Landlord Tells Tenant to “File Your Claim With the City” Over Repairs—Inspection Uncovers Major Code Violations

A Reddit user’s experience on r/MaliciousCompliance has gone viral after a routine repair request spiraled into a full-scale city inspection that uncovered serious safety and billing issues at a rental property. The tenant, who shared the story under the subreddit dedicated to stories of technically following rules to expose negligence, said the ordeal began with peeling bathroom paint and ended with corrected electrical wiring and mandatory basement window replacements.

Peeling Paint Prompts Repair Request

According to the tenant’s post, the trouble started shortly after moving in when paint on the bathroom ceiling began to peel. Moisture in the bathroom worsened the problem, causing new paint to detach in large chunks. Having dealt with unresponsive landlords previously, the tenant said she understood her rights and the landlord’s obligations under local regulations, which reportedly require landlords to address tenant issues within 21 days.

The tenant said the property owner lived out of state and preferred not to be disturbed. Despite this, the tenant gave the landlord 63 days—roughly three months—to resolve the peeling paint. During that period, contractors were scheduled to visit the unit six separate times. The tenant alleged that the contractors failed to appear on every occasion.

Landlord’s Dismissive Response Triggers City Complaint

When the tenant followed up to ask if the repairs would ever be completed, she also referenced the city’s code enforcement office to signal her intent to escalate the matter. Instead of committing to a timeline, the landlord responded bluntly.

“That is not relevant to me. File your claim with the city.”

The tenant said she took the landlord at her word and immediately scheduled a city inspector to visit the property.

Inspection Reveals Hidden Hazards

What began as a complaint about cosmetic damage quickly expanded in scope. When the inspector arrived, the tenant said he identified multiple code violations beyond the bathroom ceiling.

• Boarded-up basement windows: Two windows in the basement had been improperly sealed and required replacement with code-compliant windows.
• Electrical breaker issues: A major problem was found with the electrical panel, prompting the inspector to advise the tenant to contact the utility company.

A utility company representative subsequently assessed the electrical system and discovered crossed wiring. The tenant said she had been paying for the entire top floor of her neighbor’s apartment, while her neighbor had been covering the kitchen, bathroom, and basement of the tenant’s unit.

Outcome: Code Compliance and Potential Savings

In the end, the tenant reported that the apartment was brought into full compliance with city housing codes. She also noted that correcting the electrical billing error could result in lower monthly costs moving forward.

The original goal—fixing peeling paint—led to a comprehensive remediation of the property’s most serious deficiencies.

Source Verification

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the Reddit post or the tenant’s claims regarding specific local landlord-tenant requirements. The details in this article are based solely on the account shared by the original poster on r/MaliciousCompliance.