The landlord's insensitive actions sparked anger on social media.
A Beijing landlord's decision to evict a tenant with cancer has sparked outrage on social media. Wang, who rented the apartment because of its proximity to hospital care, was asked to leave over concerns that her death would reduce the value of the property, South China Morning Post reported. The landlord, Zhang, explained that he had been renting out the apartment below market value, charging 5,500 yuan (about US$770) per month, as he was in the process of selling the property.
Under their lease, Wang and her husband were facilitating viewings of the property for potential buyers, with their lease expiring in mid-November. However, on September 4, Zhang abruptly posted a message demanding they be evicted within a week.
Zhang claimed his decision was prompted by noticing Wang's baldness during a viewing, which prompted him to inquire about her health. When Zhang learned of her terminal cancer diagnosis, he expressed concerns that her death on the property would stigmatize it as a “haunted house”, potentially reducing its value by between 500,000 and 1 million yuan (US$70,000 and US$140,000).
He then requested the couple to sign an agreement to compensate him for the resulting drop in market value. However, Wang and her husband refused, insisting that they would not leave without compensation for terminating the lease, a request that Zhang denied. To date, the dispute remains unresolved, with Zhang and the couple sticking to their respective positions.
The landlord's callous act has angered people on social media, with many condemning his prioritization of property value over human life. One user wrote: “It's too much for the landlord to behave like this. He is inhuman.”
However, some also had sympathy for the landlord. Another user reasoned: “I understand the landlord's frustration. Selling a property that is plagued by problems is a challenge, but he should offer compensation for breaking the lease.”
