Protect your rights... and your money.

How Do I Report Bad Landlords?

Welcome to ShadyLandlords.com, an online community and information resource for tenants with bad landlords.

If you're like most renters, your lease is probably written in a way that protects the landlord. But what happens when a landlord takes advantage of you?

Protect Your Rights

Have you ever watched those courtroom shows on TV (like Judge Judy)? The smartest thing you can do as a renter is keep documentation of everything. Bad landlords often don't respond to the requests and complaints of a tenant, and legal action may be required. The documentation you keep will help you win your case.

The Lease

This should be a no-brainer: get the terms of the lease in writing! Keep a copy of your lease in a safe place, as you'll never know if you're going to need it. If you have to take bad landlords to court, be sure you take this with you.

Photographs

Take pictures (and video, if possible) before you move anything into the apartment, and be sure to take pictures when you leave. This photographic evidence will be very important as you can show the condition of your residence both before and after you lived there.

Copies of Checks

You should make copies of the cashed checks you gave your landlord for rent, deposit, utilities and anything else. Most banks will show a scanned copy of the cashed checks in your online banking portal, so be sure to print them out and file them with the copy of your lease.

Receipts

If you have to pay for anything in the apartment that you think the landlord should have to reimburse, KEEP THE RECEIPT. This could include the cost of having an appliance fixed, cleaning costs at move-in, or anything else which isn't the responsibility of the tenant.

Official Documents

Be sure to keep any official documents which might relate to your landlord or apartment. These might include police reports, legal documents, or government notices. If you plan on suing your landlord, try to get your neighbors to sign affidavits supporting your case.

Emails and Text Messages

You should save every single email and text message between you and your landlord. If you can't save the text messages on your phone, be sure to get the official transcripts of your messages from your phone company.

Phone Records

Just like you should save your emails and text messages, keep your phone records handy. If you are involved in a court case, the phone records can help you demonstrate a timeline of communication.

Certified Mail

If bad landlords are not responsive to your emails or phone calls, you will want to send a notorized letter via certified mail (with a return receipt). Certified mail is a must when dealing with a bad landlord, as it provides a paper trail for when information was sent and when it was received.

Although certified mail isn't bullet-proof in court, it does help demonstrate a timeline of communication between you and your landlord.

Don't do:

Anything stupid. Slandering your landlord or damaging property because the landlord "deserves" it will never help your case.

Help with Bad Landlords

If you can't find an answer to your question on ShadyLandlords.com, we encourage you to search Google. If you find something useful, we hope you come back and share the knowledge with our commmunity!

Be sure to read our legal disclaimers. We are not lawyers, nor do we pretend to be.