I didn’t plan on stopping by that day. Landlords don’t usually “drop in” unannounced unless there’s a reason, and in this case, there was. The neighbor downstairs had complained—again—about noises late at night. Scratching, pacing, something dragging across the floor. The kind of thing that raises questions, especially in a building with a strict no-pets policy.
So I used my spare key.
I knocked first, out of courtesy, but there was no answer. After a pause, I unlocked the door and stepped inside, already preparing the speech in my head about lease violations and written warnings.
