Landlord invents 'biology fee,' charges tenant $5/month per houseplant: 'This building is already a crumbling mess'

Should you have to pay extra for your houseplants?

The answer here is obviously no. Landlords will do anything to get you to pay an extra fee, and it's never worth it. It's only gravy for them and an annoyance to you. You already pay more than you'd like to in rent, I would venture to imagine. You give your landlord so much, and in return, you get a place to live, and hopefully someone to look after the infrastructure of your space. But it doesn't always happen this way. Sometimes (often) landlords ignore their most urgent duties and then spend their time coming up with ridiculous fees and rent hikes. It's a common problem that comes up when you're dealing with landlords, and it's something that can really add some frustration to your day-to-day life. Plus, you can feel powerless against them. There is not much you can do, for fear of eviction.

Sometimes, you'll hear someone else's landlord story, and it makes you grateful that yours isn't as bad as this one. Sometimes fees are so outrageous and ridiculous that you have to laugh, if only to keep from crying. The one in this story had that effect and riled up a bunch of tenants, even ones who were just reading the story. This is the power of the internet. It brings us together, often against a common enemy. This is pretty powerful stuff.

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via Unsplash+ (Nina Zeynep Güler)

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Landlord is now charging a monthly "Biology Fee" for my houseplants.

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via Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦

_{Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.}
In this story, the tenant has a lot to say about their landlord. They had been neglecting their basic duties for so long, and then invented a fee that caused everyone to scratch their heads. What's wrong with having a house plant? Don't those tend to be good for us and the air we breathe? The landlord didn't think so and wanted to gain some extra income by doing what landlords do best: nickel-and-diming you. So the tenant was left wondering what they could do, and if there was even any legal precedent about it. Keep scrolling to read the story and see what you think about it.
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Commenters wondered about the legality of this situation.

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via Responsible_Side8131
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via Fresa22
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via -round-head-