20 Terrifying Landlord Horror Stories
Almost everyone who has ever rented has a story about an annoying landlord, or someone they rent from who is just the absolute worst. By the time you get into your late 20s, landlord horror stories are almost a dime a dozen. But there’s no way anything you’ve heard is as wild as the landlord stories on this list. In these stories there are landlords who tried to raise a tenant’s rent to an astronomical price, landlords who harassed their renters, and landlords who are all around just the worst. Hopefully the run-ins you’ve had with your landlord haven’t been as awful as any of the landlord nightmares on this list.
It’s a rare occurrence, but some people actually have really nice landlords. People who work with them when they’re going to be late on rent, who fix things for them, and who don’t mind offering a sympathetic ear. The landlords on this list are not those kinds of people. The folks on this list are the worst of the worst landlords. Depending on what time of the month it is, write up an early (or late) rent check, and make sure your landlord hasn't done something on this list of the worst things that landlords have done.
Vote up the worst stories about grimy landlords, and tell everyone about your worst landlord experience in the comments.
- 1899 VOTES
Landlord Cuts Heat, Slays Children
In January 2014, the landlord of an apartment in Indiana shut off a family's heat during the polar vortex. The family tried to stay warm using a space heater connected to a propane tank, which caused the apartment to go up in flames. After the fire, a man could be heard screaming, "My babies! My babies!” He was able to save two of his children, and his three other children passed in the fire.
- 2753 VOTES
Landlord Installs Spy Cam In Apartment
In 2014, Aksana Kuzmitskaya noticed a camera in her bathroom clock and once she cracked it open she discovered over 70 photos — one of which showed her landlord adjusting the camera.
- 3705 VOTES
Landlord Abducts Child After Family Doesn't Move Out Fast Enough
An Ohio landlord abducted the 11-year-old daughter of some tenants who didn't move out quickly enough. After the girl was returned, the landlord was charged with abduction, burglary, and obstructing official business following the incident.
- 4690 VOTES
Fake Landlord Dismembers Tenant
Chinelle Browne, a mother of four, was dismembered by who she thought was her landlord after she discovered that Leah Cuevas (the fake landlord), had been illegally renting out her late uncle's apartment. On the night of the dismembering, a neighbor alleges that they heard someone screaming, "No, Leah! What you doing?" and "Oh, no! Oh, no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
- 5445 VOTES
Landlord Accidentally Blows Up A Building
The son of an East Village landlord told a plumber to illegally tap the gas line of his dad's building, causing it to explode and slay two people.
- 6593 VOTES
Landlord Says Latinx Baby Who Suffered Lead Poisoning Wouldn't Have Gone To College Anyway
A Brooklyn landlord who was being sued in a lead poisoning case tried to convince the judge that because the 2-year-old baby was Latinx that the baby wouldn't have gone to college even if the baby hadn't suffered brain injuries caused by lead paint in the building. By this logic, he wouldn't be liable for the poisoning.