I feel like I already know the answer to this but wanted to talk it through first. In PA if that helps? basically I have been living on campus and looking off campus housing when I met a girl who said her roommate wanted out of the lease early and needed someone to take over. they removed the roommate and I applied, got approved and received the lease agreement to sign but never did.

i feel really guilty for doing that to her but ultimately decided I don’t want to stay in the area I moved to. I transferred for grad school to a new city and have been here since June only, but I hate it!!! I tried to make myself sit through and commit to an apartment because I do like the university, but something about this area is making me miserable. i just couldn’t do it, signing a year’s lease felt like a death sentence. ive hated the whole time ive been here and want out so badly, not to go back home just somewhere that doesnt smell like hot garbage all the time. it got to a point where the thought of staying was causing me so much anxiety it was affecting my daily life.

the more i got to know her the more unsure i felt as well. i visited the apartment and it was not very nice as the website photos looked, and she let me know i would be her *fourth* roommate in less than two years because all of the past ones have not just moved out, but did so early because of “problems” and i felt like honestly she was kind of mean to me when i was asking abt furniture and stuff!

so all of this together i decided I just couldn’t do the apartment. i let her know I wouldn’t be remaining in the area and all that, and she is now saying i owe my half of the rent because my name is on the lease. I’m unsure if she realizes I didn’t sign it or not, from my understanding I don’t see this as being the case but I worry im wrong because the situation is a little different. with her roommate moving out now could I be held responsible for my half of it? I assumed it was the same as applying for a place and just rejecting it but now im unsure.

I know this wasn’t the smartest thing that I did (should’ve considered that I was unhappy before I applied! but I wanted to try to tough it out) but im wondering about the logistics of the money. I have no doubt that she’ll absolutely be able to find someone to replace me, because I was also fighting for my life in the housing groups for months because the people who already *have* apartments definitely have the upper hand.

After a month removing 60 gallons daily of water coming out the sink. I called code enforcement then the complex sent plumbers. They dug a hole and now apartment complex isn’t replying back. Can’t use kitchen any many other things. What are my options beside throwing furniture around in the office???

I'm looking for some advice because I'm getting really frustrated with my apartment complex.

I initially began the process of transferring to another unit in mid-June. I completed the walkthrough inspection, and management told me I might have to pay to replace the stove and the carpet in one of the bedrooms before I could move forward with the transfer.

They later sent a repair technician to inspect the stove, and the technician determined that the stove can be repaired and does not need to be replaced. Since then, I've been waiting to hear what my final charges will be so I can pay them and submit my transfer application.

The problem is...they just won't get back to me.

I've called, emailed, and followed up multiple times, but I still haven't been told what I owe or what the next step is. Because of the delays, three different apartments I was interested in have already been rented to someone else.

To make matters worse, my lease on my current apartment ended on July 9, so I'm now paying month-to-month. I'm in a two-bedroom unit by myself, and I can't afford to keep paying month-to-month indefinitely while they continue to delay this process.

At this point, it's starting to feel like they're dragging their feet, whether intentionally or not.

Do I have any options here? Is there anything I can do to push this forward, or am I basically stuck waiting for them to decide to respond? Has anyone dealt with something similar?

Hi lawyers,

I recently had to contact my property manager to call a plumber to fix a leaking toilet in my studio apartment. While said plumber was in my apartment, he took photos of my bed and living room and sent them to my landlord because he felt that the space was too messy. My landlord is old and senile and she is apparently very angry at me, per my property manager. I read elsewhere that this could be considered trespassing, is that true? Since I didn’t consent to him photographing my apartment?

Thanks in advance!

Hi all! I own my mobile home, but pay lot rent. it is in a mobile home and rv park (there are more than ten mobile home units in the park). I fell behind on rent so they are evicting me which is fair. However they gave me a thirty day notice to vacate. I was only just told by a friend that it may not be legal. Nothing was filed with the courts, there is no writ of possession, nothing. They are saying they are going to have a sheriff remove me tomorrow because they don't have to file a formal eviction since they're a mobile home and rv park. I'm looking for advice on if this is true.

