Landlord Admits He’ll Be ‘Using Their Pool’ On Summer Weekends — And The Renters Are Forbidden
The tenant wanted to know their rights.
Ivan Samkov / Pexels The housing market has become increasingly competitive for renters and homeowners alike. Mortgage rates are exceedingly high, as are monthly rental payments.
Finding a place to call your own is harder now than ever, but as one Connecticut renter found, some contracts come with a major catch.
The landlord told his tenants he’d be ‘using their pool’ in the summer, but the renters are forbidden from it.
The newly minted renter told their story on the subreddit r/tenant, explaining, “My friends and I just recently signed a lease for a single-family home. The home has a swimming pool, but it was specified in the lease that we were not authorized to use it.
“We assumed this was because they didn’t wanna deal with maintenance of the pool or for insurance reasons,” the renter continued. But as it turns out, the landlord has plans for the pool. They just don’t involve the people actually living in the house.
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The landlord waited until the lease was signed and the security deposit was paid to inform the tenants that “he plans to come with his family on weekends in the summer and use the pool.”
“He did not say how often this would be but it seemed like he would be planning on coming most weekends in the summer,” they shared. They want to know their rights before pushing back against the landlord’s decision to use the pool whenever he wants.
The tenant added, 'Nowhere in the lease does it say anything about the landlord using the pool.'
They included the clause that pertained to the landlord entering the house, which stated, “You will not unreasonably deny us the right to enter the Apartment. We may also enter the Apartment at any time without your consent in case of emergency. 24-hour notice will be provided for all appointments to enter the apartment.”
They also shared that the utilities and water were included in the rent, so the landlord was responsible for the cost of pool upkeep.
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Many commenters believed that legality aside, the landlord was being 'shady,' and the tenants should hold him at arm’s length.
Some noted that the contract breached a good faith agreement. As one person explained, “Any agreement [or] contract implies that both parties act in good faith. If he had you sign it without telling you this, I would argue that he did not act in good faith.”
“I would say that he's in breach of your rental agreement simply because he did not put this in the lease, and you were not made aware of it until you had signed,” they concluded.
Another person echoed that sentiment, saying, “Your contract is basically void because he withheld information from you until after you signed it. You could walk if you wanted.”
Others advised consulting a lawyer to find out what their rights to privacy are as a tenant leasing space.
The overall consensus was that the landlord had acted dishonestly, and as such, the tenants weren’t locked into the lease. It might be difficult for them to find another place to live, but it also might be worth it, if only to keep their peace and avoid unwanted pool parties.
Alexandra Blogier, MFA, is a staff writer who covers psychology, social issues, relationships, self-help topics, and human interest stories.