Landlord demands tenant's keys to his car because he 'owns the asphalt': 'I am still trying to process the level of entitlement'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 2, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

Does your landlord deserve the keys to your car?

The answer is pretty much a resounding "no." But that doesn't stop landlords from doing what they do best: overreaching in their tenants' lives. Just because you own the parking space doesn't mean you own the car. This is a pretty basic understanding of ownership and object permanence. Your landlord might own your apartment, but that doesn't mean he can come into your house and eat your leftover Thai food. That's your food. The landlord in this story, though, didn't quite understand that. He wanted the keys to his tenant's car and wouldn't let up, no matter how much the tenant objected. 

It's hard to feel like you have any power in the tenant-landlord dynamic as the tenant. You feel like you have everything to lose, because you often do. It's your home that they're in charge of, not some incidental part of your life. If you suddenly had to move or lost your lease, you would end up in an exceptionally difficult situation. 

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  • 01
    A tenant hands over their keys to their landlord
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • 02

    Landlord wants a spare key to my car because he "owns the asphalt"

    So I just got the most unhinged text from my landlord and I am still trying to process the level of entitlement it takes to even type this out. I rent a small house and pay an extra seventy five bucks a month for a dedicated parking spot in the driveway. It is in my lease and I have been paying it religiously for over a year. Well apparently the leach decided that
    via 2MadrigalHex
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    owning the deed to the property means he also has a right to control everything sitting on it including my personal property. He messaged me saying that I need to drop off a spare key to my car at his office by Monday morning. His logic is that since he owns the driveway he needs to be able to move my vehicle at any
    via 2MadrigalHex
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    time in case of an "emergency" or if he decides he needs to do maintenance like "trimming the hedges" or "resurfacing the area" without giving me notice. He actually had the nerve to say that as the landowner he has a right to clear his property whenever he sees fit and my car is just a guest on his land.
    via 2MadrigalHex
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    I told him absolutely not and that my car insurance specifically prohibits giving keys to unauthorized third parties but he just doubled down. He said if I do not comply he will consider it a breach of the "cooperation clause" in my lease and will start charging me a daily "obstruction
    via 2MadrigalHex
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    fee" of twenty dollars. It is a car not a piece of furniture and I am paying for the spot. These people literally think they bought a human being along with the property. The idea that I should give a guy who cant even fix a leaky faucet full access to my vehicle just because he owns the dirt underneath it is peak landlord
    via 2MadrigalHex
  • 07
    brain. I am honestly worried he is just going to call a tow truck next time I am at work just to prove a point because these parasites cannot stand it when a tenant actually has boundaries.
    via 2MadrigalHex
  • 08

    Commenters gave their idea about how to handle this.

    deadmonkeyboy87 If he has it towed call the cops. If he tries to evict you for the new fees he will be laughed out of court. Pretty much he is playing a loosing game of f around and find out and it's going to hurt him financially and if he tows the car then a whole legal mess with the cops as well.
    via deadmonkeyboy87
  • 09
    A man stands in a parking lot by himself
    via eldhose kuriyan

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

  • This is why misuses of landlord power happen so often, because they have an outsized amount of power. But that doesn't mean that you can't stand up for yourself. In fact, it means you have to. And depending on where you live, there might be tenant laws on your side. It's also important to talk about this stuff, online and in your communities, so we can all be aware of what each other are dealing with. It makes us all stronger when we're informed. That's why this story caused so much chatter in the comments. It was an egregious example of something that, unfortunately, many of us face. Who doesn't have a story about a bad landlord? Of course, though, these are better as stories than they are as realities. It can be hard to live with the reality of a bad landlord, but there is power in community. Keep scrolling to read the full story here and get a sense of just how hard it is out there as a tenant. And then scroll through the comments to keep the fun going. 

  • 10
    Kieselguhr-Kid "I checked with my insurance and they recommended against this, sorry"
    via Kieselguhr-Kid
  • 11
    Joelle9879 You are paying for the right to use the space, which gives you certain rights. If anything, HE has to give YOU a heads up when he wants to do something that may interfere with use of the space. Just like he can't go into the house and start
    via Joelle9879
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    messing with your stuff, same would go for any personal property on the premises. Man, just when I think these AHs can't sink any lower you get demands for car access and plant fees
    via Joelle9879
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    Boring_Phone_5646 Make sure to get that in writing + go talk to an attorney problem solved. =
    via Boring_Phone_5646
  • 14
    smoulderstoat Tell him that due to insurance restrictions you are unable to give him a key. You can, however, rent him one at twice your current rent, a night of passion with his wife, and his left kidney.
    via smoulderstoat
  • 15
    ashmelev The apartments and the parking space are exclusively yours for the duration of the lease. They must give you an advanced notice if they need to enter your apartment and if they
    via ashmelev
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    need you to move the car if, for example, they are repaving the spot. And especially not if they just want to park a contractor truck for an hour.
    via ashmelev
  • 17
    Repulsive_Disaster76 I'd hand him fake keys. Then begin sending him invoices for the car rental fees he owes.
    via Repulsive_Disaster76
  • 18
    iiiilillliil Engage a lawyer. So many lanlords have this idea that ownership means they can do whatever they want whenever and with whatever. It is wild this joker thinks he has any claim to your property.
    via iiiilillliil
  • 19
    FunOwl2026 Contact a lawyer. A letter will show this guy you are not around and he'll back off.
    via FunOwl2026
  • 20
    feuwbar Google "right of quiet enjoyment of property." Tenants with a lease have rights to the leased property. This is an overstep on the part if the landlord.
    via feuwbar
  • 21
    SirQuick8441 Tell him you'll take a left toe in trade. If he's sharing the earth with you, he obviously owes you.
    via SirQuick8441

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landlord tenant landlords bad landlord entitled money Renters parking entitled people
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