Not 100% sure about the precise accuracy of this, but it seems like various kinds of geckos are fairly common in the southern US, either more arid climate variants, or tropical/subtropical
I would like to see a river of geckos some time in my lifr, that sounds fascinating haha!
As to whether or not its serious... I dunno, sure yeah, could be fake, could be real, no real way of knowing, but interacting with an asshat of a landlord has been a pretty common occurence in my life, seems at least plausible to me.
Ah, I'm an elf from the woodlands (rainy part of PNW), not familiar with them personally.
I did once trek east toward Mordor and freeze up and slowly retreated from an aggrevated rattlesnake in the badlands... can't say I ever saw a gecko though.
... But I have seen a good number of newts back home. They can be ... mildly neurotoxic, but they thankfully tend to stay in their bogs and such.