Lesson & Activities - PART 2 - Tenant & Landlord Disputes: 14 Common Tenant Complaints
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- Oct 26
- 11 min read
Updated: Nov 5
LESSON & ACTIVITIES
PART 2
Tenant & Landlord Disputes
14 Common Tenant Complaints
PART 2
*If you have not completed PART 1, go to PART 1 and then return
to this lesson and the activities.
Reading, Speaking, Listening & Writing Activity - Common Tenant Complaints & Functional Conversational Phrases Examples
Instructions:
Read each one of the 14 common tenant complaints.
Practice your speaking skills by reading the functional conversational phrases out loud.
Listen to each one of the common tenant complaints and pay special attention to the functional conversational phrases of each complaint.
Get a pencil and paper and copy the 14 common tenant complaints.
Select one common tenant complaint that you think is the most serious and create a 4-line dialogue between a tenant and landlord.
14 Common Tenant Complaints
Tenant Complaint #1
Neglected Landscape
Neglected Landscape: A neglected landscape means that the outdoor gardens, lawns, and green spaces are not maintained properly. This complaint is common when tenants feel that the outdoor area is untidy and uninviting.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel very disappointed when the landscape on the property is uncared for. Some examples of the landscape being neglected include the grass not being cut regularly, flower beds, shrubs, and trees being overgrown, and walkways being cluttered with dirt, overgrown weeds, and debris.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Neglected Landscape:
"My garden is overgrown and messy."
"I see weeds everywhere."
"The lawn needs cutting."
"Please fix the landscape."
"The landscape looks very neglected."
Tenant Complaint #2
Dirty Common Areas
Dirty Common Areas: Dirty common areas refer to the shared spaces in a building that are not kept clean. Tenants often complain when hallways, lobbies, or laundry rooms are unclean.
Complaint Example: Tenants may feel disgusted and irritated when dirt and dust accumulate in the lobby, trash is left and not cleaned up in the hallway, stairs are not swept, elevator areas might be grubby, and the shared laundry room is filthy.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Dirty Common Areas:
"There is a lot of mud and dirt in the entrance of the building."
"The hallway carpet is very dirty."
"There is garbage on the floor of the elevator."
"The laundry room is completely filthy."
"Can you please arrange for the property to be properly cleaned as soon as possible?"
Tenant Complaint #3
Parking Issues
Parking Issues: Parking issues arise when there are problems related to reserved or available parking spaces. This complaint is made when tenants cannot find a clear place to park.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel outraged when they drive home after a long day at work, they get home, and they cannot find a parking spot because someone else is parked in their reserved parking spot. This is a very common and frustrating tenant complaint. Some other parking complaints include the parking lot being too small for all tenants, vehicles continuously blocking entry or exit access, markings on the parking lot may be unclear, and parking areas being poorly organized.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Parking Issues:
"I am unable to find a parking spot on the property."
"My reserved parking spot is always taken by someone else."
"There are not enough parking spots on the property."
"Other vehicles are blocking the entrance to the parking lot every afternoon."
"It is unacceptable that I am unable to find a parking spot when I get home from a long day of work."
Tenant Complaint #4
Noisy Neighbours
Noisy Neighbours: Noisy neighbours can make a home very uncomfortable. This complaint happens when there is too much sound coming from adjacent homes or the common areas.
Complaint Example: Tenants may feel very angry when there are loud noises on the property, such as music that is playing loudly late at night, neighbours having noisy family gatherings, neighbours shooting fireworks very late at night, footsteps, and loud voices that are heard clearly.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Noisy Neighbours:
"I am unable to sleep at night because of the loud noises."
"My neighbour plays music very loudly at night."
"I cannot work from home because my neighbours' TV is always so loud."
"My refrigerator is making a very loud and obnoxious noise."
"I hear loud banging noises every morning due to my neighbour running on a treadmill."
Tenant Complaint #5
Unsupervised Children
Unsupervised Children: Unsupervised children in common areas can create safety and cleanliness issues. Tenants may complain when children are left to play without adult supervision.
Complaint Example: Some tenants may feel agitated when children are playing and making lots of noise in the hallways, leaving toys scattered in the corridor, which can cause a tenant to accidentally fall, drawing on the walls of the property with crayons and markers, and playing a game called Ding Dong Ditch where kids disturb tenants by knocking on doors and running away repeatedly.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Unsupervised Children:
"The hallway is messy because there are toys everywhere."
"The kids are colouring all over the walls of the corridor."
"The children are yelling and screaming in the hallways all day long."
"The kids keep knocking on my door and running away."
"Please ask the children's parents to watch them."
