Ever log onto a local review site, like Yelp or Facebook, and see unflattering reviews about your management company or property?
Sometimes these tenant complaints are valid, due to poor customer service by your management team, other times your tenants are simply complaining because they didn’t get their way.
Here’s a look at some common renter complaints that tenants can transform into negative reviews that could end up hurting your reputation and future business success.
Let’s see if these are legitimate complaints or an entitled tenant having an issue with standard lease terms.
My landlord always charges me late fees, even though I only pay my rent a day late.
Verdict: Entitled tenant.
A good landlord should collect late fees on the first day rent is late. If a manager or landlord let’s renters get away with paying rent late with no consequence, even once, the renter will build bad rent paying habits.
Your lease agreement should clearly say which day rent is due, what day late fees will incur and how much. On top of that, you need to actually enforce your late fee policy. Enforcing late fees is an important part of a landlord tenant relationship and a renter who complains about late fees does not fully understand the contract he agreed to when he signed the lease.
My landlord never returns my phone calls.
Verdict: Legitimate complaint.
You should be available for your renters to contact. If there is an emergency or general rental question, providing open lines of communication between landlord and tenant will help protect your property. Good communication is a pillar of any relationship, including your landlord-tenant relationship.
My landlord is threatening to evict me if I don’t clean up all the dog poop in my backyard.
Verdict: Legitimate complaint.
Landlords and property managers are never allowed to threaten their renters. If your tenant is violating lease terms, like failing to clean up after a pet, you can give them a verbal warning reminding them that if they don’t remedy the situation they might be at risk to the repercussions outlined in the lease agreement. These repercussions might include moving forward with an eviction. But never threaten to evict a tenant for violating the lease terms. If lease violations continue you should follow your lease terms to provide written warnings, and an official notice to Cure or Quit. If the issue is not remedied, then you can move forward with the legal eviction process.
My landlord hasn’t fixed the broken door lock I reported 2 weeks ago.
Verdict: Legitimate complaint.
Your renters are entitled to a safe living environment as required by the implied warranty of habitability. If an entry doorway does not have a working lock, and it was not the tenant’s fault that it was broken, the landlord or property manager is responsible for seeing that it gets fixed in a reasonable amount of time. While a broken door lock does not make a property inhabitable, it could threaten the safety of your tenant. Some states have specific safety laws that require working locks or other security features on entry doors. Failure to meet safety laws could let your tenant qualify for a repair and deduct or the tenant could legally break the lease without penalty.
My landlord charged me $150 to clean the mini-blinds and took it out of my security deposit.
Verdict: Entitled tenant.
Cleaning window treatments is one of the most misunderstood expenses when renters review a itemized security deposit deduction report. I can admit to being guilty of this complaint, only because I had zero idea about the real cost of cleaning mini-blinds. HomeAdvisor reports that the national average cost to clean window treatments is $232, and can range from $142-$338 depending on the the type of material, location of the property, and level of cleaning required.
Metal mini-blinds are also easily damaged and sometimes need to be replaced all together to return a property to pre-move in condition. A landlord can mitigate this potential complaint by conducting a pre-move out inspection and providing a handout of how much it will cost to clean or replace property features if the tenant doesn’t fix the issue himself.
My landlord is making me get rid of my dog because he bit a couple people but it didn’t even break the skin. My landlord is overreacting and heartless.
Verdict: Entitled tenant.
If a pet threatens the safety of other tenants, guests, neighbors or the community, a landlord is absolutely allowed to ask the pet to leave. A landlord cannot evict a tenant for having a dangerous pet, but he can issue a Cure or Quit notice, asking that the pet leave the property. If the tenant doesn’t want to say goodbye to his pet forever, the landlord can require that the tenant go through an official lease breaking process, which might include fines and other fees.
My landlord is selling my rental property and the real estate agent comes over all the time to show the property.
Verdict: Legitimate complaint.
It is not acceptable for a real estate agent to just show up and enter the property unannounced. The same is true for contractors or inspectors that are involved during a home selling process. These types of selling activities can be a huge disruption to a renter who wants to live in peace. Anyone who enters the property must provide advanced noticed according to your state laws for entering the property. If this keeps happening, you need to speak with your agent and make sure they are aware of the laws. Here are some tips for agents about the Best Practices for Selling Renter-Occupied Homes.
The upstairs neighbor’s apartment flooded and the water damaged all of my clothes, bed, and computer. My landlord is refusing to pay to replace my belongings!
Verdict: Entitled tenant.
According to a survey conducted by Insurance Quotes, 52% of millennial renters do not think they need insurance because they assume their landlord’s insurance will cover the cost of stolen or damaged property and belongings. What these renters fail to understand, is that a landlord’s policy typically only covers the structure and property owned by the landlord and not the tenant’s property. Renters should get renters insurance to pay for any damaged or stolen personal property and now blame their landlord.
Bad Management or Bad Tenant?
