An anonymous renter has shared their “dehumanising” experience with a landlord in WA, who they allege cornered them in their apartment and forced them to get on their hands and knees and clean while the landlord watched. Brb, adding this parasite to my shitlist, which already includes the real estate agent who left a tenant to piss in a sink for 6 weeks, the landlord who charged a tenant $1,000 for a floorboard scratch, and the one who tried to evict a tenant after they complained about a 50% rent hike. Hell is empty because all its demons are here.
The tenant, who didn’t share their name, posted in the Don’t Rent Me Facebook group (which was more than 70,000 members) asking for advice on how to deal with such a traumatic encounter.
OP claimed they had cleaned their apartment and already moved out but had one day left on their lease when their landlord gave an unwelcome visit.
When returning to the apartment to drop off the keys, the anonymous tenant said they found their landlord and the landlord’s wife had entered the apartment without their consent (something they believe has happened before) and were inspecting the property.
“They started yelling at me about the beating the apartment has taken,” the poster wrote, noting the issues weren’t mentioned in previous inspections.
“They give me a list of things I had to have cleaned before the bond cleaner got there and then another list to give to them.”
Despite the tenant saying the bond cleaner had already been to the property, the landlord wasn’t happy with its condition — and allegedly wouldn’t let the tenant leave until it was cleaned the way they preferred.
“Where it got really bad was when they took me to the bathroom to show me something they weren’t happy with and basically handed me a cloth and made me get on my knees and clean under the bathroom sink while they stood there and watched me,” the tenant wrote.
Oh HELL no.
“I was pretty distraught,” they continued, “and ended up mid-panic attack telling them if they didn’t let me leave I would call the police.”
The renter said the landlord “half-stepped out of the way” but still “yelled” that they were expected to come back the next morning to finish cleaning.
“Being made to get on my knees between them and wipe out a cupboard while they stood at either side of me was one of the most dehumanising things I’ve ever experienced.”
Obviously, the comments in the group were horrified to say the least, with some suggesting the tenant speak to police.
“I would go to the police and speak to them about what happened. To have blocked your exit and intimidated you is not OK,” one group member wrote.
Another suggested the action might fall “under the banner of the charge of detail against will”. While some didn’t agree, there appeared to be a general consensus that legal options should be explored.
Others also warned the tenant not to go back to the apartment alone, and to try to have the landlords discuss the issue in writing.
“Text them and ask why they thought making you get on your hands and knees was appropriate behaviour from them, coupled with the yelling and then previously handed pre-clean list for you to do before the bond cleaner got there. Paper trails are everything,” one person wrote.
Another suggested sending an email that same day, for record.
Honestly, the fact that support groups exist like this — where people who have had their own real estate traumas can share tips to hold their landlord’s legally accountable for any misconduct — is truly an indictment on the rental market as it exists today.
Why is fear and trauma from renting so ubiquitous that tens of thousands of people are sharing information and tips on how to manage it in a Facebook group?
We need an overhaul of landlord and tenant rights, or this broken housing system in general, because clearly one party has way more bargaining power than the other.
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