Landlord Behaving Badly? Here’s What To Do
Landlord Behaving Badly? Here’s What To Do. It isn’t uncommon for a landlord to have to deal with a bad tenant, but what about a tenant dealing with a bad landlord? This may be less common, or at least less talked about. However, it does happen. In this post, we’re going to discuss what you can do if your landlord begins behaving badly.
Bad landlords come in all shapes and sizes. Maybe yours wants you out without notice and for no good reason, or you have had a repair they have been informed of for months and have failed to fix. Whatever it is, you’ll find advice here that will help you.
What Are The Most Common Landlord/Tenant Disputes?
- Building conditions
- Essential services
- Rent increases
- Tenant’s right to stay
The above are the most common disputes that landlords and tenants tend to have. However, they are certainly not limited to those listed above. Sometimes, a landlord and a tenant can have issues with harassment. If your landlord is entering your property without your permission and/or knowledge, they are harassing you. Some may even attempt to charge more rent based on a person’s gender, race, or another discriminatory factor. Although it’s 2019 and you would expect people to know how to behave, this is unfortunately not the case!
What To Do When You Are Experiencing An Issue With Your Landlord?
A bad landlord is usually handled on a state level. This means you need to know the rules and regulations in your state and then report your landlord accordingly. This should give you an idea of whether you have a case or not. There are also nonprofit organizations that focus on tenant rights, as well as agencies that handle tenant complaints. You may also want to hire a lawyer that specializes in the kind of dispute you are having.
Keep Records And Evidence
Of course, one of the easiest ways to get things sorted is to simply explain to your landlord what is going on and what you will do if they do not sort it out. You should also begin keeping records and evidence to help your case if this needs to go further at any point. Depending on what the issue is, you may need to do some research, such as how to report a landlord to the health department. By taking your landlord to court or getting a governing body involved, they can be ordered to pay you compensation and to carry out the repair work.
Having a difficult relationship with your landlord can be a huge source of anxiety, so making sure you take action as quickly as you can and always try to deal with them first can be a good idea. If they are totally unresponsive to your ideas and suggestions, then it’s time to get another party involved who can make your landlord take action.
Make sure you are fully aware of your rights as a renter so that if your landlord does start doing something shady, you’re prepared!