RENTING is a bit like playing Russian roulette, as these horror stories reveal.
Tenants have shared some truly terrible tales of scumbag landlords who have told them not to take "big s**ts" in the loo or to "cook in the kitchen".
One man from Dublin kicked off the discussion on Twitter by sharing a particularly gobsmacking Whatsapp message from a landlord.
The mystery tenant was told off for "cooking big meals in the kitchen" and treating the cooking space "as you use it at your home".
In the poorly spelled and rambling message, the landlord ranted: "Please do not cook a big meal in the kitchen, because of steam alarm went on many times.
"Kitchen is just to eat and worm the food. It does not have capacity to cook for everyone.
"Just try to use it on smart way. Basically this is a dining area, not for cooking real big meal, as you use it at your home. Thanks."
The message struck a chord with thousands of renters who have experienced rogue landlords, and the outrageous message has racked up 92,000 favourites.
It inspired many tenants to share their horror renting stories.
One shared a hilariously baffling message from a landlord called "no more big s**ts".
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It read: "Please dont take anymore big s**ts (s**ts over 3lbs) in your bathroom toilets.
"If you are eating a lot and holding your s**ts all week until Sunday and taking a big fat s**t please stop.
"The clay pipes can't handle the weight of the s**t.
"If you feel a large s**t in your a** coming on please take it at a public library.
"Peace and love, landlord."
Know your rights as a tenant
THE number of people privately renting in the UK is at record highs. Here is what you need to know:
- What a tenancy agreement should include
- Beware of rogue letting agents
- How to avoid letting fees
- Ask about maintenance work and require repairs if neccessary
The tenancy agreement is a contract between you and your landlord.
Most tenancy agreements are an assured shorthold tenancy agreement for a fixed term – usually six to 12 months.
Make sure it include your details and those of your landlord as well as the duration of your tenancy from start to the agreed finish date.
It should also include what payments are expected, like council tax, utilities and service charges as well as the services your landlord will provide, such as maintenance of common areas to avoid.
Read of all of this carefully to avoid any unsuspected charges
You can now check for a rogue landlord or letting agent in London by using the online London Rogue Landlord and Agent Checker.
You can use the checker to find landlords and letting agents that have been fined or convicted of a relevant housing offence.
Many renters are still facing ridiculously high letting fees almost two years after it was announced they would be banned.
The good news is that in recent years, a number of websites and online estate agents have sprung up that can help people connect with landlords directly. Read our guide here.
A Which? investigation revealed letting agents brushed off questions about maintenance.
Many stated that work would be carried out before the tenant moved in, or would need to be dealt with by the landlord.
But property expert Kate Faulkner told Which? that tenants should avoid this type of verbal agreement.
Instead, required repairs should be made conditional as a special clause in the tenancy agreement.
It's not clear if the messages are fake or real but from the number of horror stories being shared on social media in response to the first post, we could believe they're true.
One said they were told off for using a windowless en suite bathroom because mould kept growing – and that the landlord had never used it when they were living there.
Another remembered being told by a landlord to jam a tennis racket in the oven to keep the door shut as it was broken after they asked for it to be fixed.
And one renter said they had been told off because their baby kept crying.
Millions of renters have been saved from no-fault evictions as the government promises to scrap the Section 21 rule.
Meanwhile, a new calculator will help renters avoid being ripped off when the ban on tenant fees comes in next month.
And any letting agent demanding cash before renters read their contracts could be breaking the law, according to Which?
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