Besides government officials, landlords can be the most irrational individuals who somehow believe they hold some sort of ultimate authority. One such landlord in Pennsylvania is on a special level of delusion, as he snuck into his tenant’s home to lock their fridge. The refrigerator had suddenly stopped working for four days, causing the food inside to spoil. However, after the owner ignored their calls for a repair, the tenant reported the issue to the city code enforcement. This is when the maniacal landlord’s behavior took a turn for the worse.
“Since you called the city, repairs will be handled by them now,” read a note left by the landlord on the fridge. While the renter was away at work, the owner had entered the house without permission and had “locked the fridge shut with a chain and padlock.” The tenant was evidently shocked: “I came home to that and I’m speechless.” They argue that they had been paying their rent on time and are just trying their best to get by. But now, it seems the landlord is losing it, causing the tenant to wonder if he’ll try other means of getting revenge, possibly even eviction.
That said, the Pennsylvania resident has taken to Reddit’s trusty r/legaladvice for help. Luckily, thousands seem on board with the top commenter’s suggestion for documenting everything that happened and then filing a complaint with an inspector. Once the landlord is eventually fined, hopefully, the tenant might have grounds to end their contract without penalty if they need to leave. After all, “Pennsylvania law prohibits landlords from retaliating when a tenant files a code complaint,” the commenter explains.
Not to mention, many point out that homeowners typically shouldn’t have the authority to enter a tenant’s home without permission, unless there’s an emergency or a 24-hour notice was made. One person noted that technically, the Pennsylvania landlord could perhaps legally enter since the renter requested repairs. Still, the fact that he allegedly left a note and even tampered with the fridge should be evidence enough to get himself in trouble.
