I’m immunocompromised. I have been working from home and have this far been able to limit my exposure and hole up since March. I’m afraid this is what will do me in.

  • TillieNeuen [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Do you live in a community where social pressure is a thing? Or is it big enough that nobody knows anybody? If your landlord won't listen to reason, you might be able to use social pressure--get friends (so your landlord can't blame you and make your life more difficult) to start posting in facebook, nextdoor, etc about their poor immunocompromised friend (include any details that might make you more sympathetic up to and including a picture with your cute child and/or pet) whose life is being endangered by having hordes of strangers trooping through his home. Let that pass around for a bit, then send your landlord a concerned message: "I'm so sorry, I talked to some friends about how worried I was about having random people in my home during a pandemic, and I didn't expect it but they posted about it and now a bunch of people are mad at you. So sorry, I never expected they would post publicly about this. I guess it looks pretty bad for your business., since people don't want to rent from landlords who don't respond to tenant complaints."

    Unfortunately, this strategy requires you to go public with your health status and play for pity, but it's the only way I can think of it hurting your landlord's bottom line. If nothing works, I recommend making everyone who comes through your home feel very uncomfortable by making it very clear that they are endangering your life. This won't protect your health, but spite isn't nothing. Wear the most elaborate protective gear you can think of, post a sign on your door explaining your health status and requesting that they sanitize their hands before entering with the sanitizer you have sitting there. You might also supply disposable masks. Some people will probably decide they don't want to tour your home after all and turn around at the front door.

    • scramplunge [comrade/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Make your home a covid haunted house. Signs leading up to the door “immune compromised” “landlords aren’t people” “Drug infested.” Gotta get those fake cob webs and put em everywhere. Leave a pile of trash on the front door with covid written over the top. Get creative with it.

      • TillieNeuen [she/her]
        ·
        4 years ago

        I like it! Tombstones in the front yard! A dummy of granny keeled over next to her walker! Wailing mourners!

      • TillieNeuen [she/her]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Yeah, I don't know anything about ways to get the law on your side on this. I just know if it were me, I'd be asking my mom to post something about being worried about her baby and asking her to share it around to her Bible study ladies. Right wing boomers don't care about "the other," but their friends' kids are by definition not the other. Also depending on what is causing OP to be immunocompromised, there may be online communities for their condition. Some medical groups are highly organized and motivated to advocate for people with their condition. They can make things very embarrassing for the landlord.