{"id":99125,"date":"2022-07-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-13T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aleksawn.bget.ru\/10-uzhasnyx-veshhej-kotorye-mogut-sojti-s-ruk-arendodatelyam\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T11:22:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T08:22:09","slug":"10-horrible-things-landlords-can-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/10-uzhasnyx-veshhej-kotorye-mogut-sojti-s-ruk-arendodatelyam\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Shocking Facts About Landlord and Tenant Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past few years, there's been a strong backlash in the media against landlords who engage in less-than-hospitable tenancy practices. But it's hard to sympathize with one of the few groups of people still known as lords of this world. And while there's no doubt that many landlords are reasonable, kind, and compassionate, there are also a hell of a lot of terrible ones who overcharge or otherwise mistreat their tenants. And that's just the beginning. It turns out landlords can do a lot of shady things that are perfectly legal.<\/p>\n

10. Arkansas homeowners are not required to maintain their property.<\/h2>\n

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If you're renting a home or property from someone else, you have some general expectations about what your landlord provides. At the very least, the place should have electricity and water and be in good condition. What you might call "livable." And that's true almost everywhere. But if there's one thing we should already know, it's that "almost" isn't always the case. And in this case, that means Arkansas is the exception.<\/p>\n

Landlords in Arkansas are legally required to ensure your property is habitable. Legally, your rental property doesn't have to meet the standards of a "habitable" dwelling. Similarly, if something breaks, landlords can invoke the informal "so what?" doctrine. This means they don't have to make repairs if they don't want to. And if you think you can defer rent until your landlord makes repairs, think again. You don't have the right to withhold rent for any reason in the state.<\/p>\n

These aren't simple problems either. There are countless stories of tenants getting sick from mold that landlords don't fix, holes in walls, lack of heat in winter, and many other things that landlords don't have to deal with if they don't want to. Arkansas is the only state that allows this.<\/p>\n

9. In California, a refrigerator is a convenience, not a necessity.<\/h2>\n

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When was the last time you sat down and felt happy to have cooling power in your home? Not long ago, people didn't have such luxury, and you had to store food in refrigerators or cellars to keep it fresh.<\/p>\n

Refrigerators are truly amazing tools. But that doesn't mean you have the right to have one in California, where landlords consider them a convenience rather than a necessity. Sure, you can have a refrigerator, but buying one might just as easily be your responsibility.<\/p>\n

For homeowners, it's a given that not many homes have refrigerators. But for renters, it's usually the opposite. Most apartments or houses you rent have basic kitchen appliances\u2014a stove and a refrigerator. If you're really lucky, you might get a dishwasher or a washer and dryer. But California doesn't play by these rules. A refrigerator is like a swimming pool.<\/p>\n

Of course, if your lease says there's a refrigerator, then yes, you will have one, and the landlord is responsible for making sure it stays in working order.<\/p>\n

8. Landlords in North Carolina (and other states) do not need to provide a notice of occupancy.<\/h2>\n

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The last thing anyone wants is someone breaking into the privacy of their own home. Landlords are typically required to notify you if they want to come and inspect the property you're renting, typically giving 24 to 48 hours' notice. However, this isn't always a legal requirement, and in North Carolina and some other states, your landlord can access the property at any time they choose without prior notice.<\/p>\n

This also includes people working on behalf of your landlord. So, if they want to send a plumber or electrician in unannounced, they can do that too. If you're not home, that person now has free access to your entire home. The tenant's only recourse is to prove that someone entering their home unannounced is depriving them of the use of the property, just like when workers rummage through someone else's belongings. But first, you need to catch them and prove it.<\/p>\n

7. Homeowners are not obligated to solve murders.<\/h2>\n

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As we all know from horror movies, if you move into a place where people have been murdered, you're setting yourself up for disaster. Fortunately, landlords are required to disclose the building's history, including whether there have been any violent crimes on the premises. Except in places where this isn't required, namely, most states.<\/p>\n

Only three states actually require disclosure of deaths in the home. California requires reporting any death within the past three years, even if it was due to natural causes. South Dakota requires reporting any homicide or suicide within the past year.<\/p>\n

Canadian law does not require disclosure, but as in many states, realtors and landlords are encouraged to be honest.<\/p>\n

6. Japanese landlords are not required to rent to foreign tenants.<\/h2>\n

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There are many reasons to want to visit Japan and even spend some time there, but proceed with caution. Renting a home in Japan is difficult if you're from another country. Why? Japanese landlords are not required to rent to foreigners. Around 40% foreigners seeking housing are turned away simply because they're not Japanese.<\/p>\n

A Japanese guarantor can help a foreign tenant gain access to an apartment or house, but they are also difficult to find. At first glance, this seems like a way to cover losses in the event a foreign tenant forgoes rent to return home, but it applies even to genuine Japanese citizens, whether they are originally from other countries or their parents. This is largely due to the fact that landlords are unable to communicate in foreign languages, such as English, and assume tenants won't speak Japanese. Others fear that foreigners simply won't follow the rules and customs.<\/p>\n

