Some time back Samantha Bangayan, blogged about “Apartment Gossip”. Now, I have had the “privilege” of renting an apartment for a year when I was working/ studying in a new city. So there is this system which helps you rent an apartment with a family. It is called being a “Paying Guest” or PG for the shorter, more commonly used lingo. So when you are being a PG, you are given a well furnished room / rooms as per requirement and you have the privacy of space by having separate entry/exists.
Now what I didn’t know was that I was in for a lot of trouble which, surprisingly, wasn’t a part of the contract. I mean if you had to give me a hard time, you should have told me so; I would be prepared for the fight. Unpredictable danger always elicits more panic than predictable danger: that is a lesson from psychology!
So as for my being the PG, I was renting a house with a lady who promised me the time of my life. And that, I did. I had to share the room with two other girls, no privacy whatsoever. Every action of mine was being scrutinized by the “other paying guests”. I couldn’t talk or laugh loudly on the phone or otherwise because the lady was sick, sleeping, being disturbed or simply annoyed by my laugh.
I couldn’t listen to music because my taste is music was too loud and wacky; apparently my taste in music is too hurting for the “normal ear”. My flip flops made the splatter sound too loudly. My sleeping hours were too long for normal people. She was worried I had “un-insomnia” (Hypersomnia for the sophisticated ones of you reading this!). Now, I when I write this, I wonder, how did she know how long I slept?
And slowly and suddenly, I was dragged into the apartment gossip! The couple from the 5th floor was having a baby…why hadn’t they informed us, the strangers before, I mean she was already in her fourth week…four weeks and no information? The old man from the top floor was having a hard time with his finances. Is that why he was acting so stingy lately…. I mean, we would have definitely helped him if he had told us, now what’s wrong with telling everyone you’re broke? The lady from down the hall is having an affair with that “awful” man. She should have asked us before making her personal decisions.
Every month a week before the “due date” of my monthly payment, I was reminded, not politely that “you have to pay remember, you aren’t staying here for free” Yes, I do. I have always paid on time, now why the need for the monthly drama. “Oh, I am a poor old lady, you might just run away” Oh no, I can’t you have my phone numbers, copies of my identity card, my voter card, one call to the police and you might have me behind bars the next day, what gives you the idea I might run away without settling my dues!
How long did I undergo the ordeal of “having the time of my life”… seven months to be precise and yes, the farewell was just as nasty. I had to pay for the next month’s stay because I had supposedly taken a day extra to move out my stuff, even though I was physically not there and I had two bags left. My luggage had occupied a month’s stay. I have never called her back…some things are better left in the past!
You have had trouble of renting from someone so bad? Or are you the nasty landlady / landlord?
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