Tenant Complaint #6
Unpleasant Smells
Unpleasant Smells: Unpleasant smells are a common complaint when bad odours make a building uncomfortable. This can happen due to poor waste management, smoking, or lingering food smells.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel bothered by persistent smells. These smells might be cooking smells that fill the hallways, smoking smells from a neighbour who smokes, musty smells that come from damp areas on the property, pet smells from neighbours that have animals, and garbage smells from garbage that is left in the hallway.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Unpleasant Smells:
"The hallway smells like garbage all the time."
"There is a strong, bad odour in the building."
"I notice that there is an unpleasant smell in the hallway."
"I think the neighbour next door is smoking because everything smells like smoke."
"Could you please check where the bad smell is coming from?"
Tenant Complaint #7
Issues With Animals
Issues with Animals: Issues with animals occur when pets or stray animals cause disturbances in the living environment. Tenants might complain about excessive noise, odours, or mess from animals.
Complaint Example: Tenants may feel irritated by loud barking noises from dogs, and this can affect the peace in the building. Pets such as cats, dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, ferrets, hamsters, birds, snakes, or mice that are not properly cared for by their owners can cause very bad smells and other disturbances on the property, which the landlord would be obligated to mediate and resolve.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Issues With Animals:
"I hear barking all day and all night long."
"The dog is making too much noise."
"Dog waste is not being cleaned up around the property."
"The smell from the dirty cat litter that is not being cleaned up is too strong."
"The animals are running around freely and disturbing the hallway area."
Tenant Complaint #8
Pest Infestations
Pest Infestations: Pest infestations are a serious concern when insects or rodents invade a living space. This complaint is made when tenants are worried about hygiene and health.
Complaint Example: Tenants may feel disgusted if cockroaches or other bugs are spotted in common areas; ants invade food storage areas such as kitchens, or rodents might be seen throughout the property. Infestations are a serious complaint that landlords must take seriously and resolve the issue as soon as possible. These types of complaints can cause tenants sleepless nights, and repeated pest problems can lead to health concerns.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Pest Infestations:
"I saw a rat running around in the hallway."
"I found cockroaches in my bathroom."
"There are many ants in my kitchen and I cannot get rid of them."
"I am worried about this infestation."
"Please call pest control."
"This situation with pests is a health issue."
Tenant Complaint #9
Inadequate Heating Or Cooling
Inadequate Heating or Cooling: Inadequate heating or cooling creates discomfort for tenants in extreme weather. This complaint occurs when the systems in a home do not work as expected.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel agitated when the heater does not warm the property up effectively during the cold winter months, or when the air conditioner does not cool off the property effectively during the hot summer months.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Inadequate Heating Or Cooling:
"The heater does not warm my apartment."
"It is too cold in my apartment because the heater is not working."
"The air conditioner does not cool my apartment."
"The AC stopped working, and now I feel uncomfortable in my home because I am too hot."
"Please fix this situation as soon as possible."
Tenant Complaint #10
Maintenance Delays
Maintenance Delays: Maintenance delays refer to situations where necessary repairs are not carried out in a timely manner. Tenants complain when problems linger without a solution.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel concerned when they have maintenance issues not repaired or replaced for days or weeks. Some important maintenance issues include a leaky faucet, a broken window, a faulty appliance, a broken door lock, or a moldy wall. It can be very frustrating and concerning when these maintenance issues are delayed or ignored by the landlord.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Maintenance Delays:
"This repair is taking too long."
"I called you two days ago to tell you that my refrigerator stopped working."
"I informed you that my door lock was broken days ago."
"I have been complaining about my leaky faucet for weeks."
"I told you that my window broke days ago. Your delayed response is unacceptable."
Tenant Complaint #11
Damage To Common Areas
Damage to Common Areas: Damage to common areas includes any form of destruction or defacement in shared spaces. This complaint is made when there is visible damage that is not repaired.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel very frustrated when they have to deal with damage to common areas such as walls that have graffiti, playground equipment or furniture in shared areas that are broken, elevators are out of service, the residential swimming pool is unmaintained, the flooring in hallways is damaged, and lighting fixtures are not functioning.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Damage To Common Areas:
"The light in the hallway is not turning on."
"The elevator stopped working."
"The hallway wall needs to be painted."
"This broken playground is a safety hazard."
"The hallway carpet should be replaced."
Tenant Complaint #12
Safety Concerns
Safety Concerns: Safety concerns arise when tenants feel that the building is not secure enough for them. They complain when potential hazards exist that threaten their well-being.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel scared when there is no lighting in the entrance areas, no lighting in hallways due to burnt out lights, broken locks and windows within the property, or when emergency exits are blocked. Tenants should contact their landlord as soon as possible if they have any safety concerns.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Safety Concerns:
"The entrance to the building is poorly lit."
