Landlord doubles the rent with less than 30 days notice, tenants get even by giving him a taste of his own medicine: 'We never even gave him the keys back'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 30, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Most of us dream of giving our landlords a piece of our minds, but very few of us get to see those dreams become a reality.

This small business held its offices in an old, broken-down building. Most of the employees would likely admit that they probably should have moved office spaces years ago. However, those moving plans suddenly accelerated when their awful landlord informed them that he would be doubling the rent. Not only did this ridiculous announcement come out of nowhere, but he also gave them the "heads-up" with less than 30 days' notice. As written in their contract, the business would need to give their landlord that amount of time to let them know if they were not planning to renew their lease. How could they do that when they only found out about the new monthly rental increase just 24 days before their lease was up?

Many of us have found ourselves in similar situations with our personal residences. I remember when landlords began trying to make up for "lost money" from 2020, and I found out how much my apartment was now going to cost without much of a heads-up, either. Thankfully, I was already planning on moving to a different neighborhood, but I remember thinking that day that this energy only deserves reciprocal pettiness from the tenant. This author was confident enough to know that there was no way this landlord could argue that the tenant was not holding up their end of the bargain when all the facts say that the landlord had been exhibiting the same shady behavior. Shadiness begets shadiness, people!

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from several members of this online community!

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  • "[Landlord] tried to double our rent"

    A white sign with red letters reading "For Rent" posted on a window.
    via Erik Mclean

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • We were renting an office in an old, decrepit building for many years from a slumlord. We were going month to month since the lease had expired years ago and the landlord was too lazy to make a new lease. There were noisy,
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • smelly neighbors and the building was basically falling apart (breaking all kinds of building codes I'm sure) but we put up with it because rent was pretty low and we weren't losing clients over it.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Eventually we get a text from our slumlord that he's doubling the rent and we have to sign a new lease on Jan 1 - that was only 24 days away. He said if we were going to leave instead of signing the lease, we need to give him 30 days notice. He didn't even give us 30 days notice!
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • We decided then and there that we were leaving, but that we were gonna give him zero notice. We very quickly found a lovely, well kept office just around the corner and moved all our stuff.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • We even took some decorative items that the previous tenant had left behind. The slumlord was so lazy and never around, he did not keep track of anything like that. We didn't leave a huge mess behind, but we didn't clean either. No lease, so no way for him to penalize us!
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • On Jan 1 we texted the slumlord that we had vacated the building. We never even gave him the keys back, he was too lazy to ask for them.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • A one person hands a set of keys to another during a business meeting.
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • calvarylady. Good for you that's the perfect way to handle a slumlord trying to push his luck. Bet he was shocked when you just dipped like that.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Knitsanity ⚫ Should've dropped a call to code enforcement on the way out
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Go... No lease, so no way to penalize us That's not true, fyi. All the terms of your prior lease still apply, except your lease is only 1 month at a time. You also made no mention of the deposit, that would likely be forfeit if the cost to clean
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • was equal to or more than the deposit. If the cost was more, he could technically sue you for the remaining costs, not to mention having to get new locks and keys made. Slumlord obviously isn't going through that effort, but, you know.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Just wanted to make sure you knew going month to month after a lease lapses doesn't absolve you of your lease terms and conditions.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Baddiezilla3000. Lol, way to stick it to that money-hungry leech, dude! Honestly, I think more peeps need to step up against these bl sucking slumlords.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • OMissy007. That's a delicious story... My dad's a property manager, not a slumlord so whenever there's that kind of ability to sk it to someone lovely it feels good!!
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • 54965. Shoulda told him you left the keys inside. He may not know where his copy of the key is!
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Former rentals owner here. I've seen it all (?) Kid flunked out of apprentice school, vanished, when I went in I found the empty apartment expertly repainted.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • Stopped by another unit, found an un-announced move out yard sale that included my drapes and the garden tools.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • A new tenant moved in 3 of her young friends. I went to collect the rent and was invited in to meet them, all with gorgeous makeup and barely clothed at all.
    via whatcolorismyshirt
  • A broker showed my units to an investor without my knowledge. Upset my tenants. At that point I said why not, and sold.
    via whatcolorismyshirt

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Tags

landlord petty revenge petty bad landlord entitled people tenant Office entitled people karma
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