Home is supposed to be a sanctuary. We all want to have a place where we can kick off our shoes after a long day of work, put our feet up, eat dinner with our families, throw parties, play in the yard with the kids, and spend time with the ones we love. It's supposed to be the one place you can relax and be yourself… but not if these strict HOAs have anything to do with it. Homeowner's Associations are like the hall monitors of the adult world. Their whole job is to keep the neighborhoods looki…

What would we ever do without our neighbors? If you've got kind neighbors, it can be such a blessing. If you've got a few cranky neighbors making your life miserable, however, you'll wish you lived miles from any other people! U/PaludisVulpes had a bad experience with their neighbor. For those living in any downstairs apartment , they're always going to have to hear some sounds. If the neighbors are having a party, they'll hear music and tons of feet walking around. Maybe they'll hear the dog s…

Keeping a friendly rapport with your landlord is essential if you want to make the most out of your stay. And yet, how would you feel if your landlord threatened to call the authorities if you didn't leave the dryer and washing machine behind? The story below is an account of a bewildered tenant. The original poster (OP) had just moved out of her apartment. After living in the same apartment for a considerable amount of time, OP had decided that it was finally time for a change of scenery. So,…

There's nothing like a bitter landlord-tenant dispute to make you feel better about your living situation (if you can). The business of returning one's security deposit in full is almost always a stressful process. You may try your best to keep your apartment in perfect living condition, but things happen over time and your property management may be ruthless in their decision-making. Now, there are ways in which you can be lucky and get out of conflict. A friend of mine had tried their best to…

Landlords are never there when you want them and are always there when you want to be left alone. This week, we've collected some of the top mildly infuriating landlord stories that range from ignored mold and pipe problems to entering tenants' apartments without permission. Let these stories serve as a friendly reminder to read up on tenant rights in your states if you also have a landlord who is either too invasive or one who refuses to acknowledge an unlivable situation. Personally speaking,…

It's easy to blame the landlord in any tenant-related dispute, but every so often, one comes across a story in which the tenant got exactly what he deserved. In this scenario , we have a landlord who rented out a room in his apartment to make some extra money. He covered all utilities and renovated the place so that there was some separation between him and his new tenant. However, after the first month, the tenant started bringing “lady friends” over five to six times a week and would make a t…

Getting in a squabble with your landlords or landladies can be so awkward… U/Corrid21 found that out firsthand when they had to move apartments . As if moving wasn't stressful enough, thanks to all the packing and cleaning you have to do, this person's landlady just can't stop showing up at her apartment to show the property to prospective buyers. This person was wondering if they were in the wrong here for their approach to getting back at the landlady. On the one hand, the landlady does have…

Imagine having such an atrocious experience with your HOA that you end up feeling the need to quit your job and move far, far away. Here , we have a night shift worker whose property manager needed to come into his place two to three times a week because there was an electric panel he frequently needed access to for work. Unfortunately, the HOA claimed that this was for legitimate emergency purposes despite the fact that there never seemed to be a real emergency and the 24-hour notice period wa…

In a battle of wits, the smartest player comes out on top. Unfortunately, when you're dealing with an HOA, the rules are skewed to their advantage and simple smarts are not usually enough to defeat them.

Moving out is a stressful process for anyone, but it can only be made worse when you're leaving on poor terms with your previous landlord. I remember having to leave my first New York apartment for a variety of reasons, one of which was the never-fully-resolved roach infestation issue along with the incessant leaking of our ceiling every time it rained. Despite doing everything in our power to get our property management to take the situation seriously, the conflict was never resolved and could…

“[He left] a note stating if I can't do what was agreed upon he would evict me.”

This landlord has never heard of the word “boundaries” before. He insists on bothering his tenant constantly! I think for most of us, we only want to see our landlords if they're installing a new light bulb or fixing a leaky ceiling. We certainly wouldn't want a landlord popping over to visit every few days. It's a business relationship, so why does this landlord keep pushing his tenant into uncomfortable scenarios? U/nuclear_wizard_'s landlord Next up, this micromanager was pushing his staff s…

These people have a story or two they could tell you about their wackiest neighbors . You never really know a person until you live with them. The same goes for neighbors: you get to know them the longer you live around them. You start to learn what time they leave for work each day, you hear their parties or squabbles with their spouses, and you'll certainly start to recognize the signs of weird habits. Some people seem to love starting drama with their neighbors . There are a lot of folks who…

Don't tell me what to do.

OSHA does NOT approve

Living with your best friends can go one of two ways – Either extremely great or terribly wrong, and you can assume that most people will tell you that it usually goes the latter way. There is something about sharing a space that is just so specific for everyone involved, that even if you love each other and enjoy each other's company, it does not mean that you will enjoy living together. The main problem is that you will not know until you try, and that is why most people would recommend simpl…