In a resort town with scarce vacancies, many landlords fine-tune their earnings by engineering churn (kicking out tenants in bad faith). Fixed six-month terms keep units in the seasonal market; come November, “personal use” notices appear and long-term renters are out just as winter rates spike. Renovation pretexts (“renovictions”) pop up too—tenants are told major work is coming, only to see the unit re-listed at a higher price or on a short-term platform.
There’s softer overreach as well. Deposits get withheld over minor wear-and-tear. “Pet fees” or monthly surcharges are tacked on even when a lawful pet deposit already exists. Key/fob charges and vague “admin” fees slip into agreements. Some renters get pushed to sign “mutual agreement to end tenancy” forms under time pressure—surrendering leverage they didn’t know they had. *A lot of landlords hold their breath, hoping tenants don't know their rights, and often get away with the upper hand when they shouldn't.
Why this happens: A legal annual increase rarely matches the jump a landlord can get by resetting to market. In a tight, seasonal market, moving is expensive—time off work, new deposits, higher winter prices—so many tenants don’t fight charges or unlawful clauses.
What to do: document everything; complete move-in/out condition reports; be wary of vacate clauses; don’t sign early-end forms under pressure; and challenge unlawful fees and deposit holds. If this sounds familiar, share your story with WARU. Real experiences power better enforcement, more purpose-built rentals, and year-round housing that puts people first.
If you have your own renter horror story, please submit it here.