TL;DR: apparently the management at my apartment complex considers plants to be "Seasonal decoration." Here's the email chain:
My landlord: You are in violation of your lease with the condition of your patio/deck area. The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture. Correct the issues shown in the attachment ASAP! If you have any questions please contact the property Manager M-F 9 am – 5 pm.
Thank You from our office staff and maintenance team! [Attached photo: My balcony seen from below, showing my one plant.]
Me: I've just re-read my lease agreement and could not find the clause you are referring to. The closest thing I could find is this, from the Community Rules Addendum, Use of Unit and Common Areas:
"3. It is the Tenant’s responsibility to keep balconies and patios in a clean and orderly condition. Storing of cartons, garbage, boxes, appliances, or other visually objectionable items on the patio or balcony is prohibited. Clotheslines or clothes hanging over balconies are not permitted. Hanging clothes and towels out to dry or use of the patio or balcony as a general storage area is not permitted. Seasonal and holiday decorations are not allowed without prior written permission from Landlord. If allowed, seasonal and holiday decorations must be reasonable, must not interfere with or disturb other tenants’ quiet enjoyment of the Community, and must be promptly removed within a reasonable time after the holiday, not to exceed 14 days or as otherwise directed by Landlord. Grilling or barbecuing is not permitted on balconies or patios."
It does NOT say "The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture," nor does it make any mention of prohibiting plants. If you are referring to another clause, please let me know.
My landlord: While there is no direct mention of potted plants, they fall under the category of seasonal and holiday decoration.
Potted plants are considered seasonal items not currently permitted by the property manager. If you would like to, you may stop by our leasing office during the week to speak with the property manager regarding the use of unit and common areas.
Me: Plants are not "seasonal and holiday decoration." They are plants. They do not get put away for the winter, they do not celebrate a holiday, they just sit there. All year long. If potted plants are not permitted, then the lease agreement needs to be rewritten to reflect that. The lease which I signed does not prohibit potted plants.
My landlord: If you have any comments or concerns regarding use of unit common areas, please stop by our leasing office to speak directly with our property manager.
Me: If you have any further concerns, please contact me via email. Otherwise, I consider this matter resolved.
Thank you for your understanding
(That last email was sent after closing time. I guess I'll find out tomorrow how that goes over.)
One time, the apartment complex I was living at said I was violating my lease for keeping a storage container on my balcony. It was a small, zip up greenhouse with plants in it, which they allowed. When I confronted them about it, they admitted that they only observed it from the ground (I was on the 3rd floor) and that it was fine after all. That "violation" still appears on my rental history today, as the next apartment I rented asked me to explain why there was a violation on my file. Fuck this system.
Wait, there's a permanent record? WTF, this is news to me.
Apparently so. I was quite surprised by that as well. I imagine it's a service or something that large property management companies use, which seems rather intrusive to me. My experience after renting 6 different apartments in the US across 3 different states is that there are too few protections and options for recourse for tenants. I am a good tenant, in my opinion. I pay my rent on time and do not draw any complaints from my neighbors.
I am currently living in an apartment in Indiana, where I was recently without working plumbing for 5 days. As far as I can tell, there is no way for me to recoup related costs or break the release without involving a lawyer. I reported the details to the city health department, which is as close as I can get to getting the incident on the "permanent record" of the property management company.
A lot of properties are modernizing now and using software/systems that has history they can pass on to other complexes when they are called for references.
It's part of the reason I left my old job as a technician. They were wanting me to install an app on my personal cell phone that would gps track me when I was on a work order and when pictures were taken for work orders. Not to mention they were using paycor and required gps tracking on when using it to clock in/out. When I started there we had paper time cards and carbon copy work orders.
Soulless corporations they are. Nickel and dime you to death.
Sorry, bit of a rant but stay away at any cost.
Yeah, at that point they should issue you a work phone.
I would refuse and demand they issue me a work phone. I'm not installing that kind of spyware on my personal device.
Which is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. They refused. Threatened me with discipline. I was already being paid shit for the work I was doing and was expected to do more. They even threatened my boss because I refused to install any apps. They were out to make an example of me because my position was a hold out from the "old ways".
They were doing something with glassdoor as well because I attempted to report how much I made on there and I'm guessing they didn't like the way it made them look so they had my review taken down. "Spam post as salary is not within market range for position." I was 100% honest in the pay I posted. (Plot twist: It was well below market range. Surprising, I know.)
No, there isn't. Why would a landlord help other landlords? They're competition.
My fellow Lemmy-ite, let me introduce you to the concept of corporate collusion:
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/fight-is-control-realpage-antitrust-litigation-2023-01-10/
Here is a recent and ongoing example of how software services can be used (allegedly) by property management companies to avoid competition for the benefit of all (property management companies).