August 17, 2026 at 6:35 am

Landlords Refused to Fix Repairs or Handle Terrible Tenants—Until These Tactics Forced Them to Act

by Jayne Elliott

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When you’re looking for a place to live, you obviously make your decision based on multiple factors like your budget, the location and your overall impression of if this place will be a decent home. Unfortunately, there are a lot of factors you can’t know until you sign the lease, like what the neighbors are like and if the landlord will actually fix anything that breaks or do anything to help if the neighbors are awful.

In this story, there’s not really a story. It’s more of a list of helpful advice that will come in handy for any renter with an awful landlord. While none of this advice is guaranteed to make a landlord step up and actually do his job, it might scare him into stepping up so that he can avoid going to court.

Let’s read all about it.

You can file an Attorney General complaint against a private landlord…

I’m just sharing this information as it can possibly help, especially if you don’t have the means to hire an attorney.

If you’re in the U.S. you can file an Attorney General complaint against a private landlord who has negligent tenant if they persist and don’t enforce that they abide by ordinances, such as noise ordinance.

You will have to provide additional information proving that you have documented proof of all of the incidents which will include, date, time and type of incident.

If you have recordings such as video than you will need to contact the A.G.’s office.

Here’s some more advice.

This can sometimes force a lazy landlord’s hand to get off their sorry butt to get property management.

I say sometimes, because some people are just sorry and they don’t want to do anything the right way.

What would also hold weight is if more than one complaint is filed against them.

If there are other residents who would file – the more the merrier.

Here’s another option to force the landlord to take action.

Also if someone does have property management- commercial or residential and they are not doing their job, such as multiple noise complaints, not fixing items within the space I.e. sink, appliances, etc.

You can file a complaint through the Real Estate Commission within your state.

The incident will be investigated and they will have to provide additional information viable resolution.

I know it may not seem like much, but negligent people don’t like it if and when you start to pursue some form of legal recourse (even if it’s not taking them to court right now).

These tips will probably help a lot of renters with awful landlords.

Let’s see how Reddit responded.

This person has a question.

2026 07 24 at 2.42.27 PM Landlords Refused to Fix Repairs or Handle Terrible Tenants—Until These Tactics Forced Them to Act

Another person makes a good point.

2026 07 24 at 2.42.51 PM Landlords Refused to Fix Repairs or Handle Terrible Tenants—Until These Tactics Forced Them to Act

One person vents about their own landlord issues.

2026 07 24 at 2.43.09 PM Landlords Refused to Fix Repairs or Handle Terrible Tenants—Until These Tactics Forced Them to Act

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a condo owner who replaced a whole a/c unit just to stop the complaints.

This person is also dealing with an awful landlord.

2026 07 24 at 2.43.22 PM Landlords Refused to Fix Repairs or Handle Terrible Tenants—Until These Tactics Forced Them to Act

It’s awful when you have a landlord who doesn’t do his job. Maybe these landlords see renting out a building as easy money, but they don’t seem to realize that they need to enforce the rules they set and fix any problems that occur, whether the problem is a broken appliance or an issue with a tenant breaking the rules.

Hopefully this advice is helpful for a lot of renters. Landlords need to be held accountable.

Enjoyed this story?

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Jayne Elliott | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Jayne Elliott is a contributing writer and editor for TwistedSifter specializing in human interest stories, internet culture, and family dynamics. With over 12 years of editorial experience in digital publishing, Jayne excels at analyzing complex online communities and transforming viral social debates into thoughtful, highly engaging narratives.

Rather than simply aggregating internet drama, Jayne brings a sharp, empathetic editorial eye to everyday dilemmas. She has a unique talent for unpacking the nuances of pop culture and online conflicts, providing readers with relatable, well-researched commentary.

Based in California, Jayne spends her free time outside the newsroom exploring theme parks with her family or beach-combing along the coast.

Follow Jayne's adventures and connect with her on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.