r/SFBayHousing • u/IFEELSORRYTOU • 4h ago
Landlord changed the living arrangements after I paid a holding deposit and won’t fully refund me
Before I paid anything, the landlord provided house rules that explicitly stated “No men, no boys.” She was also very strict about visitors. She even said it would be acceptable if the au pair’s friends got fingerprinted. (She currently has a female au pair who is going to leave.)
On 10/07, I sent her a holding deposit. I was planning to move in on 10/31.
7 days later, the landlord told me she might hire a male live-in au pair who also would share the bathroom with me.
She said, “As you know Aupairs are young and like children. Your choice. I won't know for a while what we end up with. So if you have lived with families before it's the same. But your comfort level is yours so let me know.”
She said, “My son may have friends over that are boys. I may have dinner parties that have couples. It’s a guest bathroom, so even male students may use the bathroom. It’s only one bathroom.”And I asked, “But do they live with you?”
Basically, she still thinks these are the same thing. And she didn’t say sorry or something.
Because of this change, I decided not to proceed with the rental and requested my money back. If I had known I will live with an adult male I wouldn’t have given her any money in the first place.
However, the landlord did not refund the full amount. She kept $200 and even said, “I am taking a loss.”
I spent a lot of time on this. I visited the property twice because the first time I arrived, she told me the tenants hadn’t left the key, so I could only look through the window. I then went back to school, finished my classes, and returned around 8:30 PM to see the place again. And the furniture I plan to buy for the room.
Now I have to find a new place while preparing for my exams and working.






