A renter was heartbroken after their landlord cut down all the trees in front of their townhome.
After informing their landlord that they planned on moving, the renter was asked to trim the trees in the front yard. The renter listened to their landlord and carefully trimmed the fig and palm trees out front.
However, the renter was devastated to later discover that the landlord had chopped all the trees in half, leaving only the stumps in the front yard.
According to the tenant, the landlord's realtor said the trees made it "hard to see the house and it needed curb appeal." The before-and-after photos shocked Reddit users, who were disappointed by the horrific tree-cutting.
"They trimmed the curb appeal right off," one user wrote.
"Horrifying, now it looks like one of those prison yards for solitary confinement prisoners," another Redditor commented.
Contrary to the realtor's belief, trees increase the value of a property. In fact, trees typically increase the value of a home by 3.5%-15%, according to a report from Money.com.
Trees not only add natural beauty to a property, but they also play an essential role in supporting the local ecosystem. Birds and squirrels rely on trees for shelter and food.
Trees also act as carbon sinks, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere and ultimately helping balance the Earth's temperatures.
However, landlords often ignore the benefits of trees and force tenants to over-trim healthy plants on their property.
Across the U.S., landlords have also been caught preventing renters from making eco-friendly updates to their homes. Despite strict guidelines, renters and individuals with a homeowners association can still revise their bylaws to choose environmentally friendly lifestyle changes.
Redditors continued to express their shock at the before-and-after photos of the trees.
"I gasped when I saw the after and my brain screamed," one user wrote.
"It's just sticks in dirt now," another Redditor responded.
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