Sorry about this wall of text, but often times the struggles workers face are compunded and exacerbated by horrific landlords like mine and I feel the need to post my experience here and to reach out for advice:
My gf and I moved into this place last August so I could finish up my final semester at school, and we've always been excellent tenets; paying rent on time, no guests/parties, no noise complaints.
Our LLs threatened us with eviction a week before Christmas because our puppy peed a little bit on the sidewalk. This was the first incident we had, but it definitely wasn't the last and things only got more riduculous.
When it was time to reknew our lease in Feb. they inspected the apartment and said that they couldn't reknew the lease because we have “too much cardboard” (three empty moving boxes) and they could smell dog pee (which was from our trash can where we threw away some paper towels we used to clean up our dog's pee) they could find nothing specifically wrong or point out any specific damages. They told us that carboard spontaneously generates cockroaches.
I also learned that they'll keep my $650 security deposit because I have a pet (in addition to the $250 pet deposit I put down) They also said they could charge me for any damages done to the apartment and I'm 99% sure they'll find some BS reason to do it and I have no idea how to protect myself from this.
They said they could do a follow up inspection but it'll be completely spontaneous and “it may be a few days or a few weeks” because they needed approval from the “home office”.
So flash forward to yesterday, my GF and I have been on pins and needles trying to keep the place looking immaculate as possible, but it's hard when you're busy and travel a lot, and after a month of waiting, cleaning the floor every night and trying to get rid of any smells (real or imaginary), it was exhausting not knowing which day they were coming.
I woke up to them calling me and telling me they'll be at my apartment in 5 mins to inspect, I jump out of bed and put my clothes on, I didnt do the dishes from dinner last night, but it was just a few cups and plates and they had no food material or gross smells because we rinsed them off. and I didnt sweep the floor because I was sick with a stomach bug, but the floor had no stains or visable damages. I knew the apartment was looking decent by any reasonable standard and didn't have any garbage about. Nothing which could be considered unlean, or damaging to the property.
They told me I have “too much clutter” (which was never brought up in the first inspection and we have a normal amount of clutter for an apartment with two people and a dog) and when I told them I would put away the clutter and do anything to keep living there, they smirked at me and said some BS about how it wasn't up to them, they would have to send what they saw to the home office and they would make a decision.
Anyone seeing it would see that it's a normal amount of stuff and there's no trash, food, or garbage that's been left out. Nothing actually gross, we just have clothes in the chairs, books, cleaner, flowers on our table, spices on our countertops, and pillows on our sofa. Normal apartment shit. Apparently they can't tell the difference between clutter and garbage, and what they consider “clutter” is fairly standard stuff that I guarentee everyone has in their apartment.
They didnt even get specific. It took them a month to get “approval from the home office” to do a follow up inspection and only a few hours to serve us an eviction notice…over dishes in the sink and “too much clutter”.
Here's where it gets crazy:
My mom co-signed the lease because of my age, and he called the office and asked what was up.
They lied and said the place was “filthy” and that my GF and I were “filthy people”. They said we had piles of dishes in the sink. We had garbage everywhere. And then condescendingly suggested that we should use our dishwasher (no shit sherlock, the dishwasher was full and the 5 dishes that in the sink were hand wash only)
And apparently these creeps have nothing better to do than to watch us take our puppy outside EVERY TIME and were keeping track of whether we walked her around and if she pooped or not. (We were told that it was perfectly fine to let our dog pee in the grass and we pick up her poop every time she goes). My mom asks “so is this about the dog or what!?” And they said “…well no, but we've NEVER seen that dog poop outside”
Then my mom asks for the number and name of the person from the home office and they go silent and after a few seconds she said “…that's confidential information”
Spoiler alert: THERE IS NO HOME OFFICE, they just told us that so that it would make it look like it wasnt their decision to evict, but rather, some unnamed corporate body.
After going through this whole song and dance, dealing with all their lies and condescention, they agreed to let us stay until the end of May, when I graduate. But threatened to charge us for any damages they find when we move out. Keep in mind, I've paid a $1000 deposit already and they're keeping every penny.
I'm so worried they'll find literally any bullshit reason to charge us for damages even though we have taken excellent care of the place and there are zero damages to the property, certainly none that would exceed $1000.
Short of taking picture/video footage upon moving out, I have no idea how to protect myself from this level of harassment. They genuinely don't seem to understand the difference between clutter and garbage, and what they consider “clutter” is perfectly reasonable apartment stuff.
TL;DR
LLs are watching us like hawks. Threatening eviction for random stuff like carboard boxes in our apartment. Puppy peeing on the sidewalk outside. And having normal stuff in our apartment. Lying about a “home office” and about what they see during inspections. And threatening to make us pay for non existent damages in addition to keeping our $1000 deposit.