40+ People Who Have Evidence Of Their Bad Landlords
The relationship between landlords and tenants isn’t always the easiest to navigate. While it’s understandable that landlords get annoyed by late rent or mysteriously broken appliances, there are plenty who drop the ball in ways that go far beyond inconvenience.
Some property owners seem to forget that having a rental doesn’t mean ignoring basic safety and livability. From sneaky hidden cameras to ceilings on the verge of collapse, these pictures reveal just how careless—and even dangerous—some landlords can be. Scroll on to see the shocking realities some renters have faced.
The Landlord Was Feeling Sluggish About Dealing With This
If tenants report a slug infestation in their home, landlords would do well to take it seriously. No one would make up something that unpleasant—nobody wants to invite that kind of problem into their own space.
Make Your Own Heat
To save on heating costs during a Minnesota winter, their landlord likely lowered the heat — but he overlooked the fact that he’s the one paying the electric bill. That’s when this person decided to get creative.
What Is This? A Shower For Ants?
This wasn’t how it looked before a tall tenant moved in. The user who shared the photo says the landlord actually made this modification after they had already settled in. On the bright side, their calves will definitely stay spotless.
Run Away, Immediately
“Is this mold? Is it dangerous?” The answer to both questions is a definite yes. If your apartment ceiling resembles this and your landlord refuses to address it, you’re completely justified in reconsidering whether to keep paying rent.
Is This…Legal?
I’m not an expert on every code that landlords have to follow but my gut tells me that charging for elevator use is not legal. If it’s not in the contract it’s not legal.
Now Do You Believe Me?
If your landlord ignores your first complaint about a clear crack in the ceiling, just wait until a pipe and some insulation come crashing down — that’s when they’ll show up in a hurry.
Did They Stop Fixing It Halfway Through?
The Reddit user who shared this photo wasn’t too impressed with their landlord’s fix for the broken tap — but technically, it is “repaired.” Sure, it’ll probably rust much faster than a proper handle, but hey, it’ll be easy to swap out again when it inevitably breaks.
Not Exactly What They Were Hoping For
After a break-in occurred on their street, these tenants reasonably requested additional security for their front door. What’s harder to understand is how their landlord decided this was the kind of protection they had in mind.
Time To Move
PSA: If mushrooms are sprouting from your carpet, it’s way past the point of quirky. No matter how much of a “fun guy” your landlord might be, it’s time they address the serious water damage—or you should start looking for a new habitat.
A Little Natural Light
This door looks like the Kool-Aid Man is about to burst through it at any second, which, as entertaining as that might be, is not the kind of security we need from a front door.
A Not-So Gated Community
Adding a gate for extra security into the complex seemed like a nice idea to the tenants until they realized their landlord wasn’t able to figure out how to actually do that.
It’s Meant For Small, Narrow Items Only
Don’t be so greedy! Your landlord just installed a brand new microwave for you, but now you want to be able to open it all the way? You’re asking for too much.
Big Brother Is Always Watching
Remember folks, if your landlord claims they’re doing work in your apartment then you later discover they actually installed a wifi surveillance camera that records audio and video, you should probably move out.
Built-In Fire Starter
No, that is not a chunk of dirt coming out of someone’s outlet – that’s the “insulation” that was causing the outlet to spark repeatedly. If your landlord refuses to investigate a problem you tell them about, it’s always worth it to take a look for yourself so you know which outlets will potentially set your place on fire.
There Must Be A Better Way
A huge, leaking hole in the ceiling? The “obvious” fix: buckets. And when those buckets fill up? You just add more buckets. Seems like the only way to handle that leaky roof.
Sure, That Works
Not really what they were hoping for when they asked for more outdoor light around the garbage area, but the landlord technically did what they wanted.
Don’t Let This Drag-On
No matter how much you love Game of Thrones, waking up to discover that your landlord has purchased a giant sculpture of a dragon to display in the front yard is not an ideal situation.
Now It’s An Obstacle Course
This person was told by their landlord that they’d be installing railings around the porch in order to make it safer, but they weren’t expecting that railing to keep them from going outside.
Hanging By A Thread
Typically, when people ask their landlord to fix something, it’s because they’re not capable of doing it themselves. However, if they had known that this was an acceptable solution to a rain gutter that had fallen off, they would’ve just done it themselves.
Is He A Friend Of Yours?
If there is this much wood exposed in your house, your landlord has some serious work to do, unless this little guy is a new roommate you weren’t notified about.
