now with that being said i don't know anyone who has ever been punished for doing it. also earlier this month the ohio division of real estate published it is illegal because of XY and Z and they are going to start punishing people for it. again i haven't seen any punishments but it was published in ohios months real estate news letter from the division. 

From what I can tell, false advertising is not only shady as hell, but is also illegal, and subject to enforcement by the FTC.Here's what I was able to dig up on 15 USC § 54 - False advertisements; penalties:or if such violation is with intent to defraud or mislead, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment; except that if the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction of such person, partnership, or corporation, for any violation of such section, punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment:Perhaps you'll reconsider such tactics . . .

I'm curious less from a "making you whole" perspective and more from the he committed fraud perspective and would like to see him punished.

I wouldn't want to punish the tenant for the old crappy landlord.

After his punishment he had to come apologize, and the parents never seem to have considered a lawsuit.

Until the punishment is made to fit the crime they won't think twice about doing it.

Most people seem to think a state that punishes bad landlords is unfriendly when good landlords in the same state feel the state is friendly to them.

Now, perhaps we could have evicted them in the middle of March once we realized she wasn't going to pay March rent, but that seems like a huge hassle.Basically we wanted to punish the one tenant who refused to pay her portion of the last month's rent and flag her as a BAD TENANT so that other landlords will know to avoid her.

from MassLegalHelp:"Whoever conducts a lodging house without a license shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred or more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than three months, or both."

It is punishable by a fine not to exceed $250,000 and/or a prison sentence of not more than two years."