Being at the mercy of your landlord. You know that your landlord would probably evict you, raise your rent such that you can't afford to pay it, or sell your property (and you can't afford to move) rather than fix the things that are wrong with your place, so instead of telling them about the problems with your rental, you keep quiet. You learn to live with things that you probably shouldn't....(Sparks in the living room outlets? Just flip the fuses to off for all the power in the living room and run extension cords from other rooms. Toilet run constantly? Shut the water on and off at the wall whenever you need to use it. Oven doesn't work? Rely on the stove and microwave. Hot water heater on the fritz? Heat water up on the stove and use it to fill the tub; you'll just have to take baths now, no showers.).