This Landlord Tracked Down His Old Tenants For Some Good Old Fashioned Revenge

By: Molly Denum | Last updated: Nov 19, 2023

Tenants have to meet a slew of essential responsibilities to protect the property. In return, landlords are obliged to renovate and maintain their investment to ensure that tenants are safe and happy. 

Unfortunately, after putting endless hard work into his rentals, this landlord had a run-in with bad tenants. But rather than get mad, he got revenge. Read on to find out how this landlord got his own back.

Who Is Thomas?

Thomas Ravaux is a French landlord who decided to rent his properties to ensure a regular and comfortable income. After all, seeking rent from those without their own homes is a surefire way to bring in monthly earnings even if the economy is at its worst. 

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Source: The Primary Market

Being a dedicated landlord, he turned a drab, outdated apartment into a show-stopping home. From fixing the plumbing to buffing the hardwood floors, he left no problem unfixed. The result would be sure to blow anyone’s mind. 

Hands-on For His Passion

His commitment to excellence was unwavering. With his keen eye for detail and tireless work ethic, Thomas transformed a run-of-the-mill apartment into a stunning rental property. From comparing his space to the competition to countless hours renovating, Thomas left no stone unturned. 

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While most landlords often overlook the importance of creating a welcoming and comfortable space, Thomas decided to make his tenants feel at home. He poured his heart and soul into renovating his rental property—The least his tenants could do was take care of it.

Seasoned Veteran

Thomas is a seasoned pro with years of experience in the rental game. With a long list of successful renovations under his belt, he knew exactly how to create a living space that’s both functional and stylish. 

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For years, Thomas had the pleasure of working with great tenants who appreciated and cared for his rental properties. But little did he know, his luck was about to change. Once new tenants moved into his latest renovation project, they became the stuff of any landlord’s nightmares. 

The “Nice-Looking” Tenants

After putting so much time and effort into renovating his latest rental property, Thomas was eager to find the right tenants to call it home. When a young couple with three children came along, they seemed the perfect fit. Thomas thought he had it figured out. 

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He thought renting properties was as simple as making tenants sign a contract and watching the money roll in. The young family seemed ideal. With their charming personalities and well-mannered kids, Thomas couldn’t see any red flags. But appearances can be deceiving. 

Patience Is A Virtue

Thomas felt that everything was going smoothly with his latest tenants. But when rent day came around, he was met with a shocking discovery—no money had been transferred into his account. Was it just a simple oversight, or was something more sinister at play? 

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As the weeks turned into months with no rent payments, Thomas grew more concerned. But when he realized that no money had come in after four months, he knew he needed to get to investigate. What he uncovered, he could never have imagined. 

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Making Contact

As the rent-dodging tenants continued to evade Thomas’s calls, he was filled with frustration and anger. How could they just disappear like this? It was irresponsible to ignore his demands for rent. He had no choice but to continue his search for answers.

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Thomas tried everything he could think of to get in touch with the rent-dodging family—but every call, message, and letter went unanswered. So after months of waiting and worrying, he finally decided to take matters into his own hands and visit the apartment.

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A Personal Visit

Most landlords would have started eviction after just a few months of missed rent payments, but Thomas was different. He waited for over a year before taking matters into his own hands. But could his generosity be the thing that comes back to haunt him?

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Thomas had worked for weeks sprucing up the apartment and felt entitled to his money. But after months of missed rent payments and unanswered calls, he decided to drive to the apartment for a face-to-face confrontation with the family. 

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A Mysterious Note

Thomas had reached the end of his patience and was ready to confront his tenants and demand the overdue rent. But what he found at the door of the apartment left him stunned. A mysterious note requested him to ring the doorbell.  

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Thomas focused on confronting his tenants and demanding the overdue rent. But he spotted something else on the apartment door that was certainly a surprise. The doorbell had been pulled off from its socket and appeared to have been tampered with.

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Were The Tenants In Trouble?

Thomas felt a mix of worry and anger as he realized something was off. He decided to proceed with caution and consider calling the police. But as he took a step back to assess the situation, he chose to deal with it personally.

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Thomas’s heart was pounding. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. The doorbell had been tampered with and did not work correctly. Despite this, he pressed the doorbell and was met with a loud, disturbing noise. However, no one answered the door.

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Enter At Your Own Risk

When Thomas realized no one was answering his knocks on the door or the doorbell. He had to take matters into his own hands. With his spare key, Thomas entered the apartment. As soon as he opened the door, he was struck by a horrific sight.

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The sight that greeted him at the door was so shocking that it left him stunned. Thomas was initially worried that his tenants might have fled without paying their dues. This was far beyond what he ever could have imagined. 

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A Disaster

The inside was a far cry from the tidy and well-maintained home he had handed over to his tenants just over a year ago. The piles of garbage and the pungent stench of decay made it almost impossible for him to move around.

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He found a dog leash lying on the ground, surrounded by droppings. He could not comprehend how this family he had thought so highly of could live in such terrible conditions. The thought of the young children living in this environment was alarming. 

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The Nasty Stench

There were spills and stains on the countertops, and the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. The fridge was the source of the worst of the odors. When Thomas opened the door, a putrid smell hit him like a wall. 

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It was filled with food that had gone bad weeks ago, and the stench was so overpowering that Thomas quickly shut the door. He was starting to feel sick and was in disbelief at the scene. He couldn’t understand how anyone could live in such conditions.

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Destroyed Property

Thomas continued his tour of the apartment, and the destruction only seemed to escalate. Beyond the piles of garbage and overflowing trash, he found that the furniture he had supplied for the tenants was ruined and broken. The walls, too, showed signs of damage, with holes puncturing the drywall.

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How could anyone treat someone else’s property this way? All of that effort and investment put into the apartment—all gone. The thought of the rent money he would never see again made the situation even more frustrating.