It All Comes Crashing Down Eventually
The advantage to renting an apartment rather than owning one is that when the ceiling caves in (after you’ve told the landlord multiple times that it was leaking), it’s not your responsibility to clean up the mess!
“So My Friends Landlord Thinks This Is No Big Deal”
No big deal, just, you know, MUSHROOMS GROWING FROM THE CEILING. This can’t be good, and what lies above the drywall is terrifying. Hopefully, they got out of there ASAP.
The Root Of The Problem
We’re going to go out on a limb and say that these tree roots might be the reason behind those water pipe issues you’ve been having. Just a hunch, hard to say for sure though.
It’ll Be A Stairway To Heaven If You Try To Walk Up These
There was a miscommunication between the landlord and the contractor, so now this tenant has steps attached to a porch with no entrance. The porch looks pretty crooked anyway, so it’s probably for the best that you can’t get on it.
No More Screwing Around
If you suddenly discover that your windows are screwed shut, you should probably be a little concerned. Whether they were recently screwed shut or you’ve just never noticed before, it’s a bit of a safety concern.
He’s An Artist, Not A Plumber
We hope for the tenants’ sake that this “solution” for their leaking roof was only temporary, but the fact that they posted it on the internet makes us think that maybe they were living with it for longer than they’d like.
Wired Up
A fire inspector or an electrician (or really any sane person) would have a field day with all these wires. This feels like an accident waiting to happen, but beggars can’t be choosers, right? You have to weigh the risks and decide which apartment is least likely to get you killed.
A Secret Cupboard For Tall People Only
It’s not a collapsed ceiling or a bug infestation, but how is a cupboard that has no handles and is higher than the rest helpful at all? There will just have to be a minimum height requirement for whoever the next tenant is.
Pretty, But Useless
This girl complained to her landlord about a housefly infestation and her solution was a venus flytrap a la Little Shop of Horrors. We’re not sure what the appetite of a venus flytrap is, but one little plant probably won’t eat the hundreds of flies that were in this girl’s kitchen.
A (Hopefully) Temporary Fix
After a stray bullet damaged some of the wood on their house, this person’s landlord quite literally decided to fix the situation by putting a bandaid on a bullet wound. Hopefully, he was just being funny and will actually be fixing it soon.
Maybe It’s A Spa Shower?
According to the user, whenever their shower breaks the landlord just installs a new shower head. It makes sense in theory, but they’re going to run out of space real soon.
The Jig Is Up
It’s all finally making sense. That time you had the flu and were sweating so you tried to turn down the heat but it stayed at 80F? Yep. It’s all coming together now.
They Said The Storage Room Smelled Strange
A landlord decided to deal with a funky smell coming out of the storage room by hanging an air freshener. But what I want to know is what the heck is the thing growing out of the ceiling?!
The Ultimate Security System
I can’t speak for the renter of this unit, but nothing makes me feel better than knowing I’m safe at night with a thin chain held together by a dollar-store lock and key.
I Mean…It’s Not A Terrible Solution
I don’t hate this solution as long as the dead rodent was removed. If the rodent wasn’t removed and these cheap bars of soap are just there masking the smell then that’s a problem.
So This Is The Fire Plan?
This person’s landlord has a foolproof plan in case of fire. The worst part about this is that there is room for more than one water bottle in that case, and the landlord still decided to skimp.
You Can See The Sag
This is not the solution you were expecting, nor is it the solution you wanted your landlord to come up with after you told him that a giant crack had appeared in the ceiling in your living room.
A Multipurpose Room
For all those times that you were cooking something and didn’t want to go to the bathroom in case you burned the food, this apartment has your solution. A toilet directly next to the stove solves your problems, but it also creates some new issues.
You Won’t Be Swimming Anytime Soon
Finding an apartment complex that has a swimming pool would be a big selling point. What the landlord failed to mention at the time though is that the pool is permanently closed.
Time To Get The Broom
The ceiling caved in, but the landlord said they can’t find the leak until next time it rains, so they’re left with a skylight in the bathroom and a mess on the floor instead of a proper ceiling.
Don’t Forget To Floss
As a permanent reminder from your friendly, local landlord who cares deeply about your dental health, someone painted the actual dental floss stick onto the wall. It’s unclear if it was a clean or used one…
You Can’t See It, So It Doesn’t Exist
When you tell someone that there’s a loose grate in the backyard that you fell through, you expect that they’ll replace it, right? Wrong. A box over the hole is plenty safe.
Close Quarters
Sure, it’s not the worst apartment bathroom we’ve seen, but there’s at least a 70% chance that you’re going to bump into that toilet every day when you get out of the shower.
