Bryant Carruthers figures he’s spent ten years and thousands of dollars turning his front yard into his own little oasis. There’s a small deck with a privacy screen, a small shed for his lawnmower and other storage, a rustic swing, and even a small trickling fountain by the walk. “It’s a nice place. It’s a beautiful place. We try to keep it nice,” Carruthers says.

Carruthers and his mother live in a small row house in Ottawa’s Manor Park Estates. There is no back yard. So, like many of his neighbours, they use the front yard. It’s a practise that has been accepted for years.

So imagine how he felt when his landlord ordered him to remove everything in three days, or have it removed for him. “Mad. Anxious,” he says. “After all the time and money that we spent on maintaining this place, now we have to rip everything out?"

Management says it have no choice but to insist that tenants remove any property that can’t be taken indoors, including fencing, gazebos, barbecues, storage sheds and containers, furniture, play structures and more.

In a written statement, Anand Aggarwal explained that, while some tenants do a good job, others have let their front yards become eyesores, and possible safety hazards. “Unfortunately some of our tenants have garbage cans, recycling bins and garbage bags… piled in front of their residences,” he explains. “Others have erected fences and keep charcoal and gas barbecues in front of their lawns. We have had two major fires over the last year resulting in huge losses.”

He goes on to say “Given the obstructions, my contractors are unable to mow the lawn. I want to keep my project clean and looking good. I have no choice but to remove outside furniture.”

This change to a long-standing practise has left tenants reeling. “When we moved here we were told, fix it up. Make it look nice. Everything was fine,” says Marcel Henry.

Not all tenants have received the notice yet. Aggarwal says they are doing it one block at a time. But some say they will ignore it when it comes. “I’m not removing my stuff,” says Liz Hudson. “I’ll be like everybody else. I’ll fight it.”

Bryant Carruthers doesn’t know what will happen. He’s on a disability pension and says moving isn’t really an option. Besides, his yard is a big part of what makes his rental house a home. “I’m not going to tear it down.”