Showerthought: honesty isn't always the best policy

My neighbor told me last month that I should always be honest with my landlord. But when I mentioned the small crack in the floor, he raised my rent by $50. Has anyone else dealt with being too open?

4 comments

4 Comments

iris92714d ago

Honesty with a landlord is a one way street. They use it against you every time. Your neighbor meant well but they don't have to live with the consequences. That $50 bump is basically a tax for telling the truth. Sometimes you just gotta keep your mouth shut about little stuff. It's not being dishonest, it's being smart.

miller.rowan13d ago

Changed my mind honestly. I used to be all about full transparency with landlords thinking it was the right thing to do. But after getting burned a couple times where they jacked my rent for basic maintenance stuff I reported, I get where you're coming from now. Ngl, that $50 bump adds up and it's not like they're honest with us about all their hidden fees and inspection schedules. Tbh it's just a transaction at the end of the day and protecting yourself a little isn't the same as being shady.

lilya7613d ago

I get what you're saying but I don't know if it's that dramatic. Like yeah, landlords aren't your friend, but a $50 increase isn't the end of the world either. wesley_jones has a point about how this stuff adds up for everybody over time. I've had some landlords who would have raised it regardless of whether I told them or not because they just do that every year anyway. And honestly, some of those little things you hide come back to bite you way harder when you move out and they keep your whole deposit for "damage" they say you hid. I'm not saying be a snitch on yourself, but maybe pick your battles instead of assuming every single truth is a trap.

wesley_jones13d agoTop Commenter

Nah, but being shady just makes everyone paranoid and drives up rent for the rest of us.

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