The Rental Nightmares

12 years, 4 states, 5 cities and 8 homes gives you a lot of personal experience.
And you gather experiences from your friends, relatives and neighbors too.

Most of us have a “Grrrrrrr…” kind of experiences with them and the smiley ones are rare and few. I believe, they can be of only 2 types…

  • Too Good to be True
  • The Rental Nightmares

Yes, we are talking about the Owner or Proprietors or Lessors or the Lords of the Land (LOL) or the Landlords.

While the Too Good to be True are really Too Good and are epitome of all goodness (Like our current Landlord and KG…

Our experience is rich with the “The Rental Nightmares”. So, here I share some of the rented woes:

  • These LOLs do not believe in post-dated-cheques and need hard cash only. And will ring your doorbell at 7 in the morning on the 1st of every month and some even on 28th or 30th of the month. Gives you a feeling of staying in a hutment dwelling and working as a daily wage earner!its-good-to-be-landlord-1
  • Then there are those types who believe that once they have rented the space to you, all its woes are taken on rent too…of course by you. Whether its the peeling paint or leaking faucet or a broken tile. You got to repair it all, even before you occupy the house.
  • If you happen to stay with them in the same premises, then you have double trouble or may be more…
            • Children should not be running around, the noise of them running around disturbs them.
            • Their car should be the first to go out of the garage, at any given point of time. So, whatever the hour of the day (or night), you park your car in the given preference! (You know the drill…ring their bell, take their car keys, take their car out, park your car in and then park their car behind your car, hand over their keys!! Always!)
            • There is a rationing of the water you use, how you use and when you use. (Though you’d be paying the water bill too!)
            • There can not be too many parties at home. Music, laughter, banter affects them!
            • Some, even want you to be home by 10 pm. Did we say, we miss staying in a Girl’s Hostel?
            • Creating ruckus over minor things is their favorite time-pass. “Why did your guest ring our door bell?”, “The child’s ball has withered the flower”, “Why did you leave the gate open for 5 minutes?”…
            • Their enemies (read neighbors they have tussle with) should be our enemies too.
  • In case they visit their property (your home), every nook and corner would be looked at with critical eyes, just as a detective would look for clues for his murder case.
  • Some have strict preferences…only vegetarians. Hello, we cook and eat in our own vessels and dishes and do not paint the walls (of your precious house) with non-veg food or don’t use the bones as treasure hunt clues, around the home!
  • They do not believe in returning the advance rent you had paid at the beginning and would find innovative ways and means of retaining it with them…for damages, breakdown or even the changes that you made for fixing your AC, for drilling few nails on their walls for the clock or a lone painting! 
  • One LOL, uprooted (without informing the tenant) a small Curry Leaves (Meetha Neem or Helichrysum italicum) plant, which a friend had planted in the backyard, because, it spoilt the look of his garden!!

Phew!! Some LOLs! Nah, you will never be laughing out loud with them around!

The relationship between a Landlord and a Tenant is symbiotic in nature. It’s a win-win relationship. Wouldn’t it be better if it has more smiles and less of sneers!

Image Courtesy : http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com

PS: Being LOLs ourselves, the rules/tricks of the game from this side are not unknown to us!!

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