Residents of a Salt Lake City apartment complex said they were outraged to be threatened with eviction if they refused to friend the complex on Facebook.
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According to a report from KSL-TV, tenants at City Park Apartments, in Salt Lake City, Utah, discovered a “Facebook addendum” taped to their doors on Thursday night demanding that they “Like” the apartment complex on Facebook within five days or be found in breach of the rental agreement. “It’s a violation of my privacy”.
The document also included a release that allowed the property to post pictures of its tenants – and their guests – on the social media page. Current, former and formerly-future tenants-as well as indignant others from around the internet-have flooded the complex’s Facebook page with negative reviews.
Ring said he plans to move out when his lease is up. After news spread of the complex’s addendum to the rental agreement-the legality of which is questionable at best-the complex did indeed get a lot of attention on Facebook, just not the kind it hoped for.
The law firm representing City Park Apartments told Credit.com in an email that the complex, “as part of opening its pool and an anticipated pool party … desired to provide some protection to its residents and its owners from usage of photos on its Facebook page from all community events”.
The complex’s Facebook page has since been deactivated, but a cached version of the page reveals that, following 973 public ratings, City Park Apartments averaged 1.1 stars. “That addendum went beyond the request and intent of City Park Apartments, and was not carefully reviewed to ensure that it met with their needs and requests”. Some Facebook and Yelp users are going so far as to call the policy fascist. The requirements rubbed many the wrong way, especially since some tenants had signed leases months ago.
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The attorney, Zachary Myers, also said the biggest issue he had with the whole thing was it seemed to be discriminatory against disabled individuals and elderly individuals who can not utilize an online presence.
