What to Include When You Rate a Landlord (5 Categories That Matter Most)
A vague "1 star, terrible" review helps no one. The five specific categories that future renters actually search for — and how to write each one so your review changes a lease decision.
Judge My Landlord Team23. Mai 20263 min read20 viewsA one-star rating with no details is white noise. Future renters scroll past it. A 1-star review that says "Heat broke twice in January, took an average of 9 days to repair, here's the maintenance log" — that changes lease decisions.
Five categories cover almost everything that matters when someone is deciding whether to sign with a specific landlord. Hit all five and your review does real work.
1. Communication
How fast did the landlord respond? Did they ghost when there was a problem? Did they communicate clearly about lease terms and rent changes? Future renters care about this more than almost anything because it predicts every other category.
- Average response time to a maintenance request (hours? days? never?)
- Did they answer the phone, or was it always voicemail?
- Were emails or texts ever ignored entirely?
- Did they give advance notice for rent increases, inspections, contractors?
2. Maintenance
This is the second most-searched category. Renters want to know: when something breaks, does it get fixed?
- How quickly did urgent issues (heat, water, leaks) get addressed?
- Quality of repairs — did things stay fixed?
- Did they use real contractors, or "the guy I know"?
- Were you ever asked to pay for repairs that were the landlord's responsibility?
3. Lease and deposit
Money issues are where landlords most often cross legal lines. Document any of these:
- Was your security deposit returned in the legally required timeframe?
- Were deductions itemized in writing with receipts?
- Did they try to charge for normal wear-and-tear (carpet aging, paint scuffs, minor scratches)?
- Was the lease itself fair and transparent, or full of unenforceable clauses?
4. Property condition
What was it actually like to live there day to day?
- Move-in condition: clean, ready, accurate to listing?
- Hidden issues that took weeks to surface (pests, mold, faulty appliances)?
- Were systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) reliable or constantly breaking?
- Outdoor / common areas — maintained or neglected?
5. Privacy and respect
Did the landlord respect basic tenant rights? This category gets less attention but matters enormously to anyone who's had a bad experience.
- Did they give legal notice (usually 24 hours) before entering?
- Were inspections frequent, intrusive, or pretextual?
- Did they share personal info about you with other tenants or contractors?
- Did they retaliate against any complaint?
Star ratings tell readers the gist. Examples tell them whether to sign. One specific incident per category beats five vague complaints.
How to score each one
Most platforms use 1-5 stars per category. A useful mental model:
- 5 — better than expected, would recommend
- 4 — mostly fine, minor friction
- 3 — okay, nothing memorable either way
- 2 — noticeably below average, would warn friends
- 1 — actively bad, do not rent here
Write the review you wish had existed before you signed your lease. The five-category structure makes that easy: walk through each, share one specific story, and let future renters draw conclusions.
