She lent landlord her WiFi password for a one-time emergency. Years later, an unexpected text from her neighbor revealed landlord's petty scheme

When something done in good faith backfires, it leads to frustration and resentment — even if it is as simple as sharing your Wi-Fi password. A Virginia resident (u/lilruby2010) experienced a textbook case of trespass to chattels when their landlord secretly stole their internet and allowed two other neighbors to use it for five months. In a June 27, 2026, Reddit post, they expressed confusion about whether they should lament the loss and move on or file a lawsuit against the landlord. The story has received over 2,500 upvotes online. 

A costly act of kindness

The author didn’t know that being nice to their landlord would come at a cost. A year ago, they shared their Wi-Fi password with the landlord as she needed them to connect her work computer for a meeting. They had no clue that the landlord had passed their password to two of the neighbors and added internet to their leases. She had also connected their password to two security cameras and a floodlight. For months, the author remained unaware of the exploitation until an internet outage exposed the truth.

The Wi-Fi mystery unravels

A few weeks ago, the author faced an internet outage and reset their router. That’s when they noticed the extra, unknown devices that were operating through it. When the author disconnected those devices, a neighborhood lady reached out to them, asking if there was an internet outage because her television was showing an error. When the author checked, they noticed that their screen showed their internet network. Before they could understand anything, another neighbor walked in and revealed that he, too, had been provided with their network information.

The author realized that their landlord had leaked their Wi-Fi password without informing them. "I sent her an email 10 days ago requesting reimbursement for the 5 months of internet, but as expected, she didn't respond," they wrote. Moreover, the author revealed that they are considering taking legal action against their landlord.

A serious crime

According to the Virginia Computer Crimes Act (Article 7.1), accessing, using, or disrupting a computer or computer network without permission is a serious crime that ranges from misdemeanours to severe felonies depending on the intent and damages involved. Using a computer network without authorization comes under a Class 1 misdemeanor. According to MemeBurn’s statistics, 166 million people in the U.S. alone experienced unauthorized access and breach events in 2025. While the author didn’t suffer major losses, it could have been serious, given that billions become victims of these breaches and violations every year.

'Change the password'

Meanwhile, most Reddit readers empathized with the author, saying they are entitled to the profits the landlord squeezed out of their internet access for months, but it’s not worth their time to get entangled in the legal rigmarole. u/RememberTheAlomar said, “It's not worth a lawsuit. Just change the password and enjoy the fact that the landlord now needs to get at least 1 unit set up for Internet.” u/TSloppers echoed the same idea, “I'd just change the password, and let the other neighbors deal with the landlord, since they were apparently offered free Internet.” u/51CKS4DWORLD reflected, “Even demanding 'reimbursement' is unlikely unless [the resident] has suffered some type of loss or deprivation because others used the connection.”

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