A California woman says her property manager sent tenants a list of new rules that included keeping their blinds closed, removing visible decorations, and no longer allowing children to play outside. She claims none of the restrictions were part of her lease when she moved in.
Skye (@lilskyye) said, “You will not dim my sparkle,” after receiving a letter in the mail from her property manager. They sent the letter to tell Skye that cameras had recently been installed around her property. She thought that seemed unnecessary because they share a parking lot with the local police department. From there, they nitpicked little things she and her children do around their apartment. First, they told her not to hang pool towels outside to dry, which they’ve always done. Then, they told her that her porch lights had to be turned on in the evening. To this, she asks, “Are you paying my electricity bill?”
The list got more bizarre as she went on. They told her she needs to keep her blinds closed all hours of the day so her apartment isn’t visible to those outside. They told her to remove pictures inside her property that could be visible to those from the outside. On top of that, some neighborhood children moved into the area and have been playing outside, as children do. According to Skye, the property manager later placed notices on tenants’ doors stating that children were no longer allowed to play outside on the property. Ever since then, Skye said, “I’ve never seen the kids again.”
Skye said that many items were brought up in notices that weren’t on the lease when she initially signed. She says they’re always changing the rules at her apartment to suit them. The entire situation irritates her, and she said what the manager does seems like she “doesn’t want people to live here.”
California Apartment Rules Leave Commenters Stunned
The video immediately sparked reactions from commenters who were on Skye’s side about what she’s experiencing in her own apartment. One commenter speculated, “It sounds like they are trying to sell the complex.” Another commented, “I started watching this video as someone in property management, fully prepared to defend your manager lol. But the further you got down the list… The more it became clear there is nothing to defend. She was definitely just making them up as she went along. If they want lights outside the building at night, they need to install their own and the thing about the curtains is wild.”
Whether the rules were enforceable or not, many viewers said the growing list of restrictions sounded less like apartment living and more like living under an HOA, with several questioning how many of the policies could actually be imposed if they weren’t included in the lease.