Reading negative reviews is never fun but can reveal how the community and your renters perceive you and your properties.
Analyze each review and complaint to understand the legitimacy behind the comment. It might reveal that you need to improve your management style or refresh your team on the laws. Other times you might discover that you need to communicate with your tenants better so your renters understand their responsibilities for how to be a great tenant.
“My landlord always charges me late fees, even though I only pay my rent a day late.”–m, no, this is not the complaint of an entitled tenant. In many jurisdictions (including here in Massachusetts), there are laws about when and under what circumstances landlords can charge a late fee. Here in Massachusetts, late fees cannot be charged unless and until the rent is 30 days past due. It is not “entitled” for a tenant to complain about a landlord’s doing something he is forbidden from doing by law.
I am REALLY glad that I live in California where tenants are protected against the absurd & archaic landlord practices mentioned in your articles. In fact, I am stupified by things you say landlords are allowed to do. It almost sounds Medieval!
Entitled tenant ^
Yep lol
How do i get help with an unethical apartment manager? She is constantly giving her notices for frivolous things, such as my dog bring walked off leash, when her did are never in leashes themselves? Or giving me a15 notice to pay out quit when Mr rent was only 13 days late, when I’ve watched her allow other tenets go fit months and months without paying rent racking up $6,000-$7,000 in past due rent without giving them a notice.
Or, my apartment manager herself spreading vicious and untrue gossip about me to my n we ighbies inciting them to treat me and my young child poorly. She even had her daughter’s attack me and verbally harrass me ( while I had my 8year old daughter and newborn grandson with me) in the property and also off property at Walmart n front of other customers, calling me horrible banned, using foul language and being just nasty mean.
I feel like I’m being bullied and overpowered because she hasthd ability to make me lose the bone i have for me and my daughter.
I don’t feel that it is right what she continuities to do and get away with!
Please Help
Northern California Single mom.
A landlord may give notice whenever there is a violation of a lease (dogs off-leash, late payments, etc) to any tenant that is in violation of their agreement. I’m not certain why some tenants are receiving notices while other residents aren’t — perhaps they have payment arrangements in place or some other situation such as established Covid exceptions. But I can say that it is unfortunate that they are not following the same guidelines for their pet as the rules require for the tenants or dealing with verbal altercations — I would highly recommend you contact the property management company to discuss all those issues in writing. If you feel you are physically in danger from an altercation, be sure to reach out to your local authorities.
Our landlords turned off our power two days after they served us with a 30 day. The 30 day is a no cause. But the day before they served us, they demanded 800 dollars for a power bill thatA: could not possibly be as we live in a travel trailer with limotedamps B:our ower isincluded in the rent had been for five years. They are harassing us beyond belief, cussing at us, threatening us, messing with our animals. It’s horrible. We are doing what we can to move, unfortunately they also wont allow us to park our vehicles or bring our trailer to pack our stuff. We are stuck like chuck.we turned power on in our name and theyageeed to give us extension. But when my husband refused to do with for them on their other property, they filed a five day. It’s two days into the five day and they are demanding we put power on but in their name. We refused. We answered the eviction and plan to ask judge for an extension due to the continuous harassment and their demands , we havent had proper tome to find new residence. Iy t is a very hard time right NV ow as there are limited affordable options. We have decided we are heading out of Nevada entirely and have been pre approved for buying a home in michigan.this treatment they are giving makes no sense. Asimov typing , they are moving in another person to take our place. Because we wont trust them and turn ower on in their name, they are laying electricity wire on the ground and setting the trailer up through another tenants power. (An auto shop they are so careless. Wrapping the wrapping the wire around the metal gate and even the plastic cones. In the dirt and no protection from the weather or anyone who unsuspectingly comes into contact. Risk tisktisk.. I cannot wait to be out of here and away from these landlords.these past five years havecost us more than we can afford. Both emotionally as well as financially. So much details that wontfit. But, they really are giving this town and legit business
owners a bad representation. Taking advantage of disabled and elderly who already face challenges has got to take some serious rotting of the heart.so sad. so embarassed.unbelievabe that we have to be categorized as the same citizens of the same country as these two. They seek out to damage others? I will never understand that. Using every advantage asbisinessowners totakeadvntageof the desperate just turns my stomach.We went through over 100000 dollars in savings because of their actions.its een
a nightmare. And they are not going to ease up either. Doesn’t make sense how some people can get away with so much illegal activity as these two. Will not miss it for even one second after we are finally rid of this experience. Emotional and financial leaches we couldnt get off ff us is how it feels. Yuck . Not the typical landlords. But . Trust me, I know, they do exist . And they do get real benefits that other landlords wouldnt consider to do. Until the law pays attention however, these two are art of the housing trouble and do not give an ounce of concern about it. I almost feel sorry for them. Inevitably they will be caught. I’m sure.or at least I like to believe they will someday. I’ve had enough of witnessing the behavior and lack of justice. Thars a fact. I’m exhausted and over due for the escape.