Because sometimes your landlord isn’t evil , they’re just… creative.

“Everything looks great!”

– Every new tenant, 24 hours before they discover the true state of the property

1️⃣ The “Professional Clean” That Was Actually Done By a Blind Chihuahua

You move in.
The agent beams:

“Yes, it’s been professionally cleaned!”

You open the fridge:

• Half a cucumber from 2017.
• Dust so thick you could farm mushrooms.
• Mysterious sticky substances (origin unknown).

💡 Pro Tip: Always photograph everything at move-in. That “professional clean” will come back to bite you at deposit time.

2️⃣ The Deposit “Reinterpretation” Service

Your landlord suddenly turns into Picasso when returning your deposit.

• £150 for “dust on light fitting”
• £200 for “wear and tear” on 12-year-old carpet
• £50 because your plug sockets “looked stressed”

Legally:
They must prove damage beyond reasonable wear and tear.

3️⃣ The Phantom Gas Safety Certificate

By law, you must receive:

• Gas Safety Certificate 🧯
• Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) 🌡️
• “How to Rent” guide 📄

But some landlords:

“Oh yeah, we’re sorting that next week.”

💡 Pro Tip: No certificate = potential invalid eviction notice later = power for you.

4️⃣ The “It’s Not Damp, It’s Just Condensation” Classic

You show your landlord the mould growing like Amazon rainforest.

Landlord:

“Oh that’s just condensation. Try leaving the window open.”

Middle of January.
In London.
At 3°C.

💡 Reality:
If mould is due to structural issues (poor insulation, leaks, faulty ventilation), it’s their legal responsibility.

👉 Gov guidance on landlord repair duties

5️⃣ The Surprise “Admin Fee” Resurrection

“It’s just a small £150 admin fee to process your renewal.”

🚫 Illegal since 2019 under the Tenant Fees Act.
👉 Gov.uk on banned fees

If your agent pulls this, send them that link with a cheery “nice try.”

6️⃣ The “Mate Coming Round” Inspection Trick

Landlord:

“My mate the handyman is just popping in to check something.”

Translation:

Unlawful entry without 24 hours’ notice unless it’s an emergency.

👉 Your right to quiet enjoyment is protected in law.

7️⃣ The Ever-Changing Rent “Market Adjustment”

You:

“Any chance of fixing the broken boiler?”

Landlord:

“Yes, but unfortunately the market’s moved. Rent will be increasing 20%.”

💡 In fixed-term contracts: rent can’t increase unless stated.
In periodic contracts: increase rules apply.

👉 Rent increases guidance

8️⃣ The End-of-Tenancy Blackmail

“If you just sign that you’re happy with deductions, I’ll return your deposit quickly.”

🚫 No need to agree to ANY deductions you’re not happy with.

👉 Always go through your deposit protection scheme if needed.

9️⃣ The HMO “Pretend It’s Fine” Move

Five unrelated adults sharing = HMO licence needed.

Many landlords pretend:

“It’s not really an HMO — you’re all like family, right?”

🚩 Without a licence, they may be breaking the law.
👉 Gov guide on HMOs

🔟 The Magical Service Charges

• £25 “call-out charge” for sending one email.
• £45 “management fee” on top of management fee.
• £10 for “processing your rent.”

🚫 Many of these fees are banned.
👉 Tenant Fees Act full list

1️⃣1️⃣ The Disappearing Repairs “Planned Maintenance” Routine

“Yes, we’re aware of the broken shower. We’ve scheduled that for Q4 maintenance review.”

Translation:

“We hope you’ll move out first.”

💡 Repairs must be done in a “reasonable time.” Delays are not a loophole.

1️⃣2️⃣ The Disguised Eviction

• No repairs get done.
• Random threats appear.
• Rent increases rapidly.
• They hope you’ll leave voluntarily so they avoid proper notice periods.

👉 This is called constructive eviction, also illegal if proven.

1️⃣3️⃣ The Mystery “Verbal Agreement” Rewrite

You mention:

“But we agreed you’d fix that before I moved in.”

Landlord responds:

“No, we never agreed that.”

🚩 If it’s not in writing, it’s like it never happened.

Moral: Get everything. In. Writing.

1️⃣4️⃣ The “You Don’t Need a Written Contract” Trick

Verbal agreements are legally binding BUT:

• Much harder to enforce.
• Much easier for landlords to invent their own “rules.”

💡 Always insist on a written tenancy agreement. Period.

👉 Gov guide to tenancy agreements

1️⃣5️⃣ The “My Cousin Is The Property Manager” Escape Room

• Landlord avoids calls.
• Agent says it’s landlord’s job.
• Cousin who lives abroad says “talk to agent.”
• Round and round you go.

💡 The law doesn’t care how many middlemen exist, someone is responsible.

👉 Landlord contact details must legally be provided.

Final Words: The Dodgy Landlord Survival Kit

✅ Photograph everything.
✅ Communicate via email.
✅ Know your deposit scheme.
✅ Bookmark Shelter & Citizens Advice.
✅ Know your legal rights before they do.

👉 Full tenant rights guide here (Shelter):
https://england.shelter.org.uk/housing_advice

The Renters Reform Bill Is Coming (And It’s Glorious)

Finally, after decades of landlord creativity, the government is fighting back (sort of).

The Renters Reform Bill 2024 promises:

✅ Scrap Section 21 no-fault evictions.
✅ National landlord register.
✅ Tougher rules for rent hikes.
✅ Faster repairs enforcement.
✅ Stronger ombudsman for complaints.

👉 Gov UK: Renters Reform Bill full details

Share This Guide

Because every tenant you know has probably fallen for at least 3 of these at some point.

👉 Share. Laugh. Learn. Avoid.

The Toolbox: 9 Ways to Fight Back Without Moving to Mars

1. Shelter England – england.shelter.org.uk — 0808 800 4444.
2. Citizens Advice Redditch & Bromsgrove – citizensadviceredditch.org.uk.
3. TSUK Letters Templates – TenantSupportUK.com
4. ACORN Community Union – acorntheunion.org.uk.
5. Generation Rent – generationrent.org.
6. Renters Reform Coalition – rentersreformcoalition.co.uk.
7. Housing Ombudsman Service – housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
8. Redditch Borough Council Housing Solutions – redditchbc.gov.uk/housing or call 01527 587 000.
9. Tenancy Deposit Schemes – depositprotection.com (DPS) • tenancydepositscheme (TDS) • mydeposits.co.uk (MyDeposits)

Tenant Support UK