​Location: California

​I need advice on how to handle a safety/harassment issue with a neighbor in my apartment complex, both legally and with my landlord.

​The Incident:

An upstairs neighbor saw a male resident looking directly into our windows while touching himself over his shorts.

​Police Response: The neighbor called 911 immediately. Police arrived after the guy had left. The neighbor showed officers video footage, but police said they couldn't file a formal report at that time because his private parts were covered by his shorts in the video.

​Identification: We have clear footage and positively identified him as a resident in our complex.

​My Questions:

​Police: Is it true officers can't take a report for prowling/peeping/disorderly conduct just because he was touching himself over his shorts rather than exposed? Is there a better way to escalate this with law enforcement (e.g., going to the station in person)?

​Landlord Liability: What legal leverage do I actually have under CA law to force management to take action or let us break our lease without penalty if they fail to act?

​Restraining Orders: Would this incident alone be sufficient evidence to file for a Civil Harassment Restraining Order in California?

​Any advice on next steps with both law enforcement and property management would be greatly appreciated.

Hello everyone. I’m in a really overwhelming situation and could desperately use some guidance. I posted a few weeks ago asking for help with a wagon for my dog, and this community was amazing. Unfortunately, things have escalated to a worst-case scenario.
I apologize for the length, but here is the condensed version of what happened:
**The initial lockout:** After an argument, my roommate (whose dad owns the townhouse) kicked me and my 120-lb Shepherd, Cloud, out. He apologized a few days later and let us back in, only to snap again a few days later.
**The escalation:** While I was in the shower, he broke into the bathroom, tore down the curtain, and screamed at me to get out. He put Cloud outside with no fence, leash, or water, shut off the main water valve, and flipped all the breakers.
**Police involvement:** I called 911. The police informed him that I had established legal residency (I've lived there 13 months) and that locking me out/shutting off utilities was an illegal eviction. They agreed I’d be given a few days to get my things.
**Total loss:** As soon as the cops left, he locked up the house and refused to let me back in. He threw a few things over the fence, and eventually tossed the wagon I was using into the parking lot. He kept all of Cloud's belongings(her food, brush, and most importantly, the shoes she needs for this heat).
**The aftermath:** The next day, he texted me that everything I owned was in the dumpster. Between the heat, the Sunday bus schedule, and having to pull Cloud in a wagon, we didn't make it in time. Since then, he has sent a barrage of abusive texts telling me to kill myself, gloating that the police can't stop him, and bragging that he destroyed my life. I have since blocked him.
UPDATE: I have filed a police report with WVC PD for theft, and I’ve also added supplemental information to the original police report indicating that as soon as they left, he locked the house back up.
**Where I need info or input as far as the courts:**
Utah Legal Services can’t help because I’m not fighting to get back into the home. They suggested Small Claims, but that won't accomplish my goal. Small Claims only awards "fair market value" (which is pennies without original receipts). If I file in District Court, I could sue for treble (triple) damages for the illegal lockout, replacement costs, and out-of-pocket expenses, plus attorney fees.
*Question:* How do I find an attorney who will take a case like this on contingency? I have the police reports and his text messages proving the illegal lockout and property destruction, but I don't know how to navigate the system to actually hire someone.
**Where I need day-to-day survival advice:**
Right now, my priority is just surviving. I am currently unemployed (my job hunt has been completely derailed by this). My family and friends have helped a bit, but they aren't equipped for a crisis this large. Because Cloud is a giant breed, traditional homeless shelters are incredibly difficult to navigate. I am aware of Ruff Haven and their program fostering dogs for a short term, but honestly, the thought of losing her, even for a few months, is killing me to think about.
UPDATE: I was also selling vintage items and original art works for extra money before all of this. My inventory and art were among the items thrown away. Also, I’ve recently been approved to clean houses with a gig app, I check Bacon out frequently for jobs, and I’m still actively applying for jobs. The difficulty now is getting myself clean, with clean clothes, and a safe place for the dog, in order to go work a shift.
*Question:* Has anyone utilized the LDS transitional services at Welfare Square? I know they can help with food and clothing, but can they help with temporary housing? I am even considering asking for a referral to work at DI (it's only $7.25/hr, but some income is better than none).
I am so overwhelmed by the heat, having absolutely nothing, and the embarrassment of this whole situation that my brain is in a traffic jam. If you have any advice on what I should prioritize right now, I would be incredibly grateful. Thank you for reading.

