Landlord's Demand for Facebook Friends Backfires Terribly

A Utah apartment complex that tried to force tenants to “friend” its Facebook page has learned the hard way that you can’t force anyone to be your friend, even if you try to make them sign a contract.

Late last week, tenants at City Park Apartments found a document titled “Facebook addendum” taped to their doors. The document, purported to be an addendum to their leases, required that tenants friend the City Park Apartments' page on Facebook within five days or be in violation of their rental agreements. The document also included a release giving the apartment owners permission to post pictures of tenants and their visitors to the Facebook page.

“I don’t want to be forced to be someone’s friend and be threatened to break my lease because of that,” tenant Jason Ring told local news outlet KSL. “It’s outrageous as far as I’m concerned.”

Apparently Ring wasn’t the only one outraged. 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. 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. The City Park Apartments page currently has more than 860 one-star reviews and not a few irate rants.

“This gestapo like enforcement of your new Facebook policy will not stand up in court,” said one reviewer.

“Have a nice day Nazi scum!” said another.