The constant slamming of the doors and shaking of the walls was causing her to lose sleep. Curious about what was happening next door, she sought to investigate herself!
An Amazing Selling Point
OP (Original Poster) and his girlfriend live in a new and small apartment complex that only has 40 units within 2 buildings. It’s an incredibly low-key place and is within walking distance of their downtown area.
Aside from that, it’s really affordable for a place that has a convenient location.
Midnight Party
In September, before OP shared this story, he and his partner noticed that the vacant unit beside theirs was getting occupied by a new tenant; they were bringing new furniture, decorations, and such. It was past midnight on a weekend not long after the new tenant moved in when they heard noises from the vacant unit, which sounded like a little party with loud music and loud voices.
OP wrote, “We heard a lot of people coming in and out of the front door, but let the door slam each time to where it shook the walls. Maybe they were having a housewarming party or a friend’s get-together at the new place. So we brushed it under the rug as a one-off incident.”
Multiple New Neighbors?
But the next few weeks after this, they noticed a variety of people coming in and out of the neighboring unit, and not one of those people seemed to be the same individual. Aside from that, parking in their place also started to become much busier than usual, and the cars constantly changed too, which they thought to be off.
Slam and Slam and Slam!
Then, he explained that not long after the apartment beside theirs was occupied, OP’s girlfriend started working the night shift. She is a light sleeper and has noticed that the neighbor’s door was constantly slamming and shaking the wall throughout the morning, even before she went to work.
OP’s girlfriend understands that people tend to be busy during the day, and she also can’t ask people to “cater to her night shift needs.” However, she felt that the door constantly slamming wasn’t just troublesome and disruptive but rather unusual.
Turning Point
After some time, OP’s girlfriend decided she would no longer tolerate the neighbor’s unusual behavior since it’s been negatively affecting her sleep. She wanted to see who was slamming the door and finally get to the bottom of things!
The Apartment’s “Visitors”
Then, one day, at around half past 10 in the morning, she heard the door slam, so she got up and witnessed people walking to their car, carrying suitcases, and leaving. Not long after, a man arrived, retrieved a key under the doormat, and let two women with cleaning supplies into the apartment.
Each and every time someone came in and left, the door would slam and shake the wall.
Look What We Have Here!
Following what OP’s girlfriend saw, she searched on Airbnb. She almost immediately found the rental unit next door, which had the same floor plans, wall painting, flooring, and other things!
OP wrote, “To our surprise and anger, we found a total of four listings in our apartment complex alone on the host’s profile. That is 10% of the apartments in our buildings.”
Profiting off the Rental
By searching through the listings, they found the owner’s LinkedIn and business website, where he claimed he does a thing called “rental arbitrage.” It’s basically renting out a long-term rental on a short-term basis, where someone would lease an apartment and rent it on Airbnb for profit.
Although such a thing can be done with the landlord’s permission, the lease agreement on the unit does not allow for sub-letting or short-term rentals.
Using It for the Wrong Intentions
They were renting three out of four ground-end units, including ones with unique floor plans. In contrast, the fourth one is a handicap-accessible unit.
OP noted, “That’s right. This man and his business partner leased an apartment meant for accommodating people with disabilities with the intention of using it for the little short-term business empire he was trying to build. Our city and region, like in other places, has been feeling the squeeze on apartment availability, and these d******** are contributing to the problem.”
Snitching on Their So-Called Neighbor
At that point, OP and his girlfriend took things personally, given that they had their own problems regarding apartment availability, waitlists, and a mix of disappointment and frustration. So, his girlfriend called the leasing office, notified them about what the neighboring apartment was doing, and asked if such a thing was allowed.
The office told her, “Absolutely not,” and asked her to send the listings in an email. Later that day, the leasing office called OP’s girlfriend back, telling her they had notified the “tenant” and would inspect the apartments that afternoon.
Problem Solved
When the inspection was done, the office notified them that they had sent a cease-and-desist document of any rental activities outside the lease agreement or face eviction.
They also told OP and his girlfriend, “You should not have any more problems concerning the matter, and if you do, don’t hesitate to give us a call.”
His Course of Action
Now, the “tenant” has 4 leases, is stuck having to pay $1,500 a month, and can’t profit anymore through Airbnb. In OP’s words, “He is bleeding money to the tune of about $6,000 per month.”
The only legal options left for the tenant are to continue paying for the units or break the leases and move out, and it looks like he picked the latter.
The Consequences He Faced
A week before this story was posted, OP and his girlfriend watched as the movers emptied the apartments.
OP said, “I’m sure they lost deposits or were penalized for breaking the leases. A very expensive lesson for being a greedy ‘entrepreneur.’ Don’t be d********, folks. Also, don’t p*** off a night shifter trying to sleep.”
Redditors Speak Their Minds
People in the community praised OP’s girlfriend for what she did and how she handled the situation.
A Redditor wrote, “Your girlfriend is a hero. I would love to have someone like her in my neighborhood. We’re eagerly awaiting the Airbnb crash over here.”
Another one said, “Hell, yeah. Your girlfriend’s a champ. She handled it perfectly, too.”
There’s No Problem Until It’s a Problem
Some Redditors believe there’s really no issue if people decide to rent out their rooms. Still, they should be mindful and consider whether this could be a problem.
A commenter wrote, “Good for her and you! I have no issue with people who rent out in-law apartments or extra rooms or even their vacation homes when not in use. It’s a great way to make extra money and a great way for some people to travel more affordably. But there is a housing and long-term rental crisis, and it’s because of investment groups and s******* like this guy.”
What do you think of OP’s girlfriend’s revenge? Would you do the same if you were them?
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This post first appeared as She’s Tired of the Constant Slamming of Doors. As Payback, She “Busted” the “Illegal Airbnb Ring” in Her Building, Forcing Her “Neighbor” to either Pay $6,000 Monthly or Move Out! on Quote Ambition.
