Virtually everyone knows what it’s like to be a renter. Ideally, this is an uneventful experience consisting of paying rent in exchange for having a nice place to live.
Sometimes, though, it’s a nightmare — especially when it’s time to get your security deposit back. One renter shared how they got revenge on their landlord.
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Security deposits can be fraught territory.
They make perfect sense: pay a deposit, don’t mess anything up, and you’ll get the full deposit back when you move back.
Unfortunately, this also serves as a way for landlords to hold tenants’ money hostage as they invent reasons not to give the deposit back.
A TikToker reached his breaking point.
TikToker Ethan shared a short, sweet, cathartic video. It begins by explaining that his landlord withheld his security deposit for dirty grout joints.
I’ve gotta admit, that’s one of those areas that I never think of. But apparently Ethan’s grout was going to need the full security deposit to fix.
More of the grout.
For a few seconds, it feels like the video is just going to be close-ups of Ethan’s grout joints. For what it’s worth, it looks clean enough to me.
Don’t worry, though: things are about to go zero to a hundred real quick.
He jackhammered the floor.
For those who aren’t aware, a jackhammer will easily pulverize a tile floor, grout and all, and that’s exactly what Ethan did. He figured that if he was going to lose his security deposit, he might as well make it worthwhile.
Commenters were overwhelmingly supportive.
Maybe it’s because many of us have dealt with bad landlords, maybe it’s because people on TikTok like seeing destruction, but the responses were full of supportive messages, along with a few tips on how Ethan could have been even more destructive.
There was some landlord talk.
I’ve had good landlords and bad landlords and don’t really want to weigh in on this debate.
That said, there is a strong case to be made that affordable housing would make issues like this less prevalent.
At least he left a broom.
I think it’ll take more than a broom to clean up the mess he left, but it’s the thought that counts.
We’re not sure what’ll happen next, but it’s hard to imagine that the experience wasn’t incredibly cathartic.
Ethan’s at peace with his actions.
In a follow-up video to a critical response, Ethan shows that he’s perfectly at peace with moving out of the apartment.
It shows him walking into the desert, wrapping himself in a University of Arizona blanket, and laying down for a nap.
What do you think?
Misery loves company, so we’d love to hear about your experiences with lousy landlords. Heck, if you’ve been a landlord, feel free to weigh in with stories about nightmare tenants.
Share your thoughts in the comments and watch Ethan’s video below!