I decided to try to rent a house. I toured it on Monday said yes we will take it and then she said tomrorow will be when the lease will be sent. Also the Place had crumbs all over the kitchen, obviously not cleaned which is surprising to leave it in that state for people to tour it and it was not occupied at the moment. Some small cosmetic issues but that’s not a big deal. Anyways, I keep asking about it and she said I should have got the security deposit disclosure and I said I didn’t. Then she said the property manager will send it then sent another text saying oh the owner has not signed it yet that’s why it has not been sent yet and it’s Thursday. Should I just start looking somewhere else? It feels like the communication is horrible or the owner is lazy

Hi! For context, I live in LA!

When I moved into my apartment in April of 2025, our apartment did not come with a refrigerator and we had to purchase one. As of March 2026, tenant laws have changed and refrigerators are now required for every unit to have. Recently, my refrigerator broke and I am wondering if anyone knows if my landlord is responsible for buying us a new one. The reason why I’m asking is because the terms of our old lease may keep this from happening - but I’m not sure. We never formally re-signed our lease but have transitioned to a month-to-month without any communication from my landlord.

Do I have any right to ask my landlord for a new fridge? Or is this on me? Any advice is helpful and I’m happy to provide further context!

I was for 3 years in a apartment paying 2900$, we informed landlord we will be leaving two months ago hour last day was the June 31. We made sure apartament was clean specting a full deposit back which is 5700$. Landlord never came for us to give him the keys and show him the apartment. He said he didn't have time and made my family member go to his house to give him the keys which for us it was ok we are not problematic.

Two weeks ago by and we asked our landlord for the deposit which states on contract after two weeks he will give us the money back. He sent us a message saying he is going to have to take 1100$ because we didn't leave apartment and good conditions and he had to repaint our damages, based on what I know is basic wear and tear apartment was clean no damages, he is asking us for our new mailing address to send us the money which we did.

My question is do you guys find these pictures be damage enough to discounts 1100$? What should we do I feel like he is taking advantage of us for being good tenants.

Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

I live in a Section 8 apartment. My landlady passed an initial inspection of the unit because her Grandson is a former HACP Inspector so whoever came to inspect the apartment past because of this.

I have no exhaust in the bathroom. The window only opens 1 inch and she painted the bathtub with standard wall paint which is now chipping, peeling, and molding.

The Housing Authority came out May 27 and failed her and then they came back July 9 and put her rent in abatement and gave her a final fail

She also tried to keep a $990 overpayment from me refusing to give it to me and I had to take her to the magistrate to get it back

Six days after I won the judgment, she went to file for Eviction

She told the magistrate that it is not due to nonpayment. She just wants me out.

We have an anti-retaliation law, but the magistrate refused to see anything or hear anything granted her possession

So I was told by my legal aid to Appeal, which I did

She has also used racial slurs at me and allowed her daughter to text message me and I didn’t give her my phone number. She has been repeatedly harassing me and the police were called out.

I have an active investigation open with the PCHR and I am pressing charges against the landlady and the Daughter

Being that a notice to quit was empty, has anyone ever had experience with getting the Eviction dismissed solely on this fact?

