When You Ask Your Landlord to Fix the Toilet and Come Home to… Carpet in the Bathroom?!
If you’ve ever rented an apartment, you know that maintenance requests are a gamble. Sometimes you get a quick fix, sometimes you wait weeks, and sometimes… well, sometimes you come home to a scene straight out of a home improvement fever dream.
Such was the case for Reddit user u/Asleep_Radio1750, who recently posted a jaw-dropping tale of “malicious compliance” that has the internet equal parts horrified and amused. The request? Just a little caulk to steady a wobbly toilet. The result? Let’s just say it involved a carpet, a hammer, and a complete disregard for sensible bathroom design.
“Just Caulk My Toilet, Please. Not the Whole Floor!”
The story begins innocently enough. Our protagonist notices their toilet isn’t quite level—a common enough issue that usually calls for a squirt of caulk or a quick plunger adjustment. After a quick word with the landlord’s wife (“my husband will check on it!”), they head off to work, expecting a no-fuss solution.
Instead, they return to find a plush new addition: wall-to-wall carpet, penny-nailed directly over the bathroom’s existing tile floor. That’s right—carpet. In the bathroom. Nailed through the tile. And, for good measure, stuffed under the toilet to “level it off.” You can see the bewildering handiwork here.
When Landlords Get Creative (and Questionable)
There’s a special place in the annals of rental history for landlords with a, let’s say, “unique” approach to repairs. This story is a masterclass in how not to fix a toilet. Let’s break down the missteps:
- Carpet in the Bathroom: Unless you’re living in a 1970s time capsule, this is a universally bad idea. Bathrooms are wet. Carpet is absorbent. Combine the two, and you’ve got a recipe for mold, mildew, and questionable smells.
- Nailing Through Tile: Tile floors are designed to be durable and water-resistant. Punching holes through them with nails? That’s how you invite cracks, leaks, and future headaches.
- Shimming the Toilet with Carpet: There are actual products for leveling toilets—plastic shims, for example. Carpet scraps? Not so much. The only thing they’ll level is your expectation of competent landlord repairs.
Malicious Compliance or Just Malicious Carpeting?
The beauty of this story is in its ambiguity. Was the landlord genuinely trying to help, or was this a tongue-in-cheek response to a “nitpicky” tenant? Or, perhaps, the landlord’s handyman skills peaked with the invention of the penny-nail-and-carpet fix.
Either way, the result is a bathroom floor that’s now soft underfoot…and under-toilet. Reddit commenters were quick to chime in, with reactions ranging from “call the health department!” to “this is exactly why I rent.” Some offered solidarity with their own tales of rental weirdness, while others simply gasped at the photos.
When to Push Back (and When to Just Laugh)
If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few takeaways:
- Document Everything: Take photos (like OP did), keep records, and communicate in writing. You never know when you’ll need evidence for a future dispute—or a viral Reddit post.
- Know Your Rights: In most places, landlords can’t make permanent, damaging alterations to rental units without your consent. Carpet nailed through tile definitely qualifies.
- Embrace the Absurd: Sometimes, all you can do is laugh. After all, you’ll have a killer story for your next party—or for the internet.
The Internet’s Verdict
At last count, the post had over 1,600 upvotes and 150 comments—proof that rental horror stories never go out of style. Whether you’re a tenant, a landlord, or just someone who appreciates a wild home improvement story, there’s a lesson here: be careful what you wish for, and never underestimate a landlord with a toolbox and too much creativity.
Have you ever had a repair go hilariously (or horrifically) wrong? Share your story in the comments below—or just let us know: is carpet in the bathroom ever, ever okay?
Renters, unite! And may your next maintenance request be met with a little less “malicious compliance” and a lot more common sense.
Original Reddit Post: Told my landlord the toilet wasn’t leveled came home from work to carpet installed over the tiled floor wtf