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

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
May 1, 2026 10:00 AM EDT

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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  • 01
    A person pours water on their houseplants
    via Unsplash+ (Nina Zeynep Güler)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

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

    I honestly thought I had seen every possible way a landlord could nickel and dime a tenant but this morning I found a new addendum taped to my door that actually made me question if I am living in a simulation or just a very dark comedy. My landlord who we will call "The Leach" decided to do a walkthrough last week
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 03
    under the guise of checking the smoke detectors but of course he spent the entire time counting how many succulents and ferns I have on my windowsills. Today I get a notice saying that starting next month there is a mandatory five dollar monthly charge per plant as a biological load fee. Apparently having a few pots of
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 04
    greenery is now considered a professional hazard because they supposedly increase humidity levels which could potentially lead to structural mold issues in the future. It is absolutely insane because this building is already a crumbling mess with drafty
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 05
    windows and a heater that sounds like a jet engine taking off but yeah sure my little aloe vera plant is the real threat to the foundation of the house. I checked the math and between my herbs in the kitchen and the plants in the living room this guy wants an extra fifty bucks a month just for the privilege of me
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 06
    keeping something alive in this depressing gray box. It is not even about the money at this point it is just the pure audacity of someone charging you for the air you breathe and then trying to tax the things that actually help clean it. I was genuinely considering calling a psych ward to have him picked up for a mandatory evaluation because
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 07
    there is no way a sane person sits down and calculates the humidity output of a spider plant to justify a rent hike. But then I remembered we live in a system where being a delusional parasite is basically a job requirement for owning property so he would probably just blend right in with
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 08
    the staff there. I am so tired of these people acting like they are doing us a favor by letting us exist in spaces they barely maintain while they find every tiny loophole to extract more of our paychecks for literally doing nothing but owning a deed.
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 09
    A woman tends to her houseplants
    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. 

  • 10

    Commenters wondered about the legality of this situation.

    Hollow_6R This is definitely illegal in most places. A plant causing structural mold while the windows are drafty and the heater is breaking is such a joke. Check your local tenant laws because there is no way a judge looks at a spider plant as a professional hazard.
    via Hollow_6R
  • 11
    2Ciphercrest A biology fee for plants is a new level of greed. Next they will charge a lung tax for breathing their air.
    via 2Ciphercrest
  • 12
    Saber_3V The audacity of these people never fails to amaze me. They do zero maintenance on a crumbling building but spend their time counting ferns like some kind of plant police. Do not pay a single cent of that biological load nonsense without seeing a revised lease agreement.
    via Saber_3V
  • 13
    Rune_8Vale OP At this rate he will probably start charging me a carbon dioxide tax for every guest that dares to breathe in here.
    via Rune_8Vale
  • 14
    Tardis Rook9 Classic leach behavior. Charging 50 bucks extra just for having a hobby that keeps you sane in a gray box.
    via TardisRook9
  • 15
    zanderd86 If your in the middle of a lease he can eat a fat one. Its illegal to change charges in the middle of an agreement. I would send back a certified letter that says you will continue to honor your current legally
    via zanderd86
  • 16
    binding lease agreement and that you will be open to discuss any changes when the current lease is up. I would also send a copy of the current lease with it highlighted what your current rent is. I would take the time now to find a new place to live as well.
    via zanderd86
  • 17
    SelectStarFromNames If you have a lease they can't just introduce new charges. If not then in most places they could raise the rent pretty arbitrarily. In either case, ugh!!
    via SelectStarFromNames
  • 18
    Responsible_Side8131 Do you have a lease? If so, repeat after me, and tell the landlord "if it's not in the lease, you can't charge that fee".
    via Responsible_Side8131
  • 19
    Ritaontherocksnosalt An addendum was taped to your door. If it wasn't on your lease agreement at the time you signed it, I don't think it's legal. When you sign a new lease, and that new information is in there, then it becomes a binding contract.
    via Ritaontherocksnosalt
  • 20
    Bansidhe13 Unenforceable. I'd laugh in his face and tell him to put that in an official notice. The tenancy board will laugh him out of the room.
    via Bansidhe13
  • 21
    Character_Bed1212 You don't need to sign the addendum. If your lease doesn't charge you for plants, you don't owe it.
    via Character_Bed1212
  • 22
    Fresa22 He can't change your agreement unless both parties agree to it. He can add that to new leases, but not existing leases.
    via Fresa22
  • 23
    AquafreshBandit Riiiiiigggghhhhhhtttt Ignore people posting fiction
    via AquafreshBandit
  • 24
    -round-head- this is completely psychotic. The audacity of these people. I swear. Tell them you threw them all out and then just don't. lol.
    via -round-head-

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