We have lived in this apartment for over a year. We have a carport with a small storage unit. The storage unit is clearly messed up, the walls are rotting and there is not even a back wall, it is opened in the back so putting and locking stuff in there would be useless. We have an outdoor pool table that we keep under a part of the carport and two vehicles. We received a letter a few days ago rudely telling us that we need to clean up under the carport, telling us that we need to clean up our balconies and the yard. They told us that if it was not done by a certain date that they would do this for us and pass the cost on to us. Which is fine except that the things they are telling us to clean up are our personal properties that are not cluttering things up or looking "dirty" or "junky". They also asked us to take down a wreath that we had hanging by the door, saying "Christmas is over....take down the decorations". This wreath is NOT a Christmas wreath, it is a plain wreath that has no decorations whatsoever on it. On the balcony we have an ice chest and a potted plant. They have also complained of cigarette butts and trash littered around. There are three apartment buildings that use the trash dumpster that is right in front of our carport. The wind blows loose trash and litter our way and we often have to pick up the trash that has blown in. It is understandable that they want the trash picked up but not "" that it falls to our responsibility because it blows into our carport.
As a renter, we are paying for the use of the balcony and the carport as well and should not be told what we can and can't keep there. As far as we can remember there is nothing specific in our lease addressing these issues except that we are not to have "broken down" vehicles on the property. We will definitely be looking for it so that we can have clarity that there is nothing in there regarding this situation.
Our question is: Can they do this--telling us what we can and can't have on our balconies and carports--and can they "pass the cost onto us"? Can they do this even if it was not mentioned in the lease?

