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30 Times Landlords Neglected Their Tenants So Much, They Had To Take Pics As Evidence
Finding a new place to live in is quite a task in itself, but for some people, the struggle doesn't end there. There are landlords who create such a toxic environment, their tenants' everyday life becomes a neverending misery. From installing secret surveillance cameras to ignoring ceiling leaks, these greedy bastards are full of dirty tricks.
Bored Panda has compiled this list to prove that you should always remain skeptical when hunting for an apartment. One thing's for sure, though, those sly foxes are definitely know how to save a penny.
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So My Friend's Landlord Thinks This Is No Big Deal
However, even the worst landlords have to try real hard to come close to Steven Croman. He spent decades flipping rent-controlled Manhattan apartment buildings, buying them cheap and having his employees remove the apartment's occupants. Croman's employees referred to the tenants as 'targets,' and were competing to push out the most as they would receive a bonus for each tenant they forced out.
My Landlord Pretended To Do Work In The Flat But Ended Up Installing This 360° Wifi Surveillance Camera Which Also Records Audio Without Telling Me About It
When the 'targets' refused to move, Croman enforced harassment. He turned their buildings into dangerous construction sites, refused to make repairs, and cut off heat, electricity, and hot water. If that wasn't enough, he ordered his companies to file baseless lawsuits against the residents. One tenant, for example, was brought to court 11 times, even though she was not behind on the rent; another tenant racked up $240,000 in legal fees.
That Awkward Moment When Your "Thermostat" Is Actually Just Hanging On A Nail, And Doesn't Control The Temperature Whatsoever. Shout Out To The Best Landlords Ever
If tenants continued living in the apartments, Croman would call Anthony Falconite. The retired police officer would pose as a repairman, a building manage or an inspector to get into people’s homes. Once inside, he would come up with an accusations, telling tenants they were occupying the units illegally. Falconite would demand their IDs, and take their photos without permission.
Landlords Didn't Believe Me When I Tried To Tell Them We Had A Slug Infestation. Said They've Never Heard Of Such A Problem
After his tenants were gone, Croman ignored construction laws and performed work without permits more than on 175 occasions. Eventually, Croman’s shady methods drew the attention of officials, and he was charged with grand larceny and tax fraud. In 2017, he pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay a $5 million tax settlement and $8 million to his former tenants. He was also sentenced to one year in jail.
My Landlord Finally Installed A New Gated Entryway. I Feel So Much Safer Now
My Landlord Sucks
This is a structural / safety issue. If reported to the local government (or relative department), this could mean that the property would be deemed uninhabitable, and needing to be evacuated until repaired. The costs of moving etc, should theoretically be covered by the landlord.
I've Been Arguing With My Landlord About Water Seeping Into My Apartment For 2 Months Now. Found This Little Guy Today
A Leak My Landlord Refuses To Fix. Is This Mold? Is It Dangerous?
Landlord Decided To Turn Down The Heat Today In My Mn Apartment As It Reached -40°. But The Idiot Must Have Forgotten He Pays My Electric And Doesn't Realize That I Value My Comfort Over Safety Or Energy Conservation
I remember this story.. The heat turn down was at request of the energy company, so they could have every home not-freezing due to shortage on the grid or gas pipes. They had to be turned down to 15C (which is not warm, but above freezing). It was not the landlords idea to do this. This was an area-wide thing.
Landlord Charges Residents To Use The Elevator
These costs, should be included in the quarterly Strata fees that all property owners should pay..... unless the entire complex is owned by one person, and they're just being a tight-a**e.
My Landlord Is Super Serious About Fire Safety
Landlord Responded Right Away When I Sent Him The Second Pic
Told My Landlord That There Was A Drip Coming From My Ceiling About Two Weeks Ago. They Did Nothing About It And I Woke Up To This This Morning
My Ceiling Caved In And The Landlord Said They Won't Fix It Until It Rains Again And They Can Find The Leak
Landlord Promised To Install A Cat Flap In Our Back Door After Some Security Issues. Came Home To This
Landlord Ignored Me For Two Months About My Sparking Outlet, Got Worried About A Fire And Did It Myself And I Find This
Welcome To Renting In London! My Landlord Has Just Put Our Thermostat In A Cage
Candle beneath it: Heat goes down. Icecubes on top of it: Heat goes up.
