A woman from the US shared her monthly rent statement. Apart from the usual, she was charged $200 for her pet, a goldfish.
In a video captioned, “They’re now charging pet rent for fishes?” a woman called Nicole, from St. Louis, who lives in Kansas City, shared her reaction. It said that the one-time payment is $200 plus an added $15 monthly pet rent-free.
The viral video caused shock among the TikTok community. Some accused the landlord of “greed,” while others made jokes targeting the landlord.
The rent statement says that the fish is not an aggressive breed, which also caused numerous hilarious comments.
One person wrote, “Oh, so me and my pet shark are supposed to just live on the streets?! Jesus, come on, show some humanity.”
Another added: “Aggressive breeds? Like what, piranhas?
Someone asked a valid question, “Are you going to release a barracuda into the halls?'”
A different user joked, “Next, they will be asking you to provide proof of spayed and neutering for your fish.”
Of course, people quickly pointed out the irony, as one TikTok user said, “Just in case the fish rips up the carpet.”
One person most likely found a reason for this fish rent: “Somebody had some piranhas and messed it up for everybody.”
Another comment said: “My fish are registered as emotional support animals.”
While many labeled this rent fee as “crazy,” it did not stop the TikTok community from going wild.
“The greed is astonishing,” a person wrote, with another agreeing, “They’ll do anything for money, I swear.”
A person shared their unpleasant experience, “I got charged a 150 dollar fee ’cause I had a fish when I moved in and didn’t disclose it ’cause I didn’t think it mattered. The fish died a week later.”
Another person playfully added, “I had a shrimp in a small tank they tried to charge me I said it was food, so they couldn’t charge me.”
A lizard owner said, “My apartment listed every animal under the sun, and their pet rent is 40 a month per pet… Like I’m not paying 40 bucks a month for my lizard.”
@nicr__ They’re now charging pet rent for fishes? #speachless #landlords #petrent #goldfish #greenscreen #capitalism ♬ original sound – Nic
Though a not common practice in many countries, in the US, the Tenant Fees Act from 2019 allows landlords to ask for “pet rent.”
Usually, this applies to cats, dogs, and rabbits, and there is a limit to the number of fish in an aquarium. The apartment owner can charge for a goldfish, though, as seen in the comments, this might not be such a great idea.