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Chennai landlord struggles as tenant delays rent, refuses to vacate property: ‘I am struggling to pay EMI’
A Chennai landlord shared frustrations after a tenant refused to pay rent for the apartment.
A landlord in Chennai is facing mounting problems as a tenant refuses to pay overdue rent and vacate an apartment despite repeated warnings.
In a post on Reddit, the landlord described the situation in detail, explaining how the tenant, who had presented himself as highly qualified and reliable, caused significant financial and property-related stress over the past nine months.
“Tenant not paying rent and not vacating,” the caption of the post reads.
Tenant refuses to vacate:
According to the post, rent payments were delayed for six out of the nine months, despite multiple reminders. After continued defaults, the landlord issued a formal notice asking the tenant to vacate the premises.
Initially, the tenant verbally agreed to leave by mid-April, which was documented in email communication.
However, he later sent an email stating he would vacate only by mid-May. Meanwhile, two months of rent remain unpaid, adding to the landlord’s financial burden.
The apartment has also allegedly suffered serious damage. A section of the wardrobe had to be removed at a cost of more than ₹25,000, tiles have been damaged, and bathroom fixtures, including a sink, are broken.
The walls, which had been freshly whitewashed before the tenant moved in, are now dirty, and the bathrooms are alleged to be in very poor condition, requiring deep cleaning and repairs.
Landlord faces financial strain:
Adding to the landlord’s difficulties, the electricity bill is overdue, and the power supply is at risk of disconnection. Despite forwarding all notices to the tenant, no payments have been made for the outstanding bills.
The landlord, who relies on the rental income to manage mortgage payments, warns that the security deposit will not cover the combined cost of unpaid rent, maintenance, repairs, cleaning, and pending bills.
“He is not responding to the emails, not paying rent, and not vacating. I am struggling to pay EMI for the property as well,” the landlord adds.
Check out the post here:
Here's how people reacted to the post:
Reddit users reacted strongly to the post, with many expressing sympathy for the landlord and frustration at the tenant’s behaviour.
Several users shared their own experiences of late payments or property damage, while others advised pursuing legal action to recover rent and repair costs.
One of the users commented, “I, too, had a few bad experiences with tenants in the past. Finally, they moved out, I sold the property, and living happily ever after. I realised investing in non-real estate is more profitable in the long run.”
A second user commented, “I know you asked for legal advice, but if I were you, I would confront him at his workplace, or at least warn him that I'm going for it.”
A third user commented, “Let the electricity bill lapse; they will cut off the connection. How will he stay without electricity?”
“The same thing happened with me, but it was a commercial property. I locked the shutter with my lock and went to my native,” another user commented.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