Each Time We Ask Our Landlord To Fix The Shower They Just Add A New Nozzle
My Friend Asked Me If This Message From Her 53-Year-Old Landlord Was Creepy
Run. now. Run, and never look back. This is HIGHLY ILLEGAL for him to be taking photos of you without permission etc, within this context of him being your landlord. I'd be changing the locks, and looking for hidden cameras now. Seriously
Landlord Fitted A Shower Head Holder, Perfect For When I Finish My Shift At The Chocolate Factory
Our Landlord Fixed Our Deck
Our Landlord Installed The Locks To Our Front Door Backwards
I Told My Landlord To Fix The Leak In The Ceiling. She Ignored Me
My Landlord Said There Was A Pool, He Failed To Mention It Is Closed. Forever
Landlord Hung The Microwave, This Is As Far As It Opens Before Hitting The Wall
My "Oh So Awesome" Landlord Quit Cleaning My Pool Cause Kids Who Weren’t Living Here Were Playing In It
We Asked Our Landlord For A Bigger Table. He Built Us This
I don’t understand how a table is the landlords responsibility unless the place already came furnished (which isn’t common where I live).
The Landlord Decided To Get Rid Of This Tree For No Reason, Additionally Killing Newborn Birds In The Process
My Landlord Promised To “Redo The Bathroom Floors.” This Was The Result
A Rodent Died Under Our Sunroom This Winter And Stunk Up The House. This Was My Landlord's Answer To Fixing The Smell
So much illegal and dodgy work. Hope these landlords were reported.
So many people who don't understand that the whole world doesn't work exactly the same as where they live…
So we mention what we know and our experiences where we are. It just might help someone else in our same country who might not be aware of their rights. Discussion of what appears to be a common problem in more than one country is not a bad thing. It just might spur change on a grassroots level. If nothing else, it let’s people know they’re most definitely not alone in what they’re going through. My advice to you, Phil, is to just go back down in your mother’s basement.
Load More Replies...When I use to rent I would just fix the problem myself, then send the bill to landlord.
In some places, depending on your contract, you could get in big trouble for doing that.
Load More Replies...Uhm... don't get me wrong, but why do people stay in such conditions and don't move out? I've been in a few rented appartments when I was younger and the first signs of mould / roaches / leaks etc would make me move out immediately. I'm not familiar with renting market in GB/ US but I just can't understand people who put up with that instead of finding a new place to live in decent conditions.
If it is like Australia often tenants have to put down a big cash "damage deposit" and / or insurance for the Landlord. So moving can be *extremely* expensive.
Load More Replies...It’s disturbing to me to see what people have to put up with because otherwise they won’t have a place to live. That such landlords have so little care for others (and don't care about their property) that they have tenants living in mould and weak structures with dodgy electricity, etc. It's MEAN and uncalled for. I’m very grateful to live in a safe and well-tended building, and that issues are properly repaired promptly, and it’s not like I live in a rich or middle-class area, either. One run-in was all it took. The landlord's management company pretended they didn't have my rent check (a ploy so they could claim I didn't pay, evict me, and raise the rent by 20% on the next tenant), but I called 311 (in NYC), and a woman I know who's a tenant lawyer for a non-profit (she did me a solid and called the landlord on my behalf). Lo, and behold! All of a sudden, check found. I haven't had a problem since. Like I said, I'm very grateful and recognize my good fortune. I tell my friends who have issues what agencies to call. At some point, people get fed up with this sort of meanness. To quote Mister Rogers, "...the only thing that really angers me is something that's demeaning to somebody else." Such conditions are demeaning, IMO. And tenants pay for it? Nah, son. Nah.
Sorry that you had to go through that. I hope you enjoy your new place! I moved to a studio that's basic but everything works, it costs the same as I was paying, and the location is great - even using a cane, I can walk to anywhere. And the building super is really respectful and cares about what he's doing. The other day he was sweeping the parking lot!
Load More Replies...Were these all Kushner properties? ‘Cause they sure look like it. (I live in Maryland, where Kushner has bought a lot of rental properties. I’ve even seen ads they’ve placed, on websites like Indeed and CareerBuilder, to hire certified mediators in Baltimore to handle landlord-tenant disputes. Though I am a certified mediator in Maryland, I did not apply. I cannot in good conscience work for a company like that, as I know I’d be asked to always—-unethically, as mediators are supposed to remain as unbiased as humanly possible—-steer the mediations in favor of the landlords. )
My landlord doesn't give us hot water. It's been 2 months that we've had to boil water to bathe ourselves
That sucks. It’s illegal though. Just report them. Or call the water company.
