Refuse To Take The Bait

Karen handed over the keys to her landlord after he had carried out the final inspection. He had been friendly, swift and cooperative.

In the weeks leading up to the handover, her landlord had demanded that she forfeit $200 of her bond money for ‘oven cleaning’, which was not stated in the contract. When she refused, he sent her numerous aggressive and personal emails explaining how she needed to cooperate with his demands and how she was being ‘childish’. He questioned ‘what her mother would think’ and made rude references about her lack of cleanliness, calling her a ‘dirty little girl’. Karen was shocked. Why did a business relationship turn personal all of a sudden? Nobody of sound mind would behave in such a way. Finally, afraid of what might come next, she relented and de...