Philly landlord delays a tenant’s move-in, leaves the new apartment without power for days, then ignores her request for a rent discount over the unusable time: 'He's ignoring my proration request'

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Jul 2, 2026 1:00 PM EDT

Moving into a new place always feels like a fresh start. New keys, new routine, maybe even the illusion that things will be organized this time.

Then you deal with a landlord and remember where you are.

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  • 01
    Where do I even begin? This is a LONG one y'all. Please buckle in. I scouted my new place out mid- late May after deciding to move to Philly from the surrounding suburbs.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 02

    My landlord is ignoring my proration request after delaying my move in by almost a week. Is withholding my rent a possibility?

    Thoughtful woman sits on a sofa with clasped hands, looking upward in a modern living room.
    via adriaticfoto

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

  • 03
    The unit was beautiful, the tenants seemed chill and alright with the conditions of the building, so it was a no brainer to apply.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 04
    After two weeks without communication about my application, I was told that someone had already applied for the unit and the leasing office failed to notify my realtor about it.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 05
    No biggie, there's another unit- slightly larger- for the same price one floor up. They let me apply for that unit.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 06
    The move in process was absolutely sickening. It was like pulling teeth trying to get any information or update about my application.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 07
    Being ever the patient woman, I toured other units for 3 more weeks before they announced they'd approved my move in.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 08
    The realtor (she's a 3rd party working with the building) told me she had just been told about the reason for the lack of communication with the leasing office.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 09
    They'd experienced some troubles with their head of their staff spontaneously quitting so they were kinda of picking up the pieces.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 10
    Worried woman sits on a sofa with her hands on her temples in a modern living room.
    via adriaticfoto

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

  • 11
    I get it- it's hard out here when people decide to up and quit. I put down the deposit on June 5th after touring the unit again.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 12
    I was due to move in on the 12th. Tuesday, June 9th rolls around and I'm wondering where the lease is at.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 13
    The realtor keeps telling me to keep an eye on my email because it's supposed to come directly from the leasing office of the building.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 14
    I'm a recovering crash out, so I'm trying to keep the faith and peace because my credit is already on thin ice and I realllyyyy wanted to get out of my living situation at the time.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 15
    Honestly, someone would've gotten the business with me long before this point if I hadn't been so eager to gtfo my old house.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 16
    We get to Thursday, June 11th and 7:09 PM I'm sent the lease. The realtor asked me that morning when I'd be able to pick up the keys.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 17
    I work until pretty late Mon-Fri so I asked if Saturday might be an option. She assured me it would be fine, but then 30 minutes later called back and told me I had to pick up the keys on Friday.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 18
    Mind you, I was begging the realtor to have the leasing office follow up with me about directly about this so I could use PTO or something.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 19
    I have bills to pay! Fine, whatever. The lease is signed. I'm in. Let's get the utilities started up, right?
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 20
    Woman standing on a step stool changes a ceiling light bulb in a modern kitchen.
    via adriaticfoto

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

  • 21
    WRONG!! I call the electric company right after the call with the realtor on Thursday and was told that the landlord needed to schedule an inspection bc the unit hadn't been occupied in so long, they needed to confirm that it was still safe to turn on the electric.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 22
    =D F me, right? I get the keys on Friday. The power is out due a nasty storm that blew through.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 23
    I tell the realtor about what the electric company told me. She gets on the phone with the leasing office.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 24
    They tell her to tell me that the maintenance team is going to bypass PECO's clearance and have the power on by that night.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 25
    Fool me once, I'll get fooled a million times. I roll up to the building, walk all the way up to my unit.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 26
    Nothing. Not a flicker of a hint of power, and the office is closed until Monday.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 27
    Mind you, it's hot asf outside, weather was in the 90s. I didn't have any AC available, and my poor family had to help me move my stuff in before the it got dark because I didn't have any lights. to turn on.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 28
    I get on the leasing office via email. It's Monday, June 15th. I email the leasing office (finally got their info) about the power issue and she emails me the phone number to the maintenance team.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 29
    I get the tech on the phone and he assures me it'll be handled that night.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 30
    Told me that they scheduled the inspection but the they wouldn't be able to inspect the unit until the 17th or 18th.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 31
    Mind you, Juneteenth is a federal holiday. Nobody's coming to do jack diddly on their paid holiday.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 32
    Skeptical, but still wanting to trust that these people know they're doing, I drive to the unit on Monday night.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 33
    Can you guess what I found... Cmon.... Cmon, guess.... ☐ NADA C I go back on Tuesday June 16 NOTHINGGGGGG he gave me nothing!!!
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 34
    After I texted him again and gave him a bulls story about how I was paying to stay in hotels sob when I was supposed to be living in my unit, he claimed the tech forgot to come back after he needed some type of tool to get my electric started (I guess he didn't feel the need to shot me a text that he wasn't able to finish it).
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 35
    Finally, on Wednesday, June 17th, they started my power without the inspection. I'm technically getting free electric right now.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 36
    I'm not complaining about that by any means. I emailed the leasing office that Wednesday to request a further proration on my rent due to the unit being uninhabitable with the high temperature and lack of electricity.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 37
    I expressed my disappointment that obtaining the certificate of clearance was not handled before they looked to fill the unit.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 38
    Ultimately, I was ignored. She never even emailed me the link to pay my rent like she told me she would on June 11th.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 39
    I followed up about my email this morning and received no response. I'm going to try and call to see if she even picks up.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 40
    Would I be justified in withholding my rent until there's a proration? It's not like I can pay the rent anyway- there's no leasing office in the building and the great invisible leasing agent never emailed me my link to pay.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 41
    Also- just for shis and gigs, I went back to the electric company to see if they ever got the inspection done.
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo
  • 42
    Nope!! Hope you enjoyed my tale. Does anyone have any advice on this? Edited for grammar
    via XoXoBcLilithSaidSo

  • First, communication is slow and confusing, but you brush it off because “things happen.” Then suddenly everything becomes urgent, but only for you. Sign this now, pick this up now, figure it out now. Meanwhile, on their end, time is more of a loose concept. You ask simple questions and get vague answers. You follow up and get silence. You show up expecting basic things to work, and they simply do not. But don’t worry, someone is “on it.” They are always “on it.” Nothing inspires confidence like a problem that is permanently being handled.

    Days pass, nothing changes, and you start lowering your expectations in real time. At first you wanted a smooth move-in. Now you would settle for the bare minimum, like a functioning space and someone answering an email. And when you finally ask for something reasonable, like not paying for the time you could not even use the place, that is when things get really quiet. Almost impressively quiet. Like your message got gently placed into a folder labeled “absolutely not.”

    At some point you realize this is the system. Not a mistake, not bad luck, just the way it works. You adjust, they stall, and everyone pretends this is normal.

    Renting is not really about finding a place to live. It is about seeing how much inconvenience you can tolerate before you lose your mind.


     

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landlord rental lease tenant bad landlord entitled renting entitled people
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