Landlord raises rent 5 months in because tenant has a remote job, claims they're conducing a business from the apartment

JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor

Jun 9, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

Is working from home a reason to raise the rent?

Dealing with landlords can be a huge pain in the neck, and the landlord from this story, which was shared on the tenant subreddit, was no exception. They think that just because they have a certain amount of power (they own the property in which you live), it entitles them to everything. In reality, they're not even really providing a service. But they know you need a place to live, so sometimes they'll try to squeeze you for everything you have. That's what happened here, when a landlord came up with a completely invalid reason to charge someone more rent. But since the tenant was a first-time renter, they didn't know any better. Sometimes ignorance can be a huge reason that someone takes advantage of you. That's why it's helpful to have a resource such as the internet to help shed light on your situation.

Just because you work remotely doesn't mean you're running a business out of your apartment. There is a huge difference between those two concepts. When you work from home, you're still an employee. You're still working a regular job. You're just doing it from your couch instead of your office. But this landlord didn't quite seem to understand that. The way he saw it, he could squeeze a couple extra bucks out of his unsuspecting tenant just for the heck of it. Nobody wants to be taken advantage of, and nobody wants to feel like they've been made a fool. But sometimes, if you're not careful, someone will come along and try to walk over you and see if you don't notice. The tenant in this story didn't have much experience with landlords, so they wondered if this was normal or even legal. Luckily, commenters came in to help set the record straight. Keep scrolling to read what they had to say, and the advice that they gave to the person in the story. It always helps to reach out and ask for advice, especially when it comes to landlords. Or else, who knows what might happen.
via Thought Catalog

A woman sits on the floor leaning on her couch, working from home
Landlord raising rent cuz i WFH... first time renting and I already regret moving out lol

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via Aggravating-Fox8553
Commenters gave their advice and opinions.

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