The leak over the kitchen sink has been there since June. You reported it in person, then by text, then by text again with a photo. The reply, when it came, was two words: “Soon come.” That was eleven weeks ago. Meanwhile, the landlord found time to message about the rent going up next month, and to complain that your children’s bicycles were “messing up the yard”.
Renting from a difficult landlord can wear a person down in a way that is hard to explain to anyone who has not lived it. Home is supposed to be where you rest. When the person who controls your home is unfair, dismissive or unkind, even the quiet evenings carry a low hum of tension.
The temptation to become like them
When we are treated unfairly, a very natural response is to match it. If the landlord will not fix the tap, why should I keep the place clean? If he raises the rent without warning, why should I pay on the first of the month rather than the tenth? If she is rude on the phone, why should I be polite?
Paul, writing to people who often had far less power over their circumstances than any modern tenant, gave a surprising instruction: “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men” (Colossians 3:23). The point is not that unfair treatment does not matter. It is that our own integrity is not up for negotiation because someone else has abandoned theirs.
Paying on time, caring for the property, being honest in every message, treating the neighbours well: these become acts of faithfulness to God, not favours to a landlord who has not earned them.
Faithful is not the same as silent
Integrity does not mean accepting everything quietly. Scripture is full of concern for justice in housing and wages. God repeatedly warns against those who exploit the vulnerable, and the prophets speak sharply to people who “join house to house” at others’ expense (Isaiah 5:8). Standing up for fair treatment can be entirely consistent with a gentle, faithful spirit.
In practice, that often means:
- Putting things in writing. Repair requests, conversations about rent, any agreements. Calm, factual, dated.
- Knowing your agreement. Read your lease or rental agreement again. What does it say about repairs, notice and rent increases?
- Finding out your rights. Tenancy rules differ between countries and even regions. A tenants’ advice service, legal aid clinic or attorney-at-law can explain what applies to you.
- Keeping your own side clean. Rent paid, property cared for, neighbours respected. It is both right and, practically, it strengthens your position.
- Speaking respectfully, even when you are angry. “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1) is not only good theology; it is often good strategy.
Promotion does not come from the east or the west
The psalmist writes, “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:6–7).
It is a reminder that a landlord, like any person with power over us, does not have the final word. Our lives are not ultimately in their hands. That does not mean every difficult situation resolves quickly or neatly. Sometimes it does: a problem gets fixed, a relationship improves, a better place comes up at the right moment. Sometimes it means a hard season of patience. And sometimes it means deciding, prayerfully and practically, that it is time to move.
But in every case, the faithful tenant is not powerless. God sees the leak over the sink. He sees the texts that go unanswered and the rent paid on time anyway. He sees the choice to be kind to a person who has not been kind in return.
Guarding the peace inside your walls
One of the quiet dangers of a difficult landlord is that the tension seeps into family life. Parents snap at children. Couples argue about whether to confront or keep quiet. The home becomes a place of complaint.
It may help to draw a line: the landlord owns the building, but not the atmosphere inside it. You can still pray at the table, laugh with the children, invite friends round and make the rooms you rent into a place of peace. The walls may belong to someone else. The home is yours to shape.
For reflection
- Have I let someone else’s unfairness change how I behave?
- Is there a calm, practical step I could take this week to stand up for fair treatment?
Lord, You are the Judge, and my home is in Your hands. Keep me faithful when I am treated unfairly. Give me courage to speak up with gentleness and wisdom, patience when things are slow, and peace inside these walls. Soften hard hearts, and lead us to the right place in Your time. Amen.
This article is general information only and is not financial, legal, tax or other professional advice. Please speak to a qualified professional about your own circumstances.
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