Top 8 household items that will make your landlord angry

As a semi-experienced off-campus-living Bobcat, I've had plenty of encounters with my landlord (who will remain unnamed here) that have been less than pleasant. These include, but are not limited to, refusing to pay rent until the six-inch holes were removed from three bedroom doors and hearing the words, "It will all be fine. I can't smell anything anyway" after having the stove disconnected by the gas company due to a gas leak.

Any student who lives off campus in Athens has probably dealt with similar circumstances. But despite the specific circumstances, I took a walk around my house and compiled a list of my own items that would make any landlord cringe.

8. Ratty furniture on porch

If there's a porch, there are places to sit. It's almost an unwritten rule. But, for most college students, many furniture items are hand-me-downs, pieces that were brand new and stylish in the '80s on someone's grandmother's deck but now are old and torn apart. According to City of Athens code enforcement, porch furniture must be in good condition and cannot include couches or any sort of indoor furniture, leaving some students to wonder what is and is not allowable.

7. Beer pong table on porch

It's a staple in off-campus housing, but just because it plugs in, lights up and has mirrors does not mean it is also aesthetically pleasing.

6. Messy basement

Pizza boxes are oftentimes too large to throw away. Cornhole boards don't fit in the kitchen. Dryer sheets, like feathers in the wind, usually do not reach the trash can when thrown. The size of an unfinished basement is directly proportional to its functionality as a dumpster.

5. Stains on freshly cleaned carpet

It's inevitable. On any given Friday or Saturday night, more than one Ohio University student will be inside of someone's house whom they do not know holding a beverage. Often, that beverage will take a tumble, usually as a result of being in close proximity to multiple others who have had more than one of a similar beverage. Problems arise when the liquid's landing pad had been steam cleaned hours before.

4. Cheesy stove

Whether it's grilled cheese, tuna casserole, Kraft mac 'n cheese or chili, cooking is another major cause of liquids landing in places they shouldn't be. Probability of this occurring increases when the cook is of the male gender.

3. Tiki bar in kitchen
Despite the highly decorative plastic alligators hanging from the roof, a robust Tiki bar in one's eating space might cause (and has caused) a distraction for the home's owner. Those who physically make residence in that owner's property, however, often beg to differ.

2. Wooden board in dining room window

It turns out that holes in windows can be fixed in a cost-effective manner. Until December.

1. Garbage in bushes

Athens City Code states that "no person shall place or dispose of any garbage or waste, or peelings of vegetables or fruits, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, furniture, glass, oil or anything else of an unsightly nature on any land adjoining a public road." Out of all the requests we've faced, this has been the most frequent. The solution is easy--but only in theory.

Runners up (from other residences): "Who's your daddy?" sign in front window; stop sign in basement; trash can on roof; case of beer on roof; weight bench on front porch