When Your Landlord Ghosts You, Ghost Him Right Back: A Petty Revenge Tale for the Ages
If you’ve ever rented an apartment, you know that a good landlord can make all the difference—and a bad one can turn your whole life upside-down. But what happens when your landlord is so incompetent (and possibly shady) that the authorities start showing up at your door? For Reddit user u/trasholala, the answer was simple: when in doubt, ghost your landlord right back.
This is the story of how two tenants, fed up with months of power outages, cold showers, and unanswered messages, delivered the ultimate dose of petty revenge by giving their absentee landlord a taste of his own medicine. If you’ve ever dreamed of settling the score with a negligent landlord, grab your popcorn—this one’s for you.
The Apartment from Hell: When Red Flags Become Your Daily Decor
Finding affordable housing in today’s market often feels like searching for a unicorn—so when u/trasholala and their roommate landed an apartment through an acquaintance, they tried to ignore the little voice in their heads screaming “red flag!” The rent was steep, but hey, at least utilities and internet were included (or so they thought).
But soon, the dream began unraveling. The first disaster? A five-day blackout, courtesy of a landlord who simply didn’t pay the electric bill. Not only did the tenants lose all their refrigerated food, but their landlord flat-out refused to reimburse them—even though, legally, they didn’t owe rent for those days. Taking him to court would have cost more than just letting it slide, so they gritted their teeth and carried on.
As weeks turned to months, the hits kept coming: the heat was cut off (in November, no less), the internet was regularly disconnected, and the tenants were forced to pay the provider directly just to keep working and studying. Through it all, they never missed a rent payment; their landlord just never passed it on.
From Bad to Worse: Enter the Police
Just when they thought it couldn’t get worse, the police showed up with a search warrant—in the landlord’s name. Imagine minding your business in the shower, only to have officers barge in looking for evidence of who-knows-what. That was the last straw.
With nerves frayed and patience gone, the renters decided to move out. They followed protocol: sent a detailed text, requested a walkthrough, asked about the key exchange and deposit, and even mailed a formal notice to the landlord’s registered address (which, in a particularly Kafkaesque twist, was their own apartment). They included documentation of all the utility fiascos and even the police raid.
The landlord’s response? Radio silence. No text, no call, no letter. Ghosted.
Petty Revenge: Playing the Landlord’s Game Better Than He Ever Could
After months of being ignored and mistreated, u/trasholala and roommate made one final decision: they left. No cleaning spree, no passive-aggressive pranks—just a quiet, unceremonious exit. If their landlord couldn’t be bothered to answer their messages, why should they bother giving him a heads-up?
Cue the poetic justice: Suddenly, the tables turned. The landlord, who had ghosted them for months, was now desperately texting and pleading for a response. Was rent coming? Would they please scan his mail? The silence that had been so infuriating on their end was now driving him up the wall.
And did the tenants answer? Not a chance. If ghosting was his game, they were more than happy to play.
Why This Story Resonates: Tenant Woes and the Power of Petty Revenge
If you’ve ever had a nightmare landlord, you know the feeling: helplessness, frustration, even a bit of righteous fury when your basic needs aren’t met. While there are legal channels for tenant rights (especially in countries like Germany), sometimes the system just isn’t worth the hassle—or the cost.
What makes this story so satisfying isn’t just the revenge, but how it exposes the power imbalance in so many rental situations. When landlords ignore their responsibilities, tenants often feel powerless. But as u/trasholala demonstrated, sometimes the best revenge is simply refusing to play along.
Final Thoughts: Share Your Landlord Horror Stories!
Have you ever been ghosted by your landlord or caught in a housing nightmare? How did you handle it? Drop your stories in the comments below—let’s commiserate, laugh, and maybe even learn a few new tricks for surviving the wild world of renting.
And remember: Sometimes the pettiest revenge is the sweetest.
Inspired by u/trasholala’s story on r/PettyRevenge. Read the original post here.
Original Reddit Post: Don’t want to Answer our request for a walkthrough and key exchange? Then we will leave without letting you know.