Tenant’s fury after landlord let himself into his apartment to leave an unexpected handwritten note
A tenant was stunned to return home from holiday to find a handwritten note from his landlord on his kitchen counter – despite never giving him permission to enter.
Renter Jamal, from the UK, sent an angry email demanding an explanation after discovering that his landlord Alan had let himself into the apartment while he was away for a week.
‘Alan, I’ve just returned from a week away and found a handwritten note on my kitchen table that says, “Clean this place up”,’ Jamal said in the email.
‘Can you explain why you were inside my flat while I was away? I did not give you permission to enter and this feels like a complete invasion of my privacy.’
But the response he received from the property owner was not what he expected.
‘Jamal, I am the owner of that property. I do not require your permission to set foot into it. You rent from me, which means I have every right to check the state of the flat at any time,’ Alan replied bluntly.
‘What I found was unacceptable. Dishes left in the sink. Surfaces not wiped. It is not the standard I expect in a property I own. If you want to live in filth, do it elsewhere.’
However, the renter disagreed, responding: ‘With respect, you are completely out of order.
Jamal, from the UK, sent an angry email demanding an explanation after discovering that his landlord Alan had let himself into the apartment while he was away for a week
‘Regardless of ownership, you cannot simply enter a tenant’s home without notice. It is trespassing, plain and simple. I pay you £1,500 ($A3,050) every month. That should buy me at least some privacy,’ Jamal replied.
Refusing to back down, Alan shot his reply down, saying: ‘Privacy comes with responsibility. If you want me to stay out, keep the place spotless.
‘If you don’t like my standards, you are more than welcome to leave. I already have other tenants ready and waiting,’ he continued.
Confused, Jamal replied: ‘So to be clear, you’re threatening to evict me over a few dishes in the sink?’
The email exchange ended with Alan saying: ‘Yes. Consider this your official warning.’
It’s unclear what happened next but the heated conversation was re-shared by British property strategist Jack Rooke on social media.
‘This is a toxic relationship between tenant and landlord. This is clearly not working for either of them. The landlord is so far in the wrong here,’ Jack explained.
‘This is why boundaries matter. Good landlords know you respect the rules, you don’t just walk into a tenant’s home because you feel like it. Landlords do better.’
The landlord ended up threatening to kick him out unless he tidied the property
The video has been viewed more than 65,000 times – with many taking particular issue with the landlord for breaking into his tenant’s home without notice.
‘He needs to give notice of an inspection. Landlord is wrong for this,’ one said.
‘OMG the landlord literally did something illegal,’ another shared.
‘I’d love someone from the bank to go to the landlord’s house, just let themselves in, comment on anything they don’t personally like, and leave a note saying “house being repossessed. Get out”,’ one suggested.
‘He absolutely does not have the right to be in that flat at any time,’ another added.
Meanwhile, many revealed how ‘lucky’ they are for having chilled landlords.
‘Damn I got lucky. I hear from my landlord once a year when he drops off the new tenancy agreement,’ one shared.
‘I never hear from my landlord, lived there 22 years and have seen him like 10 times,’ another revealed.
