Petty apartment tenant gets back at landlady who keeps surprising them with visits: 'I'm making my landlady wait 29 minutes'

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 15, 2024 5:00 PM EST

Ugh, landlords… They often uphold a maddening double standard with their tenants. If you, the tenant, have a leaking roof or a broken heater, the landlord will probably take their sweet time fixing it. It could take days, weeks, or even months in some cases, just to get your apartment up to it's usual standards. But if your landlord needs something from you, like your monthly rent payment, they'd better have it on time or they'll throw a fit! 

This person's landlady is not respecting their time at all. While this person is trying to go about their day, the landlady keeps knocking on the door to show off the apartment to potential renters. Naturally, it's quite disruptive to have someone coming over to your apartment constantly. And the apartment also needs to be squeaky clean each time someone comes to view it, which adds additional pressure onto the tenant. Keep scrolling down below to read this person's full story of how they set some boundaries with their landlady. She wanted to learn the hard way, well, so be it! At least the tenant is almost done with their lease, and onto a better living situation. 

Up next, read about the managers who got to tell off their most entitled customers.

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  • 01
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    via Molly the Cat For Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    AITA for making my landlady wait 29 minutes before she showed my apartment to a potential tenant?
    via u/Corrid21
  • 03
    Long story short, I'm moving at the end of the month and am in the process of packing my stuff up. My landlady keeps on showing my apartment to potential tenants at least three times per week, which really annoys the h I out of me since I've paid August's rent to live here, so I should be able to enjoy my apartment in peace. I don't like
    via u/Corrid21
  • 04
    getting kicked out of my apartment (oftentimes when doing school-related things), so that the apartment can be shown. I asked her to limit the amount of showings, since the showings were becoming bothersome to me. She responded by telling me she has "every right" to tour my apartment, since I handed in my 30-day notice to vacate at the beginning of August.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 05
    Local laws are such that if a landlord/landlady is going to show a rental property with somebody still living there, the landlord/landlady must give a 24- hour notice to the tenant. Most of the time, my landlady gives me almost exactly a 24-hour notice.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 06
    Like, I'll get a text at 2:59 pm saying that there's going to be a showing at 3:00 pm the next day. She never gives me more than a 25-hour notice, which seems purposeful on her end.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 07
    Well, on Thursday afternoon, I got a text at 4:29 pm saying that there will be a tour at 4:00 pm on Friday. When my landlady showed up and knocked on my door at exactly 4:00 pm, I opened the door and told her that she needs to wait 29 minutes. She immediately got all pissy with me and demanded an explanation.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 08
    I showed her my phone which proved that she sent her message at 4:29 pm the previous day, so she legally couldn't step foot into my apartment until 4:29 pm. She started yelling at me saying that I'm just being petty. The potential tenant who was going to tour my place wasn't willing to wait 29 minutes, so he cancelled the showing and bounced.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 09
    My landlady was very upset and said that I "wasted her time." I know what I did was out of pettiness, but if she didn't kick me out of my own apartment like twelve times in August so far, I wouldn't have a reason to be petty.
    via u/Corrid21
  • 10
    I paid for my rent in August and want to enjoy my apartment in peace while I prepare for my move. I feel bad for wasting the time of the guy who cancelled the showing, but I feel zero empathy for my landlady. AITA?
    via u/Corrid21
  • 11
    emcee_pern NTA. Your landlady is being overly intrusive. Even if the laws are on her side to allow her to show the place she's still being utterly inconsiderate. This is still your home and you are legally entitled to some right to privacy
    via u/emcee_pern
  • 12
    IANAL but I would dive deeper into your local tenancy laws. Some places allow you to refuse entry, even with notice, for certain reasons. Some do not consider a text message to even be legal notice. Some limit the time and manner in which your home may be entered. Also, there's a good chance that your landlord cannot legally force you to leave for these showings.
    via u/emcee_pern
  • 13
    Since you're leaving soon it might not be worth fighting her but you can do other petty things as well. Leave your place a mess (nothing that can't ultimately be cleaned so you don't risk your deposit) so it looks less appealing. Talk to prospective tenants and make it sound like the place is terrible.
    via u/emcee_pern
  • 14
    Aggressive-Mind-2085. NTA "I don't like getting kicked out of my apartment (oftentimes when doing school- related things), so that the apartment can be shown.".. there is NO reason for you to leave while she is showing the appartment. You SHOULD refuse, protect your property.
    via u/Aggressive-Mind-2085
  • 15
    My landlady was very upset and said that I "wasted her time." .. oyu were pety, but she does not seem to be considerate of your time and privacy either.
    via u/Aggressive-Mind-2085
  • 16
    JackedLilJill ΝΤΑ Who says you have to leave? No way in H L! She can take pictures and show pictures and say "sorry there is a tenant and I don't feel like disturbing their living quarters." From now on stay and make small talk. Then slip in a "bet you can't wait to move in! Then when you move out you get to deal with people invading your home up to three times a day with only 24 hours notice and a landlady who's an ahle!" That should help!
    via u/JackedLilJill
  • 17
    kdawg09. NTA. I've never had a landlord start showing my apartment while I still occupied it ever but this definitely seems excessive. I wonder if the guy didn't want to wait because he realized her behavior was a red flag?
    via u/kdawg09
  • 18
    Fabulous_Bison 7072. NTA, but why are you leaving your apartment when she brings people around for these showings. You've got a bunch of strangers in your home uninvited- no way would I be leaving them alone to tour my place.
    via u/Fabulous_Bison7072
  • 19
    annedroiid ΝΤΑ. And assuming you're in the UK, you also have the right to decline viewings if they don't fit with your schedule. Just refuse all viewings at this point. There's nothing your landlord can do about it. It's a civil matter that would take far longer than the 10 days left on the month to deal with.
    via u/annedroiid
  • 20
    Anuri_DnD ΝΤΑ Where you petty? For sure. But so was your landlady with always texting you almost exactly 24h beforehand. Also why are you being kicked out of your apartment during this showings? It should be up to you if you want to leave or stay. I have been to several showings where the tenants stayed during the showing. 49 Reply Share wrongfaith 3 mo. ago "No I'm not being petty. I'm being petty back."
    via u/Anuri_DnD

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