Gross: Seattle ‘nightmare tenant’ throws lavish parties while living rent free

The saga of the so-called “nightmare tenant” in Seattle’s Madison Valley continues. The tenant has been accused of living rent-free in a home for months, according to the property owner who said he is now throwing parties and boasting about a lavish lifestyle on social media.  

Property owner Jason Roth said he rented the property to the tenant, but he wouldn’t pay rent. Since then, he claimed the tenant profited off the home by listing it on Airbnb. He remains in the home having not made even a single rent payment during the time of this entire saga.  

More on Jason Roth’s situation: Nightmare tenant made Seattle landlord go homeless

Recently, he appeared to be bragging about how he’s using the home via an Instagram account he had kept public until this week. The account showed various braggadocios posts and videos, including one captioned: “‘after party at my place’ – says drunk me …”

Roth told The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH he’s the owner of the residence featured in the photo.  

“I started seeing the pictures in the background, my house, and it just adds fuel to the fire of just how terrible this thing is making me feel,” Roth said.  

Finally, a court date  

Roth has faced challenges to legally take his property back, thanks to tenant-friendly laws implemented by Democrats. He said he had a frustrating phone call with a representative from Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales’ office.  

Roth said she asked, “Why don’t you just evict him?” Apparently, Morales doesn’t realize how difficult she’s made eviction.  

After months of waiting, Roth finally has an eviction hearing set for Monday. Roth is skeptical that he’ll make any actual progress given his experiences so far.  

He cited a history of pro-tenant rulings, including Sherwood v. Pinzon, in which landlords are essentially punished for providing payment plan options to tenants.  

“But it’s at this point, he’s just pushing it too far as this thing can possibly go,” Roth said. “I don’t know what he’s thinking.”

More on the nightmare tenant: Seattle landlord secures a key win against nightmare tenant

The tenant speaks 

The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH reached out to the tenant for comment via social media.

“You have been misinformed by the landlord,” he said in an Instagram direct message. “Just read the court documents after our case is heard.”

He also threatened to sue, seemingly over coverage he thinks maligns him. Roth simply wanted to provide affordable housing and make some extra money to support himself through technical school. When the tenant said he needed help, Roth said he was willing to work with him.  

Since The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH exclusively reported Roth’s story, other media outlets have reached out to do the same. And now he’s hearing from landlords in similar circumstances. 

More on landlords leaving Seattle: Landlords ditching Seattle over nightmare tenants, laws 

“I have been reached out to by all kinds of different people, people who are trying to go through evictions like me,” Roth said, citing many people have reached out to him to express their own apprehensions about listing properties for rent. “(Seattle) is not a good environment to rent your rooms out or rent a house out.”

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3-6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (or HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here.