Based on 705 community votes, the most popular answer to “My Landlord’s Illegal Wiring Could Burn Us Out—Do I Report?” is “Report landlord to city authorities” — chosen by 29% of voters.
Category: law • Theme: Personal Safety vs Risk of Losing My Home
I’ve been living in this old apartment for over three years, and it’s honestly been the most stable place I’ve had in a while. Last month, we had a brief power outage, and when my landlord’s usual handyman didn’t show, she asked if I’d let in another electrician she “trusted.” He seemed nervous, and when he was in my unit, he blurted out that the wiring in the building was a disaster—total fire hazard, patched together haphazardly, and not up to code at all. He quietly warned me it was illegal and said I should get myself and my neighbors out while we still could. Ever since he left, I can’t stop thinking about it. I look at the old outlets and cheap extension cords and wonder if everything I own might go up in flames. I want to say something, especially since there are families with kids here. But I know my landlord barely scraped through COVID and if the city found out, we’d all be evicted—she can’t afford repairs or fines, and I definitely can’t afford to move. Rents have doubled nearby, and I’ve got nowhere else to go. If I do nothing, I feel like I’m gambling with our safety. But if I report it, my home and maybe everyone else’s would be gone in weeks. Would it be right to put dozens of stressed tenants out on the street, including myself? I keep going back and forth, and I feel trapped. What would YOU do?
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