Load More Replies...Has anyone had a landlord date labeled there goods and said if dated things aren't eaten in a week there tossing out freezer food because the white frost is mistaken for mold? Or take pictures of every speck of dirt and mass text everyone books about not being slobs. Or how about one that talks s**t about tenants to other tenants. That is mine currently she threw out my black frozen bananas because they were rotten. So much for making banana bread. Shes f*****g insane
I'd leave if I could afford to but this is all I can afford on $1139 a month on disability
Load More Replies...I had a bad landlord when I lived in a caravan park with my husband. We stayed there for a year. He wouldn't let me use my wheelchair in the disabled toilets (I'm disabled). He let people use soap in there when they weren't disabled and he knew I was allergic to soap. Let people do drugs in his park. Swore and yelled at people. Let a wanted man stay there and we weren't allowed to call the cops on him. We paid out own power but weren't allowed to keep our air conditioning going in 35+ heat (Australia). Also he threaten me multiple times and also before I moved in with my husband, my husband's van was live on the outside for a month (like electric) and the landlord was fully aware of this for a month before he did anything about it (my husband stayed with a mate most of that time).
What a shame! it seems you guys dont have any building-Standards. Or that any of the Workers cares about the Person that's gonna live there, or even the worker that comes after him. I'm in disbelief. Also the amount of mold i've seen is shocking. its higly dangerous and could also cause Astma or other sicknesses.
You mean the landlords? Whose entire fault it is?
Load More Replies...So I live on a campus, where we sleep in dorms. (btw i dont have classes there but i live with my gf) We have a nice landlord, but he’s heavily sick. Now we have another one, but she’s so annoying! Geez... I hope he gets better soon. But the point is, she always says I do all wrong while she doesnt fix anything. Ok, I have rabbits and maybe they break something a bit but this is just weird. Uhm yeah this is a bit a long story hehe
You said absolutely nothing with this paragraph, bruh. I'm kind of amazed.
Load More Replies...There are a lot of these slum-lords. My college did not have a lot of student housing when I went so I had to deal with these types of living conditions (I had no car and needed walking distance accommodations to the campus). My 1st apartment had a creepy manager who would show up at irregular times to “check” the apartment and let himself in without knocking or notice. We had one thermostat for the entire building (in a locked box) that was in our apartment next to the stove. If we attempted to cook anything it would shut off the thermostat and freeze all the other tenants. The slum-lord tried to demand that we not EVER use the stove. My 2nd apartment was worse. It was owned by this crabby old lady who charged top dollar for the location near to the college. The staircases were held up by 4x4 planks of wood. The lights dimmed if you used a hairdryer. The radiator stopped working mid-winter and she refused to fix it. We reported her to the city and our apartment got condemned.
Some of it was like, were they trying to STALK u and take peaks when u are changing?! highly illegal. Get a new landlord.
I'm so happy that whatever I report to the company owning my flat fixes everything. It takes some time but they do it properly.
Our landlord made it clear that the appliances were *her* property, but made it our problem when they needed to be repaired/replaced. This included the stove and furnace that leaked gas. There were no working carbon monoxide detectors. Had my husband not smelled it, I wouldn’t be writing this post. She is supposed to take care of the stove, furnace and 5 other appliances in 5 days from today. No way will that happen. I have concluded, which may sound naive, that a 7 page lease is far more important than we are, even though the landlord violates it with impunity. I am a clinical psychologist, and she is one of the most disturbed humans I’ve ever met. IL makes it almost impossible to break a lease, which we won’t due, b/c she’ll just sue us. We have 9 more months of her. I deal with her as if she was a patient-remain non-defensive, while setting limits and consequences. The Karma Police (thanks, Radiohead) have her in their eye line, along w/the landlords on this website.
I count myself ridiculously lucky to have a council house every time I see photos like these from people with private landlords!
my last landlord was constantly in my apartment and wouldn't even knock. The last straw was when he told me he was petting my cats in my bed! Add to that the mold, the lack of heat (a wood stove was my only source and I had to buy my own wood), and having to pay the electric bill for the entire house (including their huge upstairs). I decided living at my Mom's is way better than that hell.
