Another day, another landlord trying to ruin a tenant's garden. A renter took to Reddit to express concern over their building operations manager's intention to pave over their well-maintained garden. A large rosemary bush, several roses, a winter spruce, and numerous vegetables would get caught in the crosshairs of the paving.
The renter noted that they used the green space for various activities, including dinner with friends, parties, and sunbathing. "It's a key reason we pay so much rent," they said. One excuse for paving over the garden was "a money-saving means to prevent hiring a gardener if the next tenants let it fall into disrepair."
The tenant questioned the legality of what the building operation manager wanted to do and sought advice on possible recourse. Several commenters said the tenant could refuse the landlord and any workers access but noted that this course of action could lead to eviction.
"Is there anything we can do to prevent, improve, or avoid this situation as a whole?" the original poster asked.
"Can you contact the landlord directly to discuss this directly?" one commenter said. "You might persuade the landlord not to do the stupid thing."
This situation highlights a broader issue of landlords restricting tenants from adopting sustainable and cost-saving lifestyle changes, such as gardening and using clotheslines to dry laundry. This isn't the first instance of a landlord infringing upon a tenant's garden. One renter's garden project was sabotaged, and this tenant's garden was ripped up without warning.
One Redditor gave step-by-step instructions to help the OP's case, telling them to review the lease agreement carefully, send a written note to the landlord detailing why the garden is beneficial, and get local council involvement if necessary.
Knowing your rights as a renter is important. This can help protect you from housing discrimination, rent gouging, and unlawful evictions. It can also protect your property from damage, which could, in theory, apply to the plants in the OP's garden.
Whether it's a rosemary bush or a full-blown veggie patch, renters shouldn't have to wage war to keep their gardens intact. Fingers crossed the OP is still sunbathing in their garden and not on a concrete slab.
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Should homeowners associations be able to determine what you grow in your garden?
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