The "phony landlord" scam happens every so often, but this time the impostor went as far as using the court system to protect his rights as a landlord.

Last year, a tenant moved into her new digs in Baldwin, New York only to learn months later that the man to whom she was giving her rent money wasn't the landlord after all. He was an impostor with no claim to the property, trying to make a quick buck off an unsuspecting victim in need of housing.

Before the scam was uncovered, it took a turn for the bizarre. When the tenant stopped paying rent because the man didn't make promised repairs to the apartment, he didn't just take his profits and run. Instead, the impostor pulled his landlord hat down tighter and actually sued the tenant to collect the unpaid (and illegitimate) rent!

A tip led police to arrest the man this morning on charges of burglary and grand larceny, after he allegedly pocketed over $10,000 in illegal rent, according to NBC. He reportedly faces up to seven years in prison, if convicted.

If you're evicted from an apartment, you're expected to take your things and leave. But one tenant who was just evicted from a Kaisertown, New York rental decided to help himself to a number of furnishings and other things that weren't his to take.

The landlord reported that over the weekend the tenant made off with an array of items, including rugs, smoke detectors, sink pipes, lighting fixtures, landscaping, and even trees, according to today's police blotter in The Buffalo News.

The total bill for the theft is estimated at over $3,100.

If it's cold outside and your apartment just isn't getting enough heat, you don't want to have to spend weeks, or even days, waiting for your landlord or super to respond to the problem.

Nor should you. Landlords have a duty to keep your apartment habitable, and many cities, such as New York, have laws specifying exactly how much heat tenants are due.

If you have trouble getting through to your landlord about a heat problem, here are some communication tips you can use to help ou get the prompt attention you need from your landlord.

(Photo © Tom Grill / Getty Images)

When it comes to finding the perfect roommate, many renters assume that their closest friends would automatically make the best candidates.

But likeability isn't the same thing as compatibility, which is the key to a successful roommate relationship. Rooming with a friend can work, but only if you're both on the same page about issues such as paying your rent on time, sharing expenses, cleaning your apartment, how often you'll invite guests over, and how quiet or noisy you'll agree to be during the day and night.

What types of people, then, generally make the best roommate candidates? Find out with this handy guide.

Got a story to tell on how you went about finding the right roommate? Share it here!

(Photo © Image Source / Getty Images)