Wow. Suddenly I'm not so unhappy with my landlord. My landlord is not perfect, but certainly much better than the landlords depicted here.
I'm a landlord-- my wife and I tend out our basement. At least I can take some space in knowing I'm better than these people. Yeesh!
Not to rain on your parade, but that's a looooowwww bar, my guy. 😂
Load More Replies...My mums landlord is the same wont do any work and she lived with rats under floor for 5 years and every time ask for repairs she get eviction notice and she is disabled
I'm feeling spoilt and grateful right now, because some of those pics look borderline 3rd world country to me and are simply unimaginable.
I feel for good tenants with bad landlords. But hear more horror stories , from people owning rental units. Some people live worse than cockroaches.
Many of these landlords seem to be mocking their tenants, or just being plain passive-aggressive.
I feel so fortunate. I have never had to deal with such nightmares. These things would drive me mad.
Most of these are safety violations. Some are just ignorant tenants.
After a few pics, I can tell this was in England! If you saw the tv show Slumlords or another one like that, the inside of homes and apts look exactly the same.... Also, they meaning the country, are infested of Slumlords unfortunately! They are into saving money and raising hell with the tenants! It's such a sad thing but the laws are different there than here. So, idk what they can do legally to restitute the damage of the tenants property because of their f****d up choice of not fixing s**t!
Someone who's afraid of getting evicted and winding up on the street.
Load More Replies...Croman only got one year in jail? He must have had some powerful friends.
They should have sentenced him to house arrest in one of his crappy apartments.
Load More Replies...Do not rent from SELMA LEWIS in Bronx, New York. Landlord from hell. I had to go to court but won. She was doing illegal restoration in a private house to which she owned but it was against housing policies. Smh 🤦
Our landlord doesn't get the lawn mowed for months, and then does it himself with a weedwhacker/strimmer, takes 2 whole days.
What does your lease say about landscaping?
Load More Replies...Landlords will always try to spend a little money as possible "fixing" things. My roof had an intermittent leak for 11 years that he constantly "fixed". He claimed it was only a problem if the wind blew from a certain direction! Luckily they sold and house and my new landlord fixed it quick-quick - of course the previous owner still had to pay 🤣
So all landlords are scumbags....except for your current landlord?
Load More Replies...While some people complain about buying houses and having to fix everything themselves, I see this post as a positive reinforcement to go out and buy a house.
Unfortunately, that is out of reach for many people.
Load More Replies...so many people who look at a doorknob installed the wrong way & start immediately calling the landlord sh1tty instead of just taking a screwdriver & fixing it themselves.
In many places there will be laws about this sort of thing. And Tenants' Unions that can help with information about how to get stuff fixed correctly.
Load More Replies...So much illegal and dodgy work. Hope these landlords were reported.
So many people who don't understand that the whole world doesn't work exactly the same as where they live…
So we mention what we know and our experiences where we are. It just might help someone else in our same country who might not be aware of their rights. Discussion of what appears to be a common problem in more than one country is not a bad thing. It just might spur change on a grassroots level. If nothing else, it let’s people know they’re most definitely not alone in what they’re going through. My advice to you, Phil, is to just go back down in your mother’s basement.
Load More Replies...When I use to rent I would just fix the problem myself, then send the bill to landlord.
In some places, depending on your contract, you could get in big trouble for doing that.
Load More Replies...Uhm... don't get me wrong, but why do people stay in such conditions and don't move out? I've been in a few rented appartments when I was younger and the first signs of mould / roaches / leaks etc would make me move out immediately. I'm not familiar with renting market in GB/ US but I just can't understand people who put up with that instead of finding a new place to live in decent conditions.
If it is like Australia often tenants have to put down a big cash "damage deposit" and / or insurance for the Landlord. So moving can be *extremely* expensive.