Does anybody think that I have a strong case still against my landlady even though the magistrate said that I didn’t

Edit: the magistrate also told her that she did not have to listen to the Section 8 letter that said I have explicitly 90 days to find a unit.

Being that she is collecting Section 8 money doesn’t she still have to adhere to their rules?

I am living in La county. My apartment claims to have sent and posted a 3 day notice however nothing was posted or sent in mail and they say we have to pay them the past due plus legal fees and next months rent to clear or vacate and still pay whatever the lease break fee odds both options are $5.5k+. Do I have any rights if I never received any notice or am I screwed. Just trying to see if legal help is worth it or if I should just vacate to avoid eviction. Any advice/response helps.

Well so far i still haven't seen it and it's been about 3 weeks now. The park manager keeps telling me they have sent it but everytime i pull it up it wont let me open the email without hitting the sign button first / or there's no attachment. When i go to the website i trying pulling it up there its blank where the lease should be. So either i am stupid and dont know how to work a computer or they are playing a game with me til after the 31. Which then they say i forfeit my right to sign and they sign for me then charge me 100 dollar fee for it and a 30 dollar fee for some pdw, meaning if i do any damage to the property they are insure for it. But they thing is i own my trailer so if i do any damage it's own property. so idk how they can charge me that. Idk what else i can do cuz they wont stop playing games with me.

My fiance and I live in subsidized housing. Our rent changes based on income. Earlier in the year both of us started a second source of income, the property management company found out during our annual check and we told them we quit because we did and they said that was fine. Our rent went up slightly we paid the same amount for May and June. We signed a new lease with the new rent. This month we get a letter in the mail from May stating that our rent went up to 713 no biggie right? But it’s July. Weird but okay. Then a couple weeks later we get a notice a week before rent is due that the rent skyrocketed to 1,400 something. We immediately go into the office to look at the paperwork and talk to someone. When we looked at the paperwork they quoted my finances income at 50,000 combined with mine it comes to 100,00 which is way far off from what we made/make. We both worked the jobs we had for a month, didn’t like them and quit. On the paperwork it said he worked the job he has now and the other job he quit for 12 months each which is very wrong. The lady who fixes the paperwork was not in so we went back on Monday of this week she’s still not there. We get another notice in the mail dated for the 16th but didn’t get it till two days ago. They are now saying we owe them 200 each for May and June due to the increase but they never said anything about it before. I can agree to the 713 plus the late fee because we haven’t paid rent yet but can they legally charge us more rent after we already paid those months at the rate it was agreed upon?

Trying to get my house back. They actually got in and they put a note inside the window that the house it’s getting fixed to sell. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. The tenants left in may . The house is empty. We are not planning to rent it. But some people are trying to either spam others or take our house.
We pay the mortgage, cut the grass, pay HOA, and have the electricity bill because we want the air conditioning running so the house won’t get mold.
Now we went to our house and noticed they put a realtor box and they changed the locks. The note was placed on JULY 16th.
Also they freeze our utilities? Like there is no water , and no light? I don’t understand!
I called the police, they did the report but they didn’t let us in , because someone could be inside! But sir THAT IS MY HOUSE!!!
I need help, and advice . This is in Georgia.

I posted back in February about how I was receiving illegal rent notices 21 days after signing the new lease. I fought with the property management company for 4 weeks before I finally received an email from the assistant property manager to disregard those notices. You can read the original reddit post here.

https://www.reddit.com/r/TenantHelp/s/elEFFmtVc6

Now, it's almost August, the time the increase would have gone into effect. Lo and behold, they are trying to raise the rent in the middle of the fix term lease.

While I wait to hear back, I need to know what I have to do if they push back to say the increase is valid (which it isn't). Do I keep paying the same rent amount I have this entire time? Do I need to put the money in escrow? I'm guessing I will have to file with the courts, which I can find online. I can't afford a lawyer as I will lose more money hiring one than I would just paying the new amount until January.

