A Reddit post shared on r/AmITheAsshole detailed a woman’s decision to change her Wi-Fi password and restrict her landlord’s access to her apartment and internet. She said the decision came after the property owner repeatedly entered her apartment without her consent and began expecting unrestricted access to her Wi-Fi.
The woman explained that she and her landlord lived in the same building and that he had a spare key to her apartment. Although she understood that landlords sometimes need access to rental units to make repairs, she said he began entering her apartment more frequently.
According to the woman, the landlord gave her notice the first few times he entered. However, she said he eventually began letting himself into her apartment without warning.
She said that although nothing had gone missing from her apartment, she still felt uncomfortable with her landlord coming and going as he pleased. She eventually set a boundary and told him she wasn’t comfortable with him entering her apartment without informing her beforehand.
The Landlord Threatened to End Her Lease After She Changed the Wi-Fi Password
In response to the boundary she set, the woman said her landlord told her that he owned the property and therefore had the right to check on the apartment whenever he wanted. She said he essentially disregarded her concerns.
A few days later, the landlord reportedly asked her for her Wi-Fi password, claiming he needed it to “check the router.” She agreed to share it but soon noticed that her internet was being used while she was away from home.
The woman said she subsequently changed the Wi-Fi password, which restricted the landlord’s access to her internet.
According to her post, the landlord confronted her and accused her of making his job more difficult because he could no longer access her apartment or use her internet freely.
She responded by explaining that if he wanted to enter her apartment, he would need to contact her in advance so they could arrange a suitable time.
The woman continued by saying that her landlord would no longer have unlimited access to her Wi-Fi because she was paying rent and believed she was entitled to privacy in her home. She said the landlord responded by calling her “entitled” and threatening to cancel her lease once it expired.
Many Redditors reminded the woman that landlords in some states are required to provide advance notice before entering a tenant’s home. However, the specific notice requirements vary by jurisdiction and may include exceptions for emergencies.
One commenter wrote, "And it's not "a boundary," it's the law. If this is in the US, most states require 24 hours written notice before a landlord can enter a rental unless it's an emergency situation like a water leak."
Another commenter echoed the same sentiment, and also advised her to document the landlord's unlawful entries.
They wrote, "Exactly this. I’d say in MOST places it is against the lease and probably considered trespassing when entering without minimum 24 hour notice except in cases of emergency.
NTA and I’d be looking for a new place as well as getting a hidden camera or two and documenting the unlawful entries."
The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in the Reddit post. The details in this article are based solely on the original poster’s account of the situation and the reactions and legal interpretations shared by Redditors in the comments.
