"Refund Them": Landlord Inspects Home After Tenants of 27 Years Move Out

• A landlord named thachnguyen filmed a walkthrough of his rental property in October 2026 after tenants finally moved out
• The tenants had lived in the home since 1999, meaning the landlord had not seen the inside of the property for nearly three decades
• The video went viral after the landlord's reaction to the condition of the home left the internet in awe

A landlord got more than he bargained for when he finally stepped inside his rental property for the first time in decades and the internet absolutely lost it. Instagram user @thachnguyen shared a selfie-style walkthrough video in October 2026, filming his way through a long-term rental home he has owned since 1999. The tenants who had been living there since that year had just moved out days before, making this the first time the landlord had seen the interior of the property in roughly 27 years.

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Walking through the entryway, up the staircase, through the living room, kitchen, bathrooms, bedroom and into the garage, @thachnguyen narrated his inspection with a mix of nerves and growing relief. On-screen captions like "Spider web everywhere" and "This is the scariest" punctuated the footage, yet his tone quickly shifted from apprehensive to genuinely impressed.

"The floors, we got to redo these floors," he noted, while pointing out that the trim remained largely intact and there were no holes in the walls. He admitted the kitchen and bathrooms needed updating, and the fittings were all original from 1999, but the overall state of the property was far better than most landlords could expect. "This is actually in good shape," he concluded, acknowledging that horror stories of trashed rentals are far more common on social media than the reality he was standing in.

His most dramatic moment? Opening the refrigerator, which he described as "the scariest part," only to find a few leftover condiments inside. The clip by @thachnguyen struck a nerve with viewers who were stunned that a home could be kept in such decent condition after nearly three decades of tenancy. Watch the landlord's full inspection walkthrough here:

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Viewers applaud tenants

Then, in a remarkable turn, one of the actual tenants showed up in the comments. Below are some of the reactions that flooded in:

@_glow0rld:

"We were the tenants and we are so happy to see this video. We loved your home and thank you."

@jorgey726:

"For a tenant like this, I would personally handle their deposit and security for their new place as a huge thank you."

@douglesworth:

"Refund their deposit but also give them back double their deposit. What the heck that's solid haha! 27 years!"

@ludomir_wanot:

"I would refund them their entire deposit. Looks amazing."

@theyscreamlexy:

"That actually looks waaayyy better than I thought it would look. For someone to have been there since the 90s, they took care of that home like it was theirs. 🔥👏"

@rocknch0p:

"Lol 27 years and he aint upgrade nothing for them 🤦🏾‍♂️"

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@kennythekonnect:

"Man that's good for 20+ years! Great Tenants!"

Other Briefly News stories about landlord disputes

• The High Court ordered a Gauteng couple to repay their former landlord more than R440,000 plus interest after occupying a Malanshof property in Randburg for years without paying rent.
• A landlord was left shocked after discovering that a tenant had illegally modified a residential rental property in Accra, Ghana, transforming it into a fully functional nightclub complete with a swimming pool without prior approval.
• A young South African woman took to TikTok to share how moving to South Korea to teach English transformed her financial situation, allowing her to build rental units in Thornville, Pietermaritzburg.

Source: Briefly News