Tenant paying $1,100 with utilities included found his apartment stuck at 78°F. Then he learned his landlord was controlling the thermostat remotely

Most tenants expect that paying for utilities means using them to their convenience, but a renter (u/puzzleheaded-can4111) experienced the opposite while dealing with a control-freak landlord. Well, the tenant used to pay monthly rent of $1,100 for their 1BR home in Ohio, including utilities. One day, the landlord showed up with a 24-hour notice that he was replacing the thermostat. That night, the author tried to lower the temperature since it was stuck at 78°F, but was surprised upon realizing that the setting had changed on its own. The now-deleted post was shared on August 5, 2026.

Temperature takeover

The landlord replaced the author's old thermostat with a smart, Wi-Fi-enabled Nest thermostat that could control a room's temperature remotely. The author thought it was an upgrade and said nothing when he installed it. However, during a particularly warm night, the tenant realized that the landlord had been controlling the room temperature from their phone. They explained, "I tried adjusting the temperature because it was 78°F in my apartment and I was dying. It changed back within 5 minutes." Frustrated, the author texted the landlord, but instead of lowering the temperature, he set it to 74°F because he believed that should be "more than comfortable" for the tenant.

A power struggle

The author tried to negotiate, saying that 74°F was still uncomfortable, and insisted on the temperature being around 68°F. They even reminded him that they paid for utilities, but the landlord fired back, saying he should be controlling the temperature since he paid for it. The intrusive landlord even accused the author of "running the AC into the ground" with the previous setting. The author felt it was unfair because of the amount he was paying. He exclaimed, "I pay $1100 a month. I don't care if utilities are rolled into that number. I'm still paying for them. I shouldn't have to lie there sweating at night because my landlord is watching my thermostat from his couch."

No chill for renters

A Reuters survey found that almost half of housing regulations in all 50 states required landlords to maintain their air-conditioning units. Recently, New York proposed a rule to limit indoor temperatures in rental homes to 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). While Austin was considering keeping it at 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 Celsius), similar proposals in California, Texas, Arkansas, and Hot Springs did not work. Furthermore, in 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey (AHS) found that renters (13.6%) were more likely to experience being uncomfortably hot in their house than homeowners (8%). The research supports the author's case, as they complained their apartment was uncomfortably warm. But the landlord did not allow them to lower it to their desired temperature. 

'Cut the Wi-Fi'

Meanwhile, people came up with crazy ideas in the comment section to deal with the landlord. For instance, u/NoBrag_JustFact commented, "Nest needs WiFi. Where's he getting that signal? If his — How? If yours, change the password." u/EVERGREEN619 added, "Microwave food or something hot. Place it on the front of the Nest. In winter, do the same thing with items in your freezer. Let the games begin."

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