Curbed Horror Stories are firsthand reader reports about terrible South Florida apartment experiences past and present. This week, in honor of Renters Week 2012, we're having a rental horror story showdown. We'll post a couple horror stories each day with a vote for the best on Thursday. The winner will advance to the national round of our network-wide contest to win free rent for a month. Horror stories to miami@curbed.com, if you please.
The last rental I ever had was moving into a furnished townhouse down here in South Florida. The first week, while looking for additional furniture on Craigslist, I saw photos of my living room (TV, sofa, coffee table) for sale. After the landlord claimed it was a mistake, a week later the TV disappeared. Owner response: "for service". The TV never returned, but the owner did the week following, this time with a live chicken in his hand and two very large friends dressed in all white and speaking no English. They said they were going to need to apartment for the evening and that I should make myself scarce. I left, very nervous about what may be going on. This turned out to be for good reason. When I returned, there was chicken blood on the wall from the sacrifice they were making while practicing Santeria. (My only previous experience with Santeria being limited to the Sublime song). I was out the next morning, losing a security deposit but far away from animal sacrifices.
· Renters Week 2012 coverage [Curbed Miami]