One tenant's nerves were frayed because, according to them, their landlord blatantly took advantage of them over yard work.
The r/LandlordLove subreddit sees plenty of complaints about gardening conflicts, including landlords who are too controlling about the landscaping and even destructive ones. Conflicts with these landlords can increase both costs and stress for tenants who are just trying to enjoy their property.
But this Redditor had an extreme example. "Landlord hired cheap, s***** gardeners who kept breaking our stuff, lying about it, and showing up randomly without notice," they claimed.
It only got worse from there. As a supposed remedy to the situation, the landlord proposed a change to the rental agreement. "He finally agreed to take $100 off rent if we do the work ourselves," said the original poster. "Then he raised the rent $250, so he's now making more AND we have to do the landscaping."
It wasn't the first time the landlord had been deceptive about prices, either, according to the Redditor. "He also told us the water bill was 'less than $100/month,'" they said. "Try $250."
The greed on display was matched by blatant dishonesty, and the original poster had a predictable reaction. "I put in my notice of non-renewal on Monday," they concluded.
One factor that makes this especially frustrating is how simple yard care can be with the right landscaping choices. A clover lawn or a selection of native plants needs no mowing and little to no extra care. That includes irrigation: These species are much hardier than turf grass and can often get by on rainfall alone, making them cheap to keep. Plus, they provide meals for beneficial insects and wildlife, including pollinators.
But instead of those simple solutions, this Redditor was left paying their landlord for the privilege of caring for his landscaping. Commenters were furious.
"What the f***. Did he raise the rent before your lease was up?" asked one Redditor.
"No. We're just up for renewal. It was literally the day after he said he'd lower rent to account for us doing the landscaping, though," replied the original poster.
"Only $100 a month for landscaping? You were definitely getting ripped off," said another user. "That's a per-week rate for most landscaping, depending on your area. Maybe a bit less, but not that much less."
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