A Redditor was shocked to come across an exploitative property rental listing posted just days after Hurricane Helene battered the state of Florida.
The post showed the landlord's message, which explained that because of the hurricane, they are no longer listing their house in Terra Ceia as a vacation rental on Airbnb. As a result, they were looking for a Floridian who needed shelter to rent it out instead.
The listing price of $4,500 per month is certainly high for someone who may already be experiencing financial difficulty after the major storm. It's also easy to dispute the landlord's assertion that three-bedroom, two-bath homes are renting for "$6,000 to $13,000" per month in that specific area, as online searches indicate a range of $2,000 to $5,500. Even if there are some in the range they listed, that range is not an accurate representation.
While the home may be nice and the person listing it may not be able to afford to eat much of a loss, framing the listing as an act "to help someone out" — while listing toward the high end for the market and pretending it's a great deal — came off as disingenuous to many Redditors.
"Even after a natural disaster, they don't stop," wrote the Redditor who shared the post.
Redditors agreed the timing of the post was not only insensitive to Floridians who lost their homes but also disingenuous.
"I cannot fathom being so greedy when so many people are in need of shelter — a lot of whom will already be facing financial hardships," responded one user.
"Pretending they are doing people a favor, disgusting," wrote another Redditor. "They are only offering it for rent because they know tourists won't be booking an Airbnb in a flood area for a while."
If not taking advantage of people in difficult situations, some landlords have also prevented tenants from implementing money-saving, eco-friendly updates in their homes.
Redditors have expressed their frustration when landlords refuse to let them hang their laundry on clotheslines, maintain a garden, or properly recycle items.
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Despite these challenges, renters can still work with their landlords to revise their bylaws and make environmentally-friendly lifestyle changes.
Redditors continued to discuss the greedy and inconsiderate post by the landlord in Florida.
"Wow, out of the goodness of their heart, they're kindly offering a place to live during a natural disaster for a mere $4,500 a month," wrote one user.
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