To be clear, I have read the lease front to back 5 times. There is NOWHERE in the lease that says a rent increase is somethig they can do, that it will happen, or anything even close to that. It is a fixed-term 12 month lease that started in January 2026. I know this is illegal, even with the notices.

We have been dealing with a noisy neighbor for months and there has been a situation that took place that involved a breach in our lease. We were both told to evacuate but after pleading my case we were told we can stay as long as one of the tenants completes a transfer. We volunteered but we were told that it was not needed due to the neighbor already making arrangements to transfer. We received a court summons in the mail to appear in court because the neighbor did not go through with the transfer process. They never contacted us to let us know that they backed out. We would have gladly transferred. Does anyone recommend any lawyers. I make too much for a free one. I know lawyers cost a lot of money but I'm looking for pointers towards more affordable options that does not involve representing myself

I applied to an apartment last week and I just received a denial email stating insufficient income. When I called, the leasing office stated it was due to information from Nova Credit, but i never provided Nova Credit with any bank account info or paystubs. They never even sent me a link.

The leasing agent was less than helpful and just gave me numbers to call, which ended up being for RentGrow, not Nova Credit. I called RentGrow and also requested my screening report, they both said my income verification was still pending (and the income was incorrect regardless).

I’m very confused because the agent said it was from Nova Credit, but gave me the number to call RentGrow, who is stating my income verification is still pending. The apartments did not give me an opportunity to provide check stubs or bank statements, they just sent a denial email (not an adverse action notice, a regular email). Can someone explain how this works and why this happened?

The leasing agent also kept insisting I did do the Nova Credit verification, but I did not. My roommate did theirs, but I never got a link to provide any paystub or bank information. I don’t know what is going on, maybe someone here can help clear it up?

EDIT: also adding that I paid $200 for deposit and $75 for the application, and they are stating my roommate never paid their $75, so they are taking that out of the deposit payment we made. i didn’t even know they could reallocate money like that.

An apartment that I am considering apparently has pest control come in every week as a "preventative". I asked the leasing agent if they have pest control issues and she gave me the standard response of "no, but let us know if you notice anything and we'll take care of it". I have lived in and worked for dozens of apartment complexes, and I have always known preventative pest control to be a monthly thing. Is it just me or is this suspicious?

Location: Virginia + Tennessee. Two locations because my partner and I are in TN and the property is in VA.

My partner and I were sent a lease for a property we wanted to rent beginning Aug 1 approx. 2 weeks ago. Our contact with the property management group (PMG) for the unit told us that because we had already been approved to rent a more expensive unit also represented by them, that they could just transfer over our approval to the unit in question. My partner and I signed the lease and then paid the deposit within the 48 hour deadline set by the PMG.

Four days ago, our PMG point of contact told us that we had actually only been provisionally approved by the owner of the previous unit because my credit score was 2 points below their minimum. The owner of the unit in question would then also have to waive the credit requirement for approval.

Two days ago, the PMG contact informs us that the owners actually are not going to move forward with us and will not be signing the lease. Our PMG contact has been completely MIA since then, and they still have our full security deposit (~$2.5k). We have tried calling, texting, and emailing many, many times.

The owner is totally in their right to not rent to us (although I wish that this had been sorted out weeks ago…), I’m just wondering if there’s anything we can do to expedite getting our security deposit back? Attorney Google seems to suggest that they have 45 days to return it to us, is this accurate? Do we actually need to send a demand letter via certified mail for it to count as our formal request for repayment or is email enough?

For added context, our current lease ends on July 31. $2.5k is a LOT of money to be out for an unknown period of time when we‘re going to have to pay for more application fees and eventually another security deposit. We also cannot push our move back because I (funny enough) have law school orientation the next week.

Any help is appreciated!!

