Washington Landlord Forced to Live in Van as Tenant Refuses to Pay Rent

  &nbspA Washington landlord is currently living in his van after his tenant moved into his home and stopped paying rent. Jason Roth, the homeowner, claims that the tenant owes nearly $50,000 in unpaid rent and has refused to leave the property for months. The situation has escalated to a court battle, with the next hearing scheduled for March of next year.   &nbspRoth, who purchased his Seattle home in 2016, decided to lease out the entire property to make extra money. In March of this year, he rented the home to Kareem Hunter. However, after paying only a portion of one month’s rent, Hunter stopped making any payments and even listed rooms on the property on Airbnb, generating income without paying his debt.   &nbspRoth took legal action and filed a lawsuit, claiming that Hunter owes him $47,248, which includes back rent, utilities, and late fees. Due to the accumulating bills, Roth could no longer afford the apartment he was renting and had to move into his van.   &nbspHunter, on the other hand, argues that Roth refused to accept payment of the past due rent and demanded $40,000 to allow him to break the lease. Hunter claims that Roth always intended to take him to court for eviction insurance. However, Roth denies these allegations and states that he does not hold such a policy. The negotiations between the two parties involved discussions of payment for $12,000 of back rent.   &nbspThe dispute between Roth and Hunter has now entered the court system, and Roth’s friends have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his legal fees. Unfortunately, the hearing date set for March of next year means that Roth will not be able to live in his own house for several more months.   &nbspRental disputes can often be prolonged and challenging to resolve through the legal system. Similar cases have occurred in the past, such as a notable ruling in California where an Airbnb host was unable to evict a tenant who had stopped paying rent. In that case, the host was found to have violated city permitting codes, resulting in a judgment in favor of the tenant.   &nbspFor now, Roth is left in a state of struggle and uncertainty, eagerly awaiting a resolution to regain possession of his home.

Source: A tenant stopped paying rent and listed his landlord’s home on Airbnb. The landlord is now stuck living in his van.