[WATCH] Second tenant comes forward with evidence of threats by abusive landlord

A second tenant has come forward with evidence of threats by a landlord who was reported to the authorities by union Solidarjetà.

“A second tenant has approached the union with evidence showing that a year ago, the same landlord who has threatened Aleksandar, also threatened him,” Solidarjetà said.

On Wednesday, the trade union revealed how, Aleksandar Vukoje, one of its members, had come forward to complain about how his landlord entered his apartment without consent, after which point the tenant and his visitor were aggressively and verbally threatened by the landlord, whilst being told “I will slit your throat and flush it down the toilet.”

They also revealed how a police sergeant had twice denied Vukoje the chance to file a police report.

Now, another tenant has come forward to complain about threats made by that same landlord, with video footage supporting their claim.

“If your lawyer phones me, I’ll tell him you are a motherfucker,” the landlord can be heard saying in video footage sent to this newspaper.

The union said the tenant had been living in a property rented from the landlord for four years, but suddenly started demanding the tenant start “illegally paying” an additional €200 per month immediately, with months left on the contract.

The tenant had been living in a property rented by the same landlord for four years. In March 2022, the tenant was notified by the Housing Authority that his contract had been automatically renewed until June 2023 under the same conditions as the year before.

In September 2022, the landlord had illegally demanded that the tenant start paying an extra €50 without having notified the tenant. The tenant agreed to pay more despite the fact that his contract had been automatically renewed under the same conditions and had not been notified as required by law. 

In March 2023, the tenant was notified by the Housing Authority that his contract had been automatically renewed until June 2024 under the same conditions as the year before. However, in May 2023, the landlord illegally started demanding an additional rent of €200 per month from June 2023, not even one year after the previous rent increase and again not complying with the laws established by the Private Residential Leases Act.

The tenant therefore pointed out to the landlord that the change made in September 2022 had not been notified to the Housing Authority and that the increases without respecting the contract timelines and percentages set by law were illegal.

The tenant consulted a lawyer who sent a letter to the landlord confirming that the attempted increase in rent is illegal and that the tenants is legally allowed to reside in the property for at least another year.

The landlord proceeded to then enter the property while the tenant was not there.

Upon arriving back home, the landlord threatened the tenant, telling him that “I [will] make you bankrupt. For me money no problem, I am a multimillionaire” and that he will "wipe [his] ass with the lawyer”.

The landlord continued to say that he does not care if the tenant tries to take legal action against him because he has a fulltime lawyer, and “can sleep in court” if need be.

“After the tenant went to the police to file a report around a year ago, no steps were taken against the landlord,” the union said.  

No action taken against landlord in seven days

Solidarjetà said Friday marks the seventh day since Aleksandar Vukoje’s was left without water and electricity, but no action has been taken against him.

On Wednesday, the union also sent a letter to the Prime Minister and several other Ministers to inform them about the situation and demand that: Aleksandar is given access to water and electricity, and that the criminal act of shutting off utilities ceases immediately, the Police Commissioner, Angelo Gafa, ensures that the Police Corps starts taking tenant issues seriously without the need for legal representatives to intervene and the Housing Authority does not allow landlords or property managers with proven cases of tenant mistreatment and criminal behaviour to continue being landlords, and that the Housing Authority enforces this and ensures such landlords do not go to the black market.