Renting a home can leave you at the mercy of your landlord's decisions. Decorating your property to your liking might not be allowed, for example, while keeping pets and having friends stay for long periods are among things that could also be prohibited.
The problems extend outside, too, as one Redditor was devastated to find out.
Posting to the r/Gardening subreddit, the gardener was absolutely crushed when their landlord decided to perform some serious surgery on their favorite tree.
"I really liked it, though," the Redditor commented. "I know [it's the landlord's] house but I'd have appreciated an explanation or at least a heads up."
A number of commenters were sympathetic to the situation, with some noting how the tree had been "butchered," and another user adding, "That is almost criminal, this is not trimming, it's ridiculous!"
Others noted that the tree might have been too close to a neighboring fence, and that might have been behind the decision to take such drastic action.
Whatever the reason, it's still a shame to see something green and growing be cut down in its prime.
In addition to being an attractive feature of any lawn, trees encourage biodiversity, bringing birds and pollinators that can be beneficial for other plants in the space.
Trees also help to improve air quality, sucking in harmful gases like carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
And in communities where heat is a concern, not only do trees provide a shady space to sit under, but they also absorb and trap heat. Concrete, synthetic turf and rocks, meanwhile, absorb heat but then release it back into the surrounding area — sometimes referred to as the heat island effect — leading to an uptick in temperatures.
The tree may yet resprout, even if the work to trim it was shoddy, but that's surely no comfort for the distraught resident.
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