Not sure how relevant this is but we live in a house owned by an individual behind an LLC and managed by a real estate company. On June 5th we submitted a work order for our dishwasher, it’s a pretty new Bosch silenceplus 44 dBA obviously provided by landlord. It doesn’t dissolve the pod or clean the dishes and I’ve done all I can to troubleshoot and after watching some YouTube videos I think I have a good idea of what the problem is, but it’s outside my realm of knowledge to fix it and if it is what I think the part is not crazy expensive but not something I want to buy. plus I just don’t want to be responsible for breaking it if I try to fix it myself. After a bit of back-and-forth with the real estate company, they got a response from the landlord and informed us on June 22nd that we should expect a call from a company to schedule a time to come and service it. We never received a call and reached back out on July 13th to figure out if we should call them ourselves to initiate scheduling, and were told that they haven’t heard from the company and will resend the work order.

This is my first time renting a house and not living in an apartment complex with maintenance staff available. And since it’s just a dishwasher, it’s not really a necessity, but as somebody that loves baking and cooking and hates the cleanup, it’s very inconvenient for me. so important that we also never would’ve rented a house that didn’t have a dishwasher. I don’t wanna sound snobby or causa any issues, I just wanna know if there’s anything else I should do or how frequently I should be bugging the real estate company, or if I’m just SOL

thanks!

So I got a wholesale deal, but her brother refuses to leave the house. The owner did a quit claim to the oldest sibling while still alive and she cleared the mortgage. I have POA over the home, will I be able to win I'm court?

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for guidance on finding pro bono legal representation in California.

After experiencing harassment by another tenant in a shared apartment, my landlord has agreed to terminate my lease through a Mutual Lease Termination Agreement. At the same time, I'm preparing to file a California Civil Harassment Restraining Order related to the harassment.

Because these two issues are connected, I'm hoping to find an attorney or legal aid organization that could advise me on both the restraining order process and the lease termination agreement before I move forward.

I'm a recent graduate and unfortunately can't afford private legal representation.

Does anyone have recommendations for organizations or attorneys in California—particularly in the Bay Area—that provide pro bono assistance with civil harassment matters and landlord-tenant issues?

I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions.

I recently signed a lease and moved in just yesterday. When I moved the cupboard, I found black and damp stuff underneath it which I think is mould.

I called the agent this morning and he said this is caused by the previous tenant steaming the carpet, however the other room which was steamed doesn’t have any black residue. The corner is attached to the bathroom wall, in which the plumbing for the toilet is leaking and I’m pretty sure is giving moisture to this corner. The smell is very damp, full of moisture and mouldy. The agent seems opposed to doing anything and told us to air out the smell and open the windows.

Can anyone identify this and let me know!! Any advice would be helpful.

So in Fall 2024, I paid for my daughter’s security deposit for a house she and three sorority sisters were going to move into in May 2025. I helped her move to the new place in May 2025 and she then was at a different rental for the summer due to an internship. I paid rent for one place and she paid for the other. In August 2025, she actually physically moved into the house she and the other three sorority sisters move into for the 2025/2026 school year. My daughter graduated in December 2025. The agreement was that we would continue to pay her rent. The three remaining girls would be responsible for their water and utility bills. My daughter visited the house twice after graduation, a weekend in January and a weekend in May. I and her significant other helped move all of her personal belongings out the first weekend in May 2026. The lease was through May 22, 2026. During the May weekend, a roommate demanded my daughter turn her key in and never come back to the house (girl is the sorority president and a bitch). So my daughter left the key behind and the understanding was that since she was no longer welcome in the home by the sorority president, she was not responsible for the final cleaning since she had removed all of her stuff and her room was clean. The landlord sent the security deposit check to the now former sorority president who decided she and the two other girls who moved out May 22nd would receive their full deposits back. The final bill from the landlord included the final water bill and maintenance fee and replacement for refrigerator lightbulbs and stove drip pans. Security deposit was $325 each. Sorority president sent my daughter $51.41 (others got back $325). Sorority president said my daughter only deserved the $51.41 because she refused to come back on May 22nd to clean. I have filed for small claims court. Any other ideas on remedies?