Most renters agree to hand a property back over to a landlord in relatively the same condition it was received. However, sometimes it may take a few tricks to make it happen.
For one TikToker, it took a hack creatively dubbed the “tenant special” to get the roof of a rented place whipped into shape.
In a viral video that has over 75,000 likes, user Sydney Franks showed off how she used glue to cover up a patch of missing paint on her ceiling.
“What they don’t know might hurt them!” its caption read.
In the 13-second clip, the TikToker can be seen applying glue to the back of a piece of paint that has chipped off the ceiling and then pressing it back into place where it fell off.
@sydneyfranks7 What they dont know might hurt them!#commandstrips#renterproblems ♬ Ludwig Van Beethoven On Tour – SBH💫
“The landlord special= the tenant special,” a subsequent caption read.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “landlord special” is a reference to the multitude of makeshift DIY tricks landlords use to prep an apartment for their next tenant. Now, renters are taking to TikTok using the phrase “tenant special” to share the many ways that they cover up small damages to a place after their tenancy. Some have shared videos showing how the patch up ruined carpet, coverup wall damage with paint, and even fill holes in walls.
In the comments section, many question if the unexpected damages they found around their newly rented places were “tenant specials” or “landlord specials.”
“I do wonder how many shoddy fixes get blamed on the landlord when it was a previous tenant,” user jasmine wrote.
Others shared their own “tenant specials” stories and tips.
“We colored a bleach stain on our carpet with oil pastels and they didn’t notice,” user Kenzie said.
“I fixed the toilet in my last apartment with 3 quarters and some painters tape,” another commented.
“The number of poster tack holes that I’ve covered up with white out is infinite,” user @Idontwannagetanaccount admitted.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sydney Franks via TikTok comments for more information.
