One of the key features buyers and renters look for in a home is abundant natural light and air from windows or skylights. One renter had that — until their landlord did something unbelievable for a cash grab.
A Redditor reposted a screenshot of the renter's social media post about the problem.
"Our evil landlord has covered the entire front side of the apartment building in this advertisement, blocking all natural light and healthy air," said the original post. "We wake up in the morning and do not even know if the sun is shining outside!"
The accompanying photo barely looks like a building at all — more like billboards in a block shape. The ad, hanging from a scaffolding on the building exterior, covers all the windows of the multi-story building to advertise Back Market, a refurbished electronics provider.
"It's inhumane and abhorrent!" said the tenant. "We are banding together as neighbors to try to fight it. Have already contacted the ad company, the [regulatory office], renters' rights organizations, and the landlord himself (of course)."
It's completely understandable that the tenants would be frustrated. Not only are their apartments no longer as advertised, but they're missing out on the health benefits of fresh air and sunlight.
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Plus, if this ad is blocking airflow, it may cause the building to overheat and raise the energy usage of the HVAC system. This, in turn, raises energy costs — not to mention that excess energy usage is bad for the environment.
Landlords and HOAs have, unfortunately, caused roadblocks across the country when tenants and homeowners try to make eco-friendly updates. Landlords have been caught contaminating the ground and banning clotheslines, but renters can try to work with landlords to make eco-friendly and healthy changes.
Commenters were outraged, with long comment chains recommending different ways to vandalize the ad.
"This is straight up b*******," said one user. "That should never be allowed to stand."
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"Isn't that like a breach of the lease on his part somehow, since it had windows when you looked at the place and now it doesn't?" asked a second commenter.
"Also it's a fire hazard as it surely would impede firefighting efforts," replied a third user.
"This happened in Amsterdam too," another Redditor supplied. "Eventually the landlord had to take it down."
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