'Surprise, surprise: he deducted and withheld my friend's entire deposit': Tenants get back at cheap landlord for claiming their entire deposit without cause

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Oct 31, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

What is it about landlords and pushing everything to the absolute limit when it comes to financial recompensation? Damage one little corner of a 15-year-old carpet or a horrifically sun-faded curtain, and suddenly, they're quoting you for full replacement and the consequential loss involved with that replacement—purely as a means to keeping your entire deposit, money that they feel entitled to.

Meanwhile, your time and your things are valueless to them and they will be slothful about anything that needs repairing. Plus, should they accidentally damage your things while on-site, they'll dismiss complaints with a wave of their hand

Really, in any situation, it's not ok to push something to your complete and absolute advantage, but especially when you're in a position of power. The reality is when it comes to renting and landlord, there's a distinct power imbalance; even excluding everything else involved in the arrangement, housing is a finite resource, and in many areas, it's becoming increasingly difficult to secure someplace to live. Landlords in these areas, knowing this, will milk tenants for all they're worth. This is particularly bad in areas surrounding universities, lower-income areas, or anywhere else where landlords know that relative inexperience or ability to fight back falls directly into their favor.

These tenants got back at their cheap landlord by ensuring that he didn't see a dime from his endeavors to overcharge them for petty damage to items at the house where they were living.

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  • 01
    KITCH BEDROOM
    via Faruk Tokluoğlu
  • 02
    The shark Landlord got more than he bargained for M Years ago, I moved into a new apartment while studying abroad. The landlord was... well, let's just say he was a real shark. The guy had a dozen properties rented out to students and a reputation for squeezing every last penny out of his tenants. By
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 03
    coincidence I ended up dating a fellow student who happened to rent from him in the next building over, and who moved out six months in, so I had advance warning of what to expect on move-out day.
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 04
    When she moved out, she had broken a single plate and lost a fork, so somehow got charged for an entire new matching set of plates and cutlery. She even replaced the plate and fork herself, but that wasn't good enough for Mr. Sharklord. No, he
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 05
    insisted on billing her for a full "brand new set". Of course, she learned later from her ex-flatmate that he only replaced the missing items and pocketed the difference! Imagine the profit accumulating over the years over a dozen apartments, when for every student you charge the price of a new set, but actually only buy one replacement set for one fork here, one glass there, pocketing the difference. Not just shady, but utterly petty.
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 06
    Now, when myself and my best friend had moved in, Landlord proudly tells us about the "brand new mattresses" in our rooms. A year later, when my friend was moving out, we did a massive deep clean, left the place sparkling, and made sure to replace anything missing. But of course, during the inspection, the landlord "found" issues. Surprise, surprise: he deducted and withheld my friend's entire deposit, mostly on the basis of the mattress being (slightly) stained and needing replacement.
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 07
    My friend was understandably fuming. But then we had a thought. If he was charging us for a "new" mattress, then my friend had technically just paid for this one... so, technically, it was his! And, equally technically, it just wouldn't be considerate to leave personal belongings cluttering up the Landlord's apartment after he moved out, would it? Moving out means moving out...
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 08
    He couldn't take the mattress on the plane, obviously, so we hauled it down to a nearby park, where some local homeless people hung out, and "donated" it. Fast forward a few days: I'm still in the apartment and about to move out shortly, my friend's already gone, and I hear the landlord arrive to show the room to a new tenant. I hear the bedroom door and then... Rage! "Where the f*** is the mattress? I have to F****** buy a new one!?!"
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 09
    I almost lost it right there. But I held my composure, played dumb, and listening to him fume. And a few days later, when it was my turn to leave? Oh, I knew I was getting nothing back from my deposit. And I too was going to take ALL of my personal belongings with me. So I took everything I had "paid" for - the mattress, plates, cutlery, glasses, even the lightbulbs. The friendly neighborhood hobos made out like kings.
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 10
    UrdnotCum 24m ago Chaotic good response
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 11
    Interesting_L... • 22m ago · king move
    via GalwayGuy24
  • 12
    TheDragonDoji • 12m ago Landlord got maliciously forked over.
    via GalwayGuy24

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landlord housing rental malicious compliance tenants revenge malicious-compliance-reddit tenant landlords bad landlord renting
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