Load More Replies...It’s disturbing to me to see what people have to put up with because otherwise they won’t have a place to live. That such landlords have so little care for others (and don't care about their property) that they have tenants living in mould and weak structures with dodgy electricity, etc. It's MEAN and uncalled for. I’m very grateful to live in a safe and well-tended building, and that issues are properly repaired promptly, and it’s not like I live in a rich or middle-class area, either. One run-in was all it took. The landlord's management company pretended they didn't have my rent check (a ploy so they could claim I didn't pay, evict me, and raise the rent by 20% on the next tenant), but I called 311 (in NYC), and a woman I know who's a tenant lawyer for a non-profit (she did me a solid and called the landlord on my behalf). Lo, and behold! All of a sudden, check found. I haven't had a problem since. Like I said, I'm very grateful and recognize my good fortune. I tell my friends who have issues what agencies to call. At some point, people get fed up with this sort of meanness. To quote Mister Rogers, "...the only thing that really angers me is something that's demeaning to somebody else." Such conditions are demeaning, IMO. And tenants pay for it? Nah, son. Nah.
Sorry that you had to go through that. I hope you enjoy your new place! I moved to a studio that's basic but everything works, it costs the same as I was paying, and the location is great - even using a cane, I can walk to anywhere. And the building super is really respectful and cares about what he's doing. The other day he was sweeping the parking lot!
Load More Replies...Were these all Kushner properties? ‘Cause they sure look like it. (I live in Maryland, where Kushner has bought a lot of rental properties. I’ve even seen ads they’ve placed, on websites like Indeed and CareerBuilder, to hire certified mediators in Baltimore to handle landlord-tenant disputes. Though I am a certified mediator in Maryland, I did not apply. I cannot in good conscience work for a company like that, as I know I’d be asked to always—-unethically, as mediators are supposed to remain as unbiased as humanly possible—-steer the mediations in favor of the landlords. )
My landlord doesn't give us hot water. It's been 2 months that we've had to boil water to bathe ourselves
That sucks. It’s illegal though. Just report them. Or call the water company.
Load More Replies...Has anyone had a landlord date labeled there goods and said if dated things aren't eaten in a week there tossing out freezer food because the white frost is mistaken for mold? Or take pictures of every speck of dirt and mass text everyone books about not being slobs. Or how about one that talks s**t about tenants to other tenants. That is mine currently she threw out my black frozen bananas because they were rotten. So much for making banana bread. Shes f*****g insane
I'd leave if I could afford to but this is all I can afford on $1139 a month on disability
Load More Replies...I had a bad landlord when I lived in a caravan park with my husband. We stayed there for a year. He wouldn't let me use my wheelchair in the disabled toilets (I'm disabled). He let people use soap in there when they weren't disabled and he knew I was allergic to soap. Let people do drugs in his park. Swore and yelled at people. Let a wanted man stay there and we weren't allowed to call the cops on him. We paid out own power but weren't allowed to keep our air conditioning going in 35+ heat (Australia). Also he threaten me multiple times and also before I moved in with my husband, my husband's van was live on the outside for a month (like electric) and the landlord was fully aware of this for a month before he did anything about it (my husband stayed with a mate most of that time).
What a shame! it seems you guys dont have any building-Standards. Or that any of the Workers cares about the Person that's gonna live there, or even the worker that comes after him. I'm in disbelief. Also the amount of mold i've seen is shocking. its higly dangerous and could also cause Astma or other sicknesses.
You mean the landlords? Whose entire fault it is?
Load More Replies...So I live on a campus, where we sleep in dorms. (btw i dont have classes there but i live with my gf) We have a nice landlord, but he’s heavily sick. Now we have another one, but she’s so annoying! Geez... I hope he gets better soon. But the point is, she always says I do all wrong while she doesnt fix anything. Ok, I have rabbits and maybe they break something a bit but this is just weird. Uhm yeah this is a bit a long story hehe
You said absolutely nothing with this paragraph, bruh. I'm kind of amazed.
Load More Replies...There are a lot of these slum-lords. My college did not have a lot of student housing when I went so I had to deal with these types of living conditions (I had no car and needed walking distance accommodations to the campus). My 1st apartment had a creepy manager who would show up at irregular times to “check” the apartment and let himself in without knocking or notice. We had one thermostat for the entire building (in a locked box) that was in our apartment next to the stove. If we attempted to cook anything it would shut off the thermostat and freeze all the other tenants. The slum-lord tried to demand that we not EVER use the stove. My 2nd apartment was worse. It was owned by this crabby old lady who charged top dollar for the location near to the college. The staircases were held up by 4x4 planks of wood. The lights dimmed if you used a hairdryer. The radiator stopped working mid-winter and she refused to fix it. We reported her to the city and our apartment got condemned.
