shiver of malicious compliance.. In his voicemail, he told me how awful it was that MY children touched HIS infant's things (they didn't, because I keep my kids entertained with magical mommy toys, but prospective tenants also brought children), and how they had to sterilize everything to keep their infant from being sick, and how inco
    via u/nygibs
  • 09
    You can hear it, can't you? The deep shiver of malicious compliance vibrating through my offended being. The next morning, I started issuing professional Lease Violation Notices. One for the extra residents of the unit (hubby and boyfriend). One for the extra dog. And a few additional ones for building concerns I noted during the showings.
    via u/nygibs
  • 10
    They ignored the violation notice, which I sent by certified mail and, thoughtfully, also by email. I decided to be even more professional 30 days later, and issue a 5- day notice to vacate. And I called their mom, who is their emergency contact, as an eviction notice IS an emergency. Did I mention that their lease was due to end just a few weeks later? But it would be unprofessional of me to let these violations slide until then..
    via u/nygibs
  • 11
    Three days later, they'd magically sent me all the information I'd requested, removed the other dog, licensed the first dog, gotten the required pet insurance... They moved out on their lease. termination date. And skipped out on their last electric bill, and left the unit in damaged condition. Despite my professional security deposit disposition statement and request for payment,
    via u/nygibs
  • 12
    they ignored those notices, until I stated I would proceed to small claims court by X date for the total due BEYOND their security deposit. On X date, they replied stating they "didn't think it was fair" that they should have to cover damages to the unit, or "pay any more money" toward their utility bill.
    via u/nygibs
  • 13
    Yep. Two months later, there we were in the lobby of the court house, sitting across from each other on uncomfortable waiting-room benches. They're laughing among themselves about how they're going to get their full security deposit back. And I'm quietly reviewing my presentation notes to the judge and my sizable stack of evidence, photographs, videos.... this was my first time in court, but I wasn't laughing. I was preparing.
    via u/nygibs
  • 14
    One hour later, we're back in the lobby and their mom is trying to write me a check for the full amount of the judgement. She doesn't have a pen. Her kids don't have a pen. I, however, have a pen. I cheerfully offer my pen. She writes the check and hands it to me, and... wait.... I hold my out my hand again. Got my pen back too.
    via u/nygibs
  • 15
    I was so proud of myself for not saying any of the sassy things in my head in that moment. You know why? Because I was being professional, as I'd been from the moment he'd left that voicemail.
    via u/nygibs
  • 16
    As a last note, I do would have been better if I hadn't brought my children. However, if you have kids, you'll understand that sometimes, they simply have to go where you go. acknowledge that it
    via u/nygibs
  • 17
    rpfflgt It's interesting if you consider how all these "small things" you'd normally let slide really add up if you decide to go by the book.
    via u/rpfflgt
  • 18
    nygibs OP Absolutely, exactly. I have another tenant moving out now where we'll also end up in court, unfortunately. And I'm photographing and noting Every Single Thing that is an allowable repair, as well as my time spent repairing/cleaning/supervis ing contractors/etc. The final amount due will be a couple of thousand, I suspect. And I'll be professional every step of the way, and exactly by the book.
    via u/nygibs
  • 19
    farahad If you didn't know this already, it's common practice in the US to leave the premises during real estate or apartment showings. No. I'm always there, doing something out of the way, to keep an eye on my things. Not uncommon. And I'd sure as make sure to be there if you scheduled multiple showings with children coming. Kids often unintentionally have sticky fingers.
    via u/farahad
  • 20
    Edymnion We used to do tenants. USED to. They ALWAYS destroy the place no matter what you do, and frankly we just got tired of putting houses back together. I could tell you horror stories of the conditions tenants have left our stuff in before we sold them all.
    via u/Edymnion
  • 21
    KyleNelson116 The guy was being a about having to wipe toys down, but he was right that bringing kids is unprofessional. That said you let things slide and he should've kept his mouth shut.
    via u/KyleNelson116
  • 22
    [deleted] And I'm a mom. I have magical powers. Sigh. 129 Share ●●● iwasthebread Magical powers of condescension. But they only have a newborn, everyone knows that doesn't count as being a parent.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 23
    Alot of the other stuff seems like it's on you. Your kids shouldn't have been there. Prospective tenants coming through with their own children are still your responsibility. No one should be pawing through the current tenants' stuff. I say this as someone who has been on both sides-tenant & landlord.
    via u/[deleted]

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landlord housing malicious compliance kids malicious-compliance-reddit landlords little kids malicious compliance reddit children tenant moms parenting petty parents apartments apartment
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