Rental agents feel responsible for their tenants’ well-being. It is not only about finding them a suitable place to live in but also a good landlord to assist them. As much as possible, we want our tenants to have a good relationship with their landlords. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.
Some tenants will experience some type of harassment from their landlords, and you will want them to avoid it. The landlord may do it to get revenge or to drive the tenant away from the property. Whatever the reason is, it is not right for landlords to harass their tenants.
Knowing about different forms of harassment may help when you encounter tenants who have a bad rental history with their previous landlords. You have to evaluate why their previous tenancy did not end well. If it was due to landlord harassment, then you should not let it negatively affect their rental application.
Harassment can come in different forms, and it is important to educate the tenants what those are. Some might not even realize that their landlords are harassing them. Here are some acts of harassment:
• Entering a property without prior notice
Although the landlord owns the property, he is not allowed to enter it without the tenant’s permission. The only exception to this rule is for emergency cases.
• Withholding repairs
A landlord may try to make the tenant’s living conditions as unpleasant as possible. It may include ignoring requests to repair a problem in the property. For example, delaying the repair on the unit’s thermostat and making the temperature inside drop.
• Turning the utilities off
The utilities are a necessity. Turning them off will render the property uninhabitable, which will force the tenant to leave.
• Verbal and physical threats
Some landlords will throw verbal insults or threats to the tenants in an attempt to scare them off. They can use different forms of communication like texting, emails, and phone calls.
Unfortunately, some of them will resort to physically threatening the tenants by putting their hands on a tenant or getting in their faces.
• Increasing the rental price
Not all landlords who increase the rent is harassing the tenants. Some are justifiable, and a notice is usually given at least 30 days before it will take effect. However, some landlords will use this strategy to make things difficult for the tenant by not giving proper notice.
• Sexual harassment
Some tenants are not aware that they are being sexually harassed because some landlords are subtle about it. Sexual harassment can include obscene and lewd remarks. There are instances wherein a landlord might commit indecent acts to a tenant.
• Changing locks
Landlords will use this technique to prevent the tenant from entering the property and drive them off.
• Filing charges against the tenant
A landlord may attempt to file false charges against the tenant and claim that the tenant violated the lease agreement.
What should tenants do?
The first thing that a tenant should do is to document the harassment. He should keep the messages with threats, photos, and videos, if there are any. The tenant can also keep a record of any incident with the date and reason why they were harassed.
The next step is filing a complaint or restraining order against the landlord. Once the tenant has enough evidence, he can submit all of it to the proper agency.
A tenant can also obtain a court order which states that the landlord must stop harassing him. Another way of dealing with harassment is to sue the landlord for damages.
Harassment is never okay and the tenants are encouraged to recognize these. They are also encouraged to speak up and file a complaint to end it. If they want to move out, you can help them find a new rental with a good landlord.
All you have to do is have them check your property listings at Padleads after you sign up for a membership. Or they can search for it on the other websites you syndicated it to because Padleads will let you do that. Help them start fresh in a toxic-free environment.