Types Of Landlord Harassment That Tenants Might Face (2024)

Do you find it challenging to live in your apartment because of your landlord? Do you dread conversations with your property owner because they can be hostile? In this article, you will learn about different types of landlord harassment that you might face as a tenant.

When most landlords invest in residential real estate, they know they must treat tenants with a certain level of professionalism. Unfortunately, a disagreement between a landlord and a tenant might escalate to a higher point. In such cases, any step either party takes can lead to harassment. Hence, to learn more, read on to the end of the article.

Landlord Harassment: A General Overview

Landlord harassment is a situation when a landlord creates a hostile condition for a tenant.  Here, the latter feels the compulsion to leave the rental property or break the current lease agreement. Hence, the law recognizes a specific set of behaviors that come under the purview of landlord harassment.

As a result, a landlord might face repercussions for such activities. However, in many cases, landlord harassment can be hard to prove. Nevertheless, more jurisdictions are making policies to recognize such behavior. Therefore, they are imposing certain legal penalties when tenants bring those issues to court.

Major Types Of Landlord Harassment That A Tenant Might Face

The following are the major types of landlord harassment that you might face as a tenant:

1. Verbal Threats

Verbal threats are one of the most common ways landlords harass their tenants. This type of threat refers to when the property owner tries to intimidate or coerce the renter with spoken or written words. Such disputes might occur when the tenant refuses to comply with demands for money or requests access to specific amenities. However, dedicated rental property managers can help avoid conflicts between landlords and tenants.

2. Threats of Physical Violence

A landlord may attempt to intimidate a tenant with threats of physical violence. Although there is no actual contact, such behavior surpasses verbal harassment. If a property owner threatens to harm you, your family, or your belongings, they?re guilty of this sort of harassment.

3. Actual Physical Contact

Sometimes, landlords initiate actual physical contact with their tenants during a dispute. If your property owner lays a hand on you, you should try to disengage, seek help, and report them immediately.

4. Not Performing Maintenance and Withholding Amenities

A case of landlord harassment also occurs when your landlord fails to perform maintenance tasks responsibly and on time. Moreover, your landlord might be withholding some amenities that you had access to before. Furthermore, in some cases, landlords might even refuse to accept payments or even refuse to acknowledge even after you pay.

5. Exaggerating Improper Conduct of Tenants

There are landlord harassment notices where a landlord might exaggerate the improper conduct of a tenant. In other cases, some landlords also single out tenants for improper conduct while ignoring the same from other tenants. Hence, bias against tenants and a lack of professionalism from landlords also count as landlord harassment.

6. Creating Nuisance in the Property

Did your landlord enter your property without notice or a just cause? Do they repeatedly do this even after you told them not to? Such cases amount to landlord harassment. In addition to that, landlords also create nuisance situations on the property.

As a result, the tenant is no longer able to stay at peace at the rental unit. Generally, landlords do this to compel tenants to leave the premises.

7. Threats of Financial Injury

A threat of financial injury happens when a landlord reports a tenant to a credit bureau. Apart from that, in some cases, a landlord might even refuse to refer the tenant to future landlords. As a result, it gets difficult for the tenant to find another property to stay in.

Reporting Options For Tenants:

The following are some of the major options you have as a tenant if you face harassment from your landlord:

1. Complain to Your Landlord

If you?re unhappy with your landlord?s actions, you should bring the matter to their attention. Write a formal letter explaining what behaviors you see as harassment and the sighting dates and scenarios for better understanding.

Such an approach can make them change their actions without further intervention. However, if they fail to make corrections, you can send a note threatening legal action if the behavior refuses to cease.

2. Pro-tip: Check state laws

Knowing state laws can help you identify which behaviors qualify as harassment. For instance, entering your apartment without prior consent in a non-emergency situation qualifies as harassment according to landlord-tenant rules. Thus, you can warn them against such action.

3. Call the Police

If writing a formal letter doesn?t get them to stop harassing you, you should call the police. Having an officer with you can dissuade a hostile landlord from being confrontational.

The cops can also de-escalate a physical confrontation and prevent you from incurring bodily harm. Besides, it makes it easier to press charges if you must. It can also improve your landlord?s behavior moving forward because they know you?ll report them.

4. Pro-tip: Keep Evidence

Keep a log of all incidents between you and a hostile landlord. Evidence can strengthen your case in court and establish the truth if the property owner tries to lie. You should keep written correspondence and take videos if your landlord threatens you.

5. File a Complaint

As a tenant, you have rights, and some organizations can help you enforce those rights. You can contact the local housing authorities in your area to learn how to report bad landlords.

They can also put you through helpful remediation techniques, which can be useful in the future for de-escalating conflicts.

6. Pro-tip: Organize with other people

If your landlord is hostile to you, chances are high that other tenants have the same issue. You can all form a coalition and report the property owner for harassment. When you?re united, it would be much harder for anyone to ignore or dispute your claims.

7. File a Restraining Order

If your landlord threatens you or initiates physical contact, you could seek a restraining order, especially if you have proper evidence.

Of course, this course of action is only viable when you plan to move off the property. The court cannot legally ask your landlord to stay off a property they own.

8. Pro-tip: Get an Injunction

If you plan to stay in your apartment, you can get an injunction order instead. That is a legal document from the court demanding that your landlord cease their harassment. You can think of it as a warning from a judge.

9. Go to Court

Finally, you might have to go to court if all else fails. If a landlord is guilty of harassment, you can take them to court and win, especially if you have supporting evidence. A successful lawsuit can help you earn reimbursement for damage to your property or personal distress.

10. Pro-tip: Seek legal counsel

It is much easier to win a court case if you have proper legal counsel on your side. Thus, you must consider consulting a real estate lawyer before you file a suit.

Conclusion

Your home should be a safe space and a landlord that makes you feel unwelcome or distressed needs to be checked. When there?s a dispute, they should be civil enough to bring the matter to your attention and address it as a professional.

In this post, we highlighted the top 3 types of landlord harassment: verbal threats, threats of physical violence, and actual physical contact. If your property owner engages you in these three ways, you should immediately report them to the proper authorities.

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