July 7, 2026 at 1:46 am

Renter Keeps Losing Power After Using Normal Household Appliances In An Attic Apartment, But The Landlord Says Previous Guests Had The Same Problem And Still Doesn’t Fix It

by Heather Hall

Man confused about the breakers in apartment

Pexels/Reddit

Paying for electricity usually means you should be able to use it.

That’s what this renter expected after moving into an attic apartment last November. Instead, the power kept going out during normal everyday tasks like running the air conditioner while cooking dinner.

Then things got even more frustrating. Since the breakers are inside another tenant’s apartment, someone has to ask for access every time the power goes out.

This time, that meant spending an entire day without electricity. Even worse, the landlord admitted other tenants had the same problem, but nothing ever changed.

Now this renter wants to know if using the electricity that’s included with the apartment somehow makes them the problem.

Read on to see what happened next.

AITAH for using electricity that I am paying for?

At my current rental in Illinois, I live in an attic unit and have been here since November.

During my stay, the power has gone out multiple times for things like using the microwave and hair dryer at the same time (which is understandable), but also for things like turning the burner on when the AC is running.

The breakers for the whole building are located in someone else’s unit, so they have to ask to go in there every time there is a problem.

Now, he’s wondering if this is normal.

This past week, it happened again, so I had to ask them once more to reset it. They were unable to do it right away, which I understood, but it’s the second time I’ve been without power for 24-hours since my stay started.

Is this normal?

They also said this has happened with multiple guests before me, so I feel like, why is this still an issue? The last time it happened, they were a little passive-aggressive about it as well.

AITA?

Wow! That’s probably not that common.

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Let’s see what the readers over at Reddit know about this.

This is exactly what it sounds like.

Airbnb 3 Renter Keeps Losing Power After Using Normal Household Appliances In An Attic Apartment, But The Landlord Says Previous Guests Had The Same Problem And Still Doesnt Fix It

Here’s some pretty good advice.

Airbnb 2 Renter Keeps Losing Power After Using Normal Household Appliances In An Attic Apartment, But The Landlord Says Previous Guests Had The Same Problem And Still Doesnt Fix It

It’s definitely a landlord issue.

Airbnb 1 Renter Keeps Losing Power After Using Normal Household Appliances In An Attic Apartment, But The Landlord Says Previous Guests Had The Same Problem And Still Doesnt Fix It

That would probably help.

Airbnb Renter Keeps Losing Power After Using Normal Household Appliances In An Attic Apartment, But The Landlord Says Previous Guests Had The Same Problem And Still Doesnt Fix It

Losing power every time someone uses a couple of normal appliances doesn’t sound safe at all. And then finding out other guests had the same problem makes the whole situation even more concerning.

It’s time to take action. His first call should go to the landlord to see if they’re finally willing to fix it.

If that doesn’t get anywhere, it may be time to call Airbnb and even the local fire department to find out if something more serious is going on.

Ultimately, getting a refund and finding a safer place to stay might end up being the best solution. Nobody should have to wonder if making dinner is going to leave them without electricity for the next 24 hours.

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Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and LinkedIn.