The age-old debate between renting and owning is one that continues to be passed down from generation to generation. Sure, renting gives you the freedom to move at your will, save money, and have the pleasure of a landlord or super who will fix whatever breaks. But owning gives you the freedom of crazy paint colors, and never-ending projects, and sets you free from a landlord-run lifestyle. This viral TikTok shows the ever-present struggles of the annoying landlord that renters know all too well.
This Illinois renter posted a video of her landlord coming into her apartment to “fix” things. He claimed he had come to fix her oven, which she had requested 45 days ago, and seemingly came to rearrange her things and cover her cameras instead.
Commenters advised her to check for cameras that the landlord may have installed while he was in her home and to buy an extra lock for her door so that the landlord can no longer come in unannounced. Some even told her to get out of the apartment and find somewhere else to live as soon as possible.
But, this isn’t the only installment of the landlord saga. After involving the police in the actions of her over-present landlord, the tenant received no help from law enforcement. It seems as though they are on the side of the landlord, citing that they sent an email saying that he was coming and that the tenant hasn’t paid her rent.
One commenter pointed out that the landlord only had a right to enter her apartment if he gave 24 hours’ notice and was there to make repairs, not touch and reorganize her belongings. Others said that even if she hadn’t paid her rent, she still holds rights as a tenant until she has been formally evicted.
In another follow-up video, she shares with an officer that she has already been locked out of her apartment and that she has already filed a report to no avail.
The tenant was sure to expose the names and locations of both the officers and the landlord. She also uploaded several pieces of footage from her own in-home security cameras of the landlord entering her home without her there, covering her cameras, and rearranging her belongings. She has yet to post an update about whether or not anything has come of her police reports or if she has decided to move after all of the chaos.
According to iProperty Management, landlords in the tenant’s state of Illinois are only permitted to enter a unit without the permission of the tenant when there is an emergency, such as the smell of fire or a gas leak. However, the landlord is legally allowed to enter the property without the tenant present so long as they give the tenant 24 hours notice or in the event of an emergency. If a landlord enters illegally, the tenant is permitted to sue for damages and terminate the lease early.
As a tenant (or a landlord), knowing your rights is the key to a healthy renter-rentee relationship. It also helps if the police you call, and the landlord who is violating your rights, also know said rights. If not, at the very least it’ll make for a viral TikTok video.