Generally, most people are not the most sympathetic to landlords who complain about their tenants, but there certainly are cases where people are so destructive that even a security deposit won’t start to fix things. The silver lining is that any good revenge story has an element of getting some sort of justice for a misdeed.
A netizen shared their bit of petty revenge after getting rid of a family of tenants who, among other things, set the home on fire out of negligence. We reached out to the person who shared the post via private message and will update the article when they get back to us.
Tenants trashing a home is a landlord’s nightmare
Young landlord wearing a backward cap and orange hoodie, looking confident after getting rid of horrible tenants.
Image credits: Dhaya Eddine Bentaleb / unsplash (not the actual photo)
So one netizen saw an opportunity to get back at their destructive tenants and decided to take it
Landlord dealing with horrible tenants after years of renting, seeing a chance for revenge and resolution.
Text excerpt about addressing major appliance issues quickly, reflecting landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants and seeking revenge.
Text excerpt describing tenant problems with a broken stove, relating to landlord and horrible tenants situation.
Text describing landlord dealing with horrible tenants leaving oil in pan causing fire, damage, and smoke cleanup issues.
Man in tool belt inspecting kitchen cabinets, symbolizing landlord taking action after getting rid of horrible tenants.
Image credits: Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Text describing tenant issues sent to landlord about a destroyed garage, highlighting landlord and tenant conflict.
Fire investigator explains tenants caused blaze by tossing cigarette in trash and disabling smoke detectors, landlord seizes revenge opportunity.
Text explaining tenants leaving an uninhabitable house, relating to landlord and tenant eviction and rental agency issues.
Firefighter spraying water on a burning house as landlord finally gets rid of horrible tenants with a chance for revenge.
Image credits: Jen Theodore / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Text showing a landlord describing house restoration after horrible tenants, including high insurance claims and repairs underway.
Text describing damage caused by tenants inside a house, related to landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants and revenge.
Landlord finds stored boxes with NES games and family memories in attic after getting rid of horrible tenants.
Basket filled with soft toys and rolled blankets beside a window, symbolizing landlord finally getting rid of tenants.
Image credits: Nathan Dumlao / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Alt text: Excerpt describing landlord’s satisfaction disposing of tenants’ belongings during eviction, focusing on revenge opportunity.
Text note on a white background stating a landlord is working their way out of the rental game, finding it not worth the effort.
Text excerpt about landlord discovering damages and difficulties with horrible tenants leading to potential revenge opportunity.
Image credits: useless_skin
Revenge is a common source of drama in stories for a reason
Image credits: Christopher Ott / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Revenge stories are like soul junk food, you know they won’t be the highest aspiration to indulge in, but you just can’t help but grab the crunch. They offer a neat taste of justice in a world where villains get away all too frequently. When a person unleashes havoc and finally gets their comeuppance, it feels like the universe has temporarily reminded itself how to balance its ledgers.
Part of the appeal lies in the cast of characters. All revenge stories have a clear bad person, the one or ones who are so self-absorbed, thoughtless, or heartless that they almost beg for karmic payback. Here, the boisterous renters who not only didn’t pay rent but somehow set the building on fire are perfect baddies. They’re the kind of people you root against even before you know what comes next. Great revenge stories need these antagonists because otherwise the payoff would not kick in.
There’s also the setup. Revenge stories are short thrillers in disguise. You must feel the injustice first, perhaps a rude customer yelling at a clerk, a boss appropriating someone’s thunder, or tenants transforming a rental into a wrecking ground. That inciting outrage makes the later revenge sweet. If the villain was polite itself, there would not be any flavor to the tale. It is the naked stupidity of the bad behavior that primed the audience for the punchline.
The scale of revenge also plays a part. Petty revenge is so satisfying because it’s funny, witty, and often fantastically out of scale in a way that still feels just. A landlord can’t possibly turn into vigilante folk hero when tenants burn down a building, but holding on to the deposit and leaving a mark on their rental record? That’s just enough sting to make people smile. The audience knows it won’t undo the fire damage, but it still scratches that itch for justice.
People can relate to wanting some justice
Image credits: Getty Images / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Timing is a key ingredient, as well. Revenge stories are playing out like tiny doses of theater, and the payoff is the grand finale. The more build-up, the bigger the twist. When the landlord finally gets to the act of revenge, whether it’s a quiet administrative slap or a bombastic face-off, it’s as if the curtain has closed. People laugh, clap, or shake their heads, not because they’ve been injured, but because the chaos had an ending.
And then of course there’s the fantasy aspect. We don’t typically get to dish out good payback in real life. We gnash our teeth, swallow our rage, and take our aggravations. Revenge stories offer a safe outlet to imagine what it would feel like to actually clap back. It’s wish fulfillment without consequences. Seeing a landlord outsmart tenants who used the property as an ash heap is humorous because the audience pictures themselves behaving similarly if they were at the helm.
There is also humor in these tales. Petty vengeance, by its very nature, is absurd, cartoon-like. A landlord systematically making sure the worst tenants on earth never get their deposit back is funny because it’s so methodical and petty compared to the original disaster. The epic was the fire, the vendetta is administrative. That imbalance is funny in and of itself.
In the end, everyone likes revenge tales because they bring order to a world that so much of the time seems haphazard. They let us know that at times, even if only briefly, justice arrives wearing a grin rather than a robe. When the villains are tenants who set a house on fire, it’s even simpler to laugh at the landlord who gets the last laugh. Revenge does not restore all things, perhaps, but as fiction, it provides the listener with what the real world so often denies: the crisp snap of a lock turning on the correct door.
Some readers needed more details
Reddit conversation about a landlord dealing with horrible tenants and seeking revenge after property damage issues.
Conversation discussing experiences of landlords and tenants, highlighting landlord’s frustration with horrible tenants and the chance for revenge.
Text conversation about the landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants and plans for revenge after damages.
Reddit conversation about landlord dealing with horrible tenants, renters insurance, and opportunity for revenge after eviction.
Many thought the landlord was justified, although some thought the console could have been kept
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing recovering money by selling NES and games after landlord finally gets rid of horrible tenants.
Comment on a post about landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants, discussing frustration over damaged NES console.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing landlord revenge tactics after dealing with horrible tenants and damages.
Comment on social media post expressing frustration, related to landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants and seeking revenge.
Comment text expressing no sympathy for horrible tenants, relating to landlord finally getting rid of them and seeking revenge.
Comment about landlord dealing with horrible tenants and the opportunity for revenge after renting issues in a vacation area.
Comment discussing tenant rights after major damage, relating to landlords dealing with horrible tenants and revenge opportunities.
Screenshot of a comment about a landlord reflecting on trying to be good before dealing with horrible tenants.
Screenshot of a forum comment expressing frustration with tenants from a landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants.
Comment about landlord experience shared by user Cassie0peia discussing learning the hard way from horrible tenants.
Text comment on a white background reading landlord finally gets rid of horrible tenants and sees an opportunity for revenge discussion.
A few also shared similar stories
Comment describing landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants after eviction challenges and planning revenge.
Screenshot of a Reddit comment describing a landlord finally getting rid of horrible tenants after disputes and police involvement.
Comment from contractor discussing landlord challenges with horrible tenants causing property damage and chance for revenge opportunity.
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Alice J. Roden started working for Trending Insurance News at the end of 2021. Alice grew up in Salt Lake City, UT. A writer with a vast insurance industry background Alice has help with several of the biggest insurance companies. Before joining Trending Insurance News, Alice briefly worked as a freelance journalist for several radio stations. She covers home, renters and other property insurance stories.