5. Some Japanese landlords charge "key money"\u00ab<\/h2>\n

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Sticking with Japan, there's another unusual tradition that's one of those forced-voluntary things you encounter in life from time to time, where the idea is you don't have to do it, but, you know, you kind of have to. In this case, it's something called reikin, or key money.<\/p>\n

When you're able to rent an apartment in Japan, the key money is a payment you pay the landlord in advance and is considered a gift. It's like saying, "Thank you for letting me rent this apartment." But technically, it's not a gift, because you don't own the apartment unless you pay for it. And you'll never get your money back. And it won't be used as rent or security deposit. It's literally just money for nothing.<\/p>\n

The key money could be a couple of months' rent, up to six months. Everything is paid in advance and is completely non-refundable because, again, it's a gift. So why should you pay at all? Because if you don't, someone else will.<\/p>\n

The good news is that not all landlords require this. But those who do expect it are unlikely to be dissuaded. And if you try to negotiate a fee with a landlord who does demand it, you may end up talking yourself out of the property.<\/p>\n

4. German landlords do not provide kitchens<\/h2>\n

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Let's focus on landlords in other countries and head to Germany, where technically you're not allowed to have a kitchen when renting. This differs somewhat from the Californian rule, which states you don't have to have a refrigerator. In this case, the entire kitchen can be missing, including countertops and a sink. This doesn't mean there's no space in the house or apartment that could be considered a kitchen. In fact, the landlord must provide you with space for a kitchen if you want it to have electrical outlets, running water, and other amenities. But that's it.<\/p>\n

Many travel bloggers are posting on their websites warning potential Germans what to expect upon arrival. It seems that most German renters are buying long-term, so they're happy to invest in their own kitchen. And they'll pack everything, including the light fixtures, when they move out. The only ones who aren't prepared are those from abroad.<\/p>\n

3. Mississippi landlords can seize all of an evicted tenant's property.<\/h2>\n

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In 2021, Mississippi law changed to give tenants more rights in eviction proceedings. This was due to a previous law, now considered unconstitutional unless appealed, that allowed a landlord to claim everything you owned if you were evicted.<\/p>\n

If a tenant was even one day late with rent, the landlord could issue an eviction notice and, moreover, forbid you from taking your belongings with you. In fact, the landlord, accompanied by a constable, woke more than one tenant. They were shown an eviction order and then forbidden from taking their belongings\u2014souvenirs, family photos, clothing, anything. All of this was confiscated by the landlord and, in at least one case, simply thrown in the trash out of spite.<\/p>\n

Samantha Conner went to court after her landlord confiscated all her property, and that's when a judge ruled the law unconstitutional. By then, of course, it was too late. Her former landlord admitted that most of her property had simply been thrown away. He could have allowed her to keep it and remove it, but he decided to ensure she couldn't take it without cause. The ruling can be appealed in 2022.<\/p>\n

2. Landlords may require DNA testing of dog poop<\/h2>\n

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Finding pet-friendly housing can sometimes be a challenge depending on where you live. Some states and cities are more open to this than others, but no matter where you live, there's a chance you'll find a no-pets clause in your lease. And in places that allow pets, keeping them can be fraught with red tape. They may require separate pet deposits or even regulations regarding the size and type of pet. Or they might simply ask for DNA testing.<\/p>\n

One of the major problems with dogs in rentals is the mess they make, especially in apartment buildings. People walk their dogs, the dogs poop, and no one cleans up. Therefore, some landlords have implemented CSI-level security measures to prevent this. Dog owners may be required to store their dog's DNA or provide it later if they are suspected of not cleaning up after their pet. Offending samples can be sent to laboratories, and if they match the tenant's dog, the tenant may be fined or evicted.<\/p>\n

1. Some San Francisco landlords don't allow cooking<\/h2>\n

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Let's go back to California, where landlords continue to attack you when you're having a good time in the kitchen. In San Francisco, it's quite possible you're stuck in a lease that prohibits you from cooking in your home. You know what most of us have to do to survive?<\/p>\n

The San Francisco housing market is a nightmare, and as a result, you can find listings for combined bedrooms and bathrooms for a staggering $1,790 per month. Again, that's a bedroom in a house, not the house itself. And since it's just a bedroom, the landlord doesn't want you dirtying it with food, so cooking is not allowed. Nor are overnight guests allowed.<\/p>\n

While researching this article, journalists found 90 different listings in San Francisco that restricted cooking for potential tenants. At best, they allowed microwaves. And these weren't just rooms in someone else's building. Some were even studio apartments where the owners simply didn't want people cooking. The most expensive one cost just under $1,900 and only allowed microwave cooking.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the past few years, there has been a strong backlash in the media against landlords who practice less than hospitable tenancy practices.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13062,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-99125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fakty"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=99125"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":171814,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99125\/revisions\/171814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=99125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=99125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bukvaved.top\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=99125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}