Woman Changes Her Wi-Fi Password So Landlord Will Stop Using It Without Chipping In

Tenant rights vary from city to city, state to state, and country to country. But what's almost universal is that as a renter, people do have rights.

A tenant unsure of her landlord's behavior turned to the "Am I The A**hole" (AITA) subReddit for feedback.

Feifanhotpot asked:

"AITA for changing the Wi-Fi password after my landlord kept coming into my apartment?"

The original poster (OP) explained:

"My landlord lives in the same building and has a spare key to my apartment. I understand that landlords sometimes need access for repairs or inspections, but lately he’s been coming in way more often than I think is normal."

"The first few times, he gave me notice, so I didn’t say anything. Also FYI, I am a girl and he is gay so I didn’t really bother."

"But recently, he started coming in to 'check something' without telling me beforehand. Nothing was missing and he wasn’t doing anything creepy, but I’d come home and notice things had been moved around."

"I finally told him that I wasn’t okay with him entering without letting me know first."

"He said I was being dramatic and that it was his property, so he should be able to check on it whenever he wants. Sure, I hate conflict, so I let it go."

"A few days later, he asked me for the Wi-Fi password because apparently he needed to 'check the router.' I gave it to him."

"Then I noticed my internet was being used at weird hours when I wasn’t home. I changed the password and didn’t give it to him again."

"He confronted me about it and said I’m making his job unnecessarily difficult. I told him he can contact me if he needs access to the apartment and I’ll arrange a time, but I’m not giving him unrestricted access to my Wi-Fi or letting him come into my home whenever he feels like it LIKE FOR REAL I AM PAYING RENT!!!"

"He said nobody visits anyways and that I am being entitled and will be cancelling my lease once it ends."

"Now I’m wondering if I went too far or I am actually the a**hole."

Redditors weighed in using the AITA voting acronyms:

• NTA - Not The A**hole
• YTA - You're The A**hole
• NAH - No A**holes Here
• ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
• INFO - more information needed

Redditors decided the OP was not the a**hole (NTA).

"If you’re in the United States, every state court has a manual online regarding tenants rights. Read it. I bet you will see what he’s doing is a serious legal violation and you have remedies under the law. He also threatened to retaliate against you for asserting your rights. NTA and I agree with a nanny cam to protect yourself. ~ yellsy

"Canada does too, it varies by province, but afaik every province requires 24hr notice for entry. I also second the "get a nanny cam" message. ~ jdzfb

"Most of Europe has similar laws too, with the EU mandating a minimum timeframe that almost all participating nations exceed. ~ StagePuzzleheaded635

"NTA!!! Not even close to being the ahole.. What the hell is your landlord doing? Are you leasing privately or through an agency? This is violating so many rights of yours as a tenent. It's gross. Also what landlord needs to check your router? Definitely NTA, and I would hold strong in the fact that he needs to give you notice. Maybe would suggest an indoor ring camera or similar, to see if hes accessing the property when you're not even home/aware. Stay safe OP, something is not right here. ~ idfkbro99

"NTA. Honestly, the Wi-Fi password isn't even the main issue. The concerning part is that you explicitly told him you weren't comfortable with unannounced entry, and his response was essentially, “ I own the building, so your boundary doesn't matter" You offered a perfectly workable solution: contact you and arrange access, and he rejected it. Keep everything documented from here on out. ~ Mohitosan_

"NTA. He has no right to come in unannounced, and he has LESS RIGHT to your internet or router." ~ wanna_dance

"NTA. The wi-fi password is the least of your problems. I don't know how old you are, but you sound quite young and unfamiliar with your legal rights."

"Your landlord is taking advantage of your youth and naivety. Time to put a stop to that. As a tenant, you have rights. Exactly what those rights are will vary from country to country, state to state, maybe even town to town, but you DO have rights."

"And I'd be willing to bet my house that no matter where you live, those rights do NOT permit your landlord to come in any time he feels like it , especially when you are not home. What's more, there is nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that requires him to know what your wi-fi password is. EVER. Now, I don't expect tenants' rights where you live to be identical to tenants' rights where I live. We probably don't even live in the same country."

"The last time I rented, tenants' rights were nowhere near as strong as they are now. And even back then, these were my rights:"

"* As long as I paid my rent on time and didn't disturb the neighbors, I was entitled to what is legally called 'quiet enjoyment' of the property I was renting. In ordinary language, that means being free from unnecessary contact from the landlord. They were not allowed to make a nuisance of themselves."

"* my landlord (or their agent) had to ask my permission whenever they wanted access to my house or apartment. Every single time."

"* they needed a damn good reason for entering, such as needing to inspect the property to make sure I wasn't damaging it, or to carry out essential repairs. If they'd ever muttered a vague 'I need to check something', I'd have laughed in their face and closed the door."

"* visits had to be infrequent. Once a year was the maximum number of permitted inspections. More often than that would have been considered harassment."

"* they had to give at least 24 hours' notice, and the visit had to be at a time convenient for me. They couldn't, for instance, demand it take place at a time when I had to be at work."

"* they were forbidden to enter the property unless I was there."

"* they were forbidden to touch my belongings. They were allowed to open doors in order to look inside rooms, but they could not open closets or drawers. What I kept inside closets or drawers was none of their business."

"But the point is, you DO have rights, and they will be broadly similar to the ones above. Just because your landlord owns the property, he does NOT have the right to enter whenever he feels like it and do whatever he wants. And from what you describe, what he's doing is downright creepy."

"I would not be the least bit surprised if he has installed cameras to spy on you. I urge you to find out exactly what your rights as a tenant are where you live. Get some advice from a tenants' union or similar organization, and put a stop to this immediately. Do a sweep of the place for hidden cameras. And consider putting up some cameras of your own to find out what HE is doing when he enters." ~ ThisWillAgeWell

"Not sure where you are, but where I’ve had apartments, it’s required the landlord to give you 24 hrs notice before coming over unless it’s an emergency. I had a landlord who was a creep and doing the same sort of thing, and when I had a family member who is a lawyer send him a letter 'reminding' him of the law, he replied that he wouldn’t renew my lease." ~ BackgroundSame811

"NTA. Get yourself a remote camera, put it somewhere it's not obvious, then you can actually see what he gets up to while he's there. On that note, maybe have a really good look around your place to check there's not already one there that isn't yours." ~ JoJoJoMaree

"You’re not the a**hole here and sexual orientation doesn’t devalue creep behavior at all; bc WHAT THE F*CK? Absolutely not cool at all. He needs to give you a heads up. And despite living in the vicinity, y'all ain’t roommates, so he needs to respect your personal living space." ~ kcnvrmnd

"This landlord sounds dangerous. In most states, they cannot legally enter your dwelling without notice. Secondly, admitting they are monitoring who is coming and going from your place is a huge red flag. Sounds like the landlord is pushing the boundaries further and further and you need to find a new place ASAP." ~ jus_ta_girl

OP provided an update:

"First of all, THANK YOU, everyone for literally thinking of things I didn’t even realize I needed to think about, especially the possibility of a hidden camera."

"I’ve temporarily moved out to a friend’s place, and I’ll be canceling my lease ASAP. I also will NOT be going back alone to pack up my stuff."

"At this point, I’m not taking any chances. Thanks all!"

Relocating seems like the best and safest option for OP.