Some of it was like, were they trying to STALK u and take peaks when u are changing?! highly illegal. Get a new landlord.
I'm so happy that whatever I report to the company owning my flat fixes everything. It takes some time but they do it properly.
Our landlord made it clear that the appliances were *her* property, but made it our problem when they needed to be repaired/replaced. This included the stove and furnace that leaked gas. There were no working carbon monoxide detectors. Had my husband not smelled it, I wouldn’t be writing this post. She is supposed to take care of the stove, furnace and 5 other appliances in 5 days from today. No way will that happen. I have concluded, which may sound naive, that a 7 page lease is far more important than we are, even though the landlord violates it with impunity. I am a clinical psychologist, and she is one of the most disturbed humans I’ve ever met. IL makes it almost impossible to break a lease, which we won’t due, b/c she’ll just sue us. We have 9 more months of her. I deal with her as if she was a patient-remain non-defensive, while setting limits and consequences. The Karma Police (thanks, Radiohead) have her in their eye line, along w/the landlords on this website.
I count myself ridiculously lucky to have a council house every time I see photos like these from people with private landlords!
my last landlord was constantly in my apartment and wouldn't even knock. The last straw was when he told me he was petting my cats in my bed! Add to that the mold, the lack of heat (a wood stove was my only source and I had to buy my own wood), and having to pay the electric bill for the entire house (including their huge upstairs). I decided living at my Mom's is way better than that hell.
Wow. Suddenly I'm not so unhappy with my landlord. My landlord is not perfect, but certainly much better than the landlords depicted here.
I'm a landlord-- my wife and I tend out our basement. At least I can take some space in knowing I'm better than these people. Yeesh!
Not to rain on your parade, but that's a looooowwww bar, my guy. 😂
Load More Replies...My mums landlord is the same wont do any work and she lived with rats under floor for 5 years and every time ask for repairs she get eviction notice and she is disabled
I'm feeling spoilt and grateful right now, because some of those pics look borderline 3rd world country to me and are simply unimaginable.
I feel for good tenants with bad landlords. But hear more horror stories , from people owning rental units. Some people live worse than cockroaches.
Many of these landlords seem to be mocking their tenants, or just being plain passive-aggressive.
I feel so fortunate. I have never had to deal with such nightmares. These things would drive me mad.
Most of these are safety violations. Some are just ignorant tenants.
After a few pics, I can tell this was in England! If you saw the tv show Slumlords or another one like that, the inside of homes and apts look exactly the same.... Also, they meaning the country, are infested of Slumlords unfortunately! They are into saving money and raising hell with the tenants! It's such a sad thing but the laws are different there than here. So, idk what they can do legally to restitute the damage of the tenants property because of their f****d up choice of not fixing s**t!
Someone who's afraid of getting evicted and winding up on the street.
Load More Replies...Croman only got one year in jail? He must have had some powerful friends.
They should have sentenced him to house arrest in one of his crappy apartments.
Load More Replies...Do not rent from SELMA LEWIS in Bronx, New York. Landlord from hell. I had to go to court but won. She was doing illegal restoration in a private house to which she owned but it was against housing policies. Smh 🤦
Our landlord doesn't get the lawn mowed for months, and then does it himself with a weedwhacker/strimmer, takes 2 whole days.
What does your lease say about landscaping?
Load More Replies...Landlords will always try to spend a little money as possible "fixing" things. My roof had an intermittent leak for 11 years that he constantly "fixed". He claimed it was only a problem if the wind blew from a certain direction! Luckily they sold and house and my new landlord fixed it quick-quick - of course the previous owner still had to pay 🤣
So all landlords are scumbags....except for your current landlord?
Load More Replies...While some people complain about buying houses and having to fix everything themselves, I see this post as a positive reinforcement to go out and buy a house.
Unfortunately, that is out of reach for many people.
Load More Replies...so many people who look at a doorknob installed the wrong way & start immediately calling the landlord sh1tty instead of just taking a screwdriver & fixing it themselves.
In many places there will be laws about this sort of thing. And Tenants' Unions that can help with information about how to get stuff fixed correctly.
Load More Replies...