"The broken entrance lock is worrying me."
"The emergency exits are blocked on my floor."
"The entrance door is left unlocked, and this concerns me."
"I do not feel safe on the property because of this situation."
Tenant Complaint #13
Privacy Invasion
Privacy Invasion: Privacy invasion occurs when tenants feel that their personal space is not respected. This complaint appears when there is too much intrusion into private areas.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel anxious and irritated when their privacy is being invaded by the landlord if the landlord makes many unscheduled visits without notice. Another privacy invasion situation is cameras being placed inappropriately throughout the property.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Privacy Invasion:
"Please let me know ahead of time when you come by."
"I am requesting that you make scheduled visits to the property."
"Please do not enter the apartment without asking me first."
"I prefer that you call first before coming in."
"Your unscheduled visits make me feel nervous."
Tenant Complaint #14
Difficulty Reaching The Landlord
Difficulty Reaching The Landlord: Difficulty reaching the landlord is a common complaint when tenants cannot get in touch with the property owner. This creates frustration and feelings of neglect.
Complaint Example: Tenants might feel outraged when they try to contact the landlord and their calls go unanswered, their emails and text messages are not replied to, they receive no follow-up communication, and setting up meetings with the landlord is very hard to arrange.
Conversational Phrases - Tenant Complaints - Difficulty Reaching The Landlord:
"I cannot reach you by phone."
"My emails go unanswered."
"I need a way to contact you quickly."
"I feel ignored in my concerns."
"Please provide better communication."
Listening, Reading & Writing Activity - Dialogue Matching Exercise
Instructions:
Get a pencil and paper and make a list from 1 to 5 which represents the 5 dialogues from below.
Read each one of the 5 dialogues between a tenant and a landlord.
Use the 14 common tenant complaints chart to decide which dialogue each tenant complaint describes.
After reading each dialogue, Practice your writing by writing a complaint next to each number that you wrote.
Check your answers by clicking on the side arrows that is next to each dialogue.
Common Landlord & Tenant Disputes
Which common tenant complaint does each dialogue describe?
Dialogue #1
Tenant: "Hello, I would like to talk about a problem in my building."
Landlord: "Of course, what is troubling you?"
Tenant: "My neighbour is playing music at 5:00 am every morning, and it is very loud."
Landlord: "I understand. That must be disturbing your sleep."
Tenant: "Yes, I cannot rest because the noise is too strong."
Landlord: "I will speak with the neighbour and ask them to lower the volume."
Tenant: "Thank you so much."
Noisy Neighbours Complaint
Dialogue #2
Tenant: "Hi, I need to talk about my parking situation."
Landlord: "What seems to be the issue?"
Tenant: "My reserved parking spot is often taken by someone else."
Landlord: "I understand how that can be upsetting."
Tenant: "I feel so frustrated and angry when I can't find a parking spot after a long day at work."
Landlord: "I'll look into it and remind all of the tenants of our parking rules to help solve this problem."
Tenant: "Please do. I need this issue to be resolved as soon as possible!"
Parking Issue Complaint
Dialogue #3
Tenant: "Hello, I need to talk about a problem with my neighbour's dog.
Landlord: "What seems to be the issue?"
Tenant: "The dog barks from morning until night without stopping.
Landlord: "That must be very frustrating for you."
Tenant: "I feel irritated because the noise never ends."
Landlord: "I'll speak with the neighbour and try to help reduce this disturbance."
Tenant: "That would be great. I really appreciate this."
Issues With Animals Complaint
Dialogue #4
Tenant: "Hi there, I need to speak with you about a problem with my stove."
Landlord: "Yes, you told me that your stove is not working properly. Is it still giving you problems?"
Tenant: "Well, the stove stopped working completely, and I contacted you a week ago about this situation."
Landlord: "I'm sorry I have not had someone fix it yet."
Tenant: "I cannot cook, and I feel very upset about this situation and the delay."
Landlord: "I will call a repair service immediately to fix it."
Tenant: "I am happy to hear this. Thank you."
Maintenance Delays Complaint
Dialogue #5
Tenant: "Hi, I need to talk about a problem with the hallway light."
Landlord: "Sure, can you explain the issue?"
Tenant: "All of the lights in the hallway on the second floor are off, and this makes the hallway very dark."
Landlord: "I understand your concern; it must be very dark in the hallway."
Tenant: "Yes, it is. I do not feel very safe with the hallway being so dark, especially in the evening when I come home from work."
Landlord: "I will arrange for a repair technician to check this out and fix the light as soon as possible."
Tenant: "Thank you very much."
Important Safety Concerns & Damage To Common Areas Complaints
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Video: 14 Common Tenant Complaints
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