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No Regrets, Just Revenge

Despite his deep disappointment, Thomas refused to let his emotions take control. Instead, he resolved to take action and deliver a lesson to the tenants that they would not soon forget. He didn’t deserve such treatment from unruly tenants.

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Thomas tried to channel all his anger and convert it into something creative. He needed to devise an effective plan to make these tenants learn a hard lesson. Though difficult, he had to put his emotions aside and execute his plan for sweet revenge.

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Within Reason

Though he intended to take matters into his own hands, he would stay within the bounds of the law. He would have to have proof of the destruction inflicted on his property. He took pictures of the destroyed apartment and gave copies of the images to his lawyer. 

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He also requested that a few people visit the apartment and act as witnesses to the destruction, as doing so would give him some legitimacy in case the tenants turned the tables on him.

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Asking The Neighbors

Thomas needed more information about his ex-tenants. He made sure to shake the neighbors down for clues. He wanted to know if anyone of them saw the tenants move out. However, none of them knew when the tenants left, only that the apartment had been empty for weeks.

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Thomas couldn’t hide his anger. He trusted the tenants in good faith. He even allowed them to stay despite them not paying rent for over a year. How could his kindness be abused in such an indifferent way?

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Support From Social Media

Thomas had renovated the apartment so that tenants could call it home. Now that it had been completely destroyed, he made sure the images he took of it would be known to the world. Thomas posted the pictures on Facebook.

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His Facebook posts were shared numerous times in just a few days. All who saw the pictures had the same shocked reaction. The before and after images of the apartment were unbelievable. No one could imagine how a family could live through such trash and filth. 

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Negotiations Are Off

Considering the way the tenants lived, Thomas immediately knew they could not be reasoned with. He then decided that he would not entertain negotiations. It is impossible for a family who avoided paying rent and destroyed property to be agreeable enough to admit their faults. 

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Additionally, Thomas was aware that this would not be settled quickly in court. For some reason, he believed that the only justice he could get was to give them what they deserved. They needed to have a taste of their own medicine. 

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Getting All The Garbage Out

The sight of the trashed space was overwhelming, but Thomas was not one to shy away from a challenge. With a strong sense of purpose, he set out to clean up the apartment and end this mess once and for all. Thomas hired a team of cleaners to help tackle the mess. 

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But Thomas held off on having the trash removed. He had a plan for all the waste the tenants had left behind. It would be a shame just to throw it all away.

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Where Did The Garbage Go?

Thomas had something in mind for all the trash. He wanted to ensure that the tenants would face the consequences of their actions. He was determined to make them realize the impact of their neglect and irresponsibility.

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Thomas was not about to let the mess the tenants had left behind get the better of him. With the help of a moving truck, he collected all the refuse scattered around the apartment. The apartment was finally rid of the grime and filth, but Thomas was just getting started. 

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Tracking The Location Of The Tenants

Thomas was determined to teach his former tenants a lesson. He tracked the family’s new abode. It took him only a short time to uncover their whereabouts, and he soon had their new address. With a plan for retribution, Thomas was ready.

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With the truck full of their discarded belongings and the stench of their filth in tow, Thomas made his way to the new residence of his former tenants. He wanted to make a grand entrance—one that would leave a lasting impression. 

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A Long Overdue Delivery

Thomas took great pleasure in what he was about to do. He felt like he was finally getting some justice for the trashed apartment he was left with. As the garbage truck started to unload all of the refuse they had left for him to clean up, Thomas continued to record everything.

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He watched as the tenants’ driveway filled with the mess they had left behind. He was proud of what he had accomplished. He was more than pleased to have finally gotten his revenge. 

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Served Cold And Sweet 

The tenants, who had no idea what was going on, were left shocked and speechless at seeing their own garbage being dumped in front of their new home. Thomas had made a statement and got his point across. 

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He had no qualms about uploading the entire video on YouTube. As he did, views kept pouring in, and it became another viral sensation. For Thomas, he felt it was something he just had to do, and it was a lesson the tenants simply had to learn.

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Different Reactions

Some of those who saw the YouTube video couldn’t help but be impressed with how Thomas handled the situation. Many expressed admiration for his plan. A few other landlords agreed with his actions, with most of them wishing they could do the same thing to tenants who did them wrong.

Source: The Primary Market

Still, some pointed out that what Thomas did was not the best course of action. The garbage he left would now be the problem of the new landlord of the property where the tenants were staying. 

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Smart Move

Thomas made sure he dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s. He meticulously checked that he was 100% within legal bounds. He knew that the tenants would be held accountable for the mess, not their new landlord.

Source: The Primary Market

Thomas added that the pictures of the destroyed apartment were a mere fraction of the total damages it incurred. Major repairs, from the walls to the entire floor, were necessary. Plus, the whole place would need to be thoroughly disinfected after their mistreatment.

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On The Side Of The Law

Thomas even spoke to authorities before implementing his plan. He had to ensure that the law was on his side. Later, Thomas learned that the tenants had no choice but to deal with the garbage themselves. Thomas felt he had finally accomplished his mission.

Source: The Primary Market

He felt that revenge was the right way to handle things. He needed to be brutal to show that family who was boss. The unpaid rent and damages were costly. He needed to spend a small fortune fixing everything in the apartment. 

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Inspiring Landlords Everywhere

Many landlords in different parts of the world applauded Thomas’ actions. Thomas was fortunate that the tenants from hell moved out on their own. Thomas’s story sparked a conversation among landlords. 

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They were inspired to take revenge on their unruly tenants, such as those who make a fuss about increasing rent or speak with a tone when calling about repairs. Thomas is preparing his newly renovated apartment to be rented out to decent tenants. Maybe he won’t let a year pass before collecting rent this time.

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