A Boring Dystopia

It's called Key Money but in some places like Japan it's essentially a gratuity (in the US and other places it's just a refundable security deposit)

Wow. Either someone was too lazy to turn of the default settings, or figured it was appropriate to ask. Either way, that's some shocking lack-of-awareness going on.

Hollow tip are best, they spall inside the landlord and are less likely to exit out the back and damage anything of value.

Peak Landlord Privilege

Insurers do this to doctors, too. They take a large "convenience fee" for electronic payment to the doctor. And they have no option to get physical checks. The relevant US regulatory agency briefly declared it illegal, but was convinced by lobbying their rule wouldn't hold up against a lawsuit, so they withdrew it. And Congress doesn't care to make the law more clear.

It's in canada also. My gf had to pay a rental payment fee for the system they use. Same with enwin utilities in ontario. They just installed a new tax for no reason.

I just moved from a shithole place that used and promoted Flex. The alternative was $300 late fees.

Rocket Mortgage has had this commercial for a couple years where some schlub is trudging back into his house lamenting the fact that six bags of groceries has become two (thanks to inflation). Suddenly his house starts talking to him and reminding him that he could get a Rocket Mortgage loan backed by his small amount of equity and use the money to buy groceries. Dude lights up with joy and dances into this house. It's just beyond fucked that this is obviously one of their most successful commercials. It's amazing that they can turn borrowing money for food into a positive.

Had an apartment a while back, they changed owners and didn't really tell anyone until I got a note on my door saying next months rent, due in a week, can't be done online, needed to be cash check or money order or eviction process would start. What if I was out of the country or working remotely and didn't get the note? No email, no call, just note on the door.

I threw a fucking fit, this was the last straw after a parking lot flooded with gravel, moldy laundry rooms, flooded apartment. Then threaten me with eviction because of their bullshit?

I wrote up my refusal to renew then, like 2 months into a new lease. Made them reimburse me for having to get a money order (don't have checks), then began looking to buy. When renewal came up, they said I needed to renew and raised the prices. I referred them to my email and printout and told them to fuck themselves.

They tried to bill me for cleaning after I moved out, just never replied.

A check, that is petty revenge for sure. We had a portal when we were renting from a slumlord (though we were renting a ridiculously awesome house from them for a reasonable price, one they owned themselves, most of their portfolio was dumps owned by Chinese people who bought them unseen) and yeah it had a fee but $3/month was the fee. I still thought it was funny, paying online is cheaper for them than dealing with my paper check, but we have to cover the cost of online portal but not the check? I'd probably charge people for giving me a check and make online free, if anything.

We did pay pet deposit, not pet rent. Fair I think, pets do add liability, even rabbits might get stressed and piss in the corner or something.