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Some apartment renting problems solve themselves after one polite reminder. Others apparently require more patience.

One tenant has been dealing with a recurring issue in her building’s shared laundry room where pet hair regularly gets left behind and the lint catcher goes uncleaned.

So after reporting the pattern to her landlord, he sent out a general reminder to everyone.

But as a gross mildew smell permeated the space, she began to suspect her neighbors weren’t paying near as much attention as she was.

So as her concerns continued to get ignored, she started second-guessing whether raising this issue at all makes her the problem.

Keep reading for the full story.

Neighbors constantly disrespect shared washer and dryer

I live in a 5 unit townhome/apartment building, and we all share 1 washer and dryer. I notice some people always leave their pet hair in the washer and don’t clean up the lint catcher.

The tenant tries to get ahead of the issue, but the neighbors still don’t seem to care.

I told my landlord, and they sent out a reminder to everyone to keep the washer/dryer clean, but I think 1 person is still not doing it.

On top of that, I notice there’s a foul mildew smell because of the pet hair and because of leaving the washer/dryer closed.

The tenant decides to try and reason with the neighbors directly.

So I wrote a very friendly note saying:

“Hi all, I noticed there’s a bit of a mildew smell in the washer. I ran a clean cycle and read online to leave the door open between washes to let it air out properly. Sharing in case this helps!”

But still, no one else seems to care about proper upkeep.

I checked the next day, and someone did laundry without keeping the door open or cleaning the pet hair in the drum. Am I overreacting about this?

I have a pet too, so I understand, but I wouldn’t want someone else’s laundry to have all my pet hair or be washed in potential mold.

Looking back, this is just one thing in a long list of annoying things.

I just feel weird because I’m one of the newer tenants and really don’t want to cause problems.

My next door neighbor has been living here for 20 years and has already been snarky to me about other things.

Sounds like these other neighbors need to wake up and start doing their part.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a neighbor who ends up with a problem of their own after calling the city about a shed.

What did Reddit make of all this?

Maybe it’s time to just start doing laundry somewhere else.

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This commenter thinks this tenant has every right to be frustrated.

This fellow renter has started investing their own money into keeping things clean.

There could be some communication barrier at play here.

Two separate, polite attempts to address a legitimate hygiene issue getting ignored isn’t a sign that she’s overreacting, it’s a sign that whoever keeps doing this simply doesn’t feel obligated to change.

Mildew and stray pet hair in a shared washer aren’t minor annoyances, they’re genuine concerns that can actually affect other people’s laundry.

Being newer to the building doesn’t diminish her right to expect basic courtesy from shared amenities everyone equally depends on.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.