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| Tenants irked after apartment firm demanded Facebook 'likes' | Tenants irked after apartment firm demanded Facebook 'likes' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Tenants in Utah were asked to sign a new lease agreement requiring them to "friend" and "like" their apartment complex on Facebook. | Tenants in Utah were asked to sign a new lease agreement requiring them to "friend" and "like" their apartment complex on Facebook. |
| Residents at the City Park Apartments complex in Salt Lake City complained to local news service KSL that they found contract addenda taped to their doors. | Residents at the City Park Apartments complex in Salt Lake City complained to local news service KSL that they found contract addenda taped to their doors. |
| It required tenants to "like" City Park Apartments on Facebook. | It required tenants to "like" City Park Apartments on Facebook. |
| However, the addendum has now been withdrawn and City Park Apartments' community manager has apologised | However, the addendum has now been withdrawn and City Park Apartments' community manager has apologised |
| "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 KSL. | "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 KSL. |
| "It's outrageous as far as I'm concerned." | "It's outrageous as far as I'm concerned." |
| Angry reviews | Angry reviews |
| The City Park Apartments Facebook page was subsequently flooded with negative comments and now appears to have been removed. | The City Park Apartments Facebook page was subsequently flooded with negative comments and now appears to have been removed. |
| On Yelp and Apartmentratings.com, however, many users have left further critical remarks. | On Yelp and Apartmentratings.com, however, many users have left further critical remarks. |
| "I didn't think they could get any worse but they did!" wrote one apparent tenant on Yelp. | "I didn't think they could get any worse but they did!" wrote one apparent tenant on Yelp. |
| "Now you are required to like their Facebook page or it is a breach in contract!? Are you serious?" | "Now you are required to like their Facebook page or it is a breach in contract!? Are you serious?" |
| Now, Kirk A Cullimore LLC, a law firm in Utah representing the apartment complex owners, has said the addendum was "not carefully reviewed" and that "at no time was any resident in jeopardy of eviction or action from City Park for failure to sign the addendum". | Now, Kirk A Cullimore LLC, a law firm in Utah representing the apartment complex owners, has said the addendum was "not carefully reviewed" and that "at no time was any resident in jeopardy of eviction or action from City Park for failure to sign the addendum". |
| 'Pool party' | 'Pool party' |
| "As part of opening its pool and an anticipated pool party, City Park desired to provide some protection to its residents and its owners from usage of photos on its Facebook page from all community events, including the opening pool party," the statement read. | "As part of opening its pool and an anticipated pool party, City Park desired to provide some protection to its residents and its owners from usage of photos on its Facebook page from all community events, including the opening pool party," the statement read. |
| "The Facebook Addendum was provided to them to assist in that protection. | "The Facebook Addendum was provided to them to assist in that protection. |
| "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." | "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." |
| "We sincerely apologise for any confusion this may have caused and hope to earn your positive comments through our customer service efforts and not through any perceived obligation," said community manager Ana Raphael in a statement to KSL. | "We sincerely apologise for any confusion this may have caused and hope to earn your positive comments through our customer service efforts and not through any perceived obligation," said community manager Ana Raphael in a statement to KSL. |
| The statement added a clarification to say that residents would not be required to sign the new agreement. | The statement added a clarification to say that residents would not be required to sign the new agreement. |
| In England and Wales, it would be "difficult and quite costly" for landlords to enforce requirements that tenants add or like them on social media, according to Bimal Kotecha, a solicitor at Lexlaw Solicitors & Advocates in London. | |
| Citing the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, Mr Kotecha told the BBC a tenant could likely contest any attempt at eviction over social media clauses. | |
| Last year, the owners of an apartment complex in Florida asked tenants to sign a "Social Media Addendum" banning them from posting negative reviews on sites like Yelp and Facebook. | Last year, the owners of an apartment complex in Florida asked tenants to sign a "Social Media Addendum" banning them from posting negative reviews on sites like Yelp and Facebook. |