One renter was distraught when they said their heartless landlord demanded they tear out their vegetable garden in two days or face eviction.
Most posts on r/gardening contain happier stories with progress photos and garden hacks. But opposition from landlords who don't like gardens isn't new. One landlord covered up a tenant's spigot to prevent them from watering their plants with it, and another threatened fines over potted plants on a balcony.
In this case, the gardener said they'd kept the garden going for years with no issue. "No one ever had [a] problem with my plants in [the] yard," the Redditor said. "I even cut my own lawn once or twice a week. [The] lawn cutting crew even said they have on their list from the office not to cut my lawn or do yard work."
Despite maintaining their yard and causing no extra work, the Redditor said they got an unpleasant visit. "Today, my landlord came over and said the lawn crew is constantly complaining to him because they don't know how to cut my lawn," they said.
The landlord also blamed their garden for pests. "There is a tree about 20 meters [66 feet] away that I complained about twice this year that has a massive infestation of those red stink bugs," they said. "The landlord is trying to say now that I am the reason the bugs have spread to the neighbors' yards due to my garden … Oh, and one of the neighbors is screaming about mice in her house when she leaves her front door wide open 18 hours a day."
According to the Redditor, their landlord raised their rent and said they had two days to tear out the garden, all in the same conversation. They didn't have the option to move out; local housing costs and their disability made it impossible.
"Please help me to stop panicking. I need this garden for my mental health," said the desperate Redditor. "I can't just cut it down."
"I'd call a legal advisor and get an opinion ASAP If I were you," said one commenter. "Even as a tenant you have rights."
"I was thinking the same thing; none of this sounds legal," said another user.
"It's [the] end of [the] season," a third Redditor pointed out. "Remove and make plans to move by spring to a more garden-friendly place, if you can."
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