As British Columbians continue to feel the economic ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, one 麻豆传媒映画building is raffling off a free month of rent to its residents.
The offer, however, comes with a caveat: In order to enter the draw, tenants must have paid this month's rent on time and in full.
A notice posted in the building’s lobby read, “During these difficult times we thank the residents who were able to pay their April rent on time and in full. We will be holding a raffle for these residents on April 28, 2020 at 10AM - to give away 1 free month’s rent for May 2020.”
It goes on to say that it will have two residents witness the raffle, after which the winner will be posted on the building’s office window.
“I’m looking forward to it, to see who's going to win and to be able to put up some positive information - and then to put on the bottom, ‘Next draw May 28,’” said, Jo Ann Strcic, who serves as building manager for the 12-floor building located on West 12th Avenue in Fairview, when reached by phone.
Strcic, who credited the building’s accountant with suggesting the idea, also said the building plans to continue holding the raffle on a monthly basis throughout the duration of the pandemic.
“So it's not just the first month, but we'll carry on as long as this is carrying on,” she said.
However, not all residents see the rent giveaway as a positive gesture.
James Grey, a tenant in the building, was walking through its lobby when he first spotted the notice, posted on April 16.
Grey’s initial reaction was to, “just start laughing,” he recalled.
“And then another tenant came out when I was laughing, while I was reading it. She was like, ‘Right?! Like, oh my gosh, this is so ridiculous.'"
Posted in my my building, April 16th. Rewarding tenants who can still work with a raffle? I understand the motive but I feel this is pretty ignorant. #
— James Grey (@JamesGrey7)
He added, “If you’ve got free rent to give to people, you might as well give it to people who actually lost their jobs.”
Strcic, meanwhile, said she hasn’t heard much feedback from tenants about the raffle, aside from “a couple of people that have just called for other things that said, ‘Oh, that's really neat.’”
Four lease-holders of the building’s 49 units will be excluded from the raffle for free May rent, she explained, after being unable or unwilling to pay on time in April. Strcic also estimated that about eight tenants have applied for the BC Temporary Rental Supplement Program.
Having four tenants unable to pay their rent on time this month is an abnormal scenario that Strcic attributes to the pandemic, she added.
“In that building though, there's not that many people that aren't working, I don't think,” she said. “And the ones that aren't have applied for and gotten the $2,000 [Canada Emergency Response Benefit].”
Strcic said she hopes the subsequent monthly raffles will discourage any tenants who were thinking of taking advantage of the province’s halt on evictions by failing to pay rent on time to avoid doing so.
“We're hoping it's just kind of an incentive, as well,” she said. “Because by then everybody would be receiving that $2,000.”
As for this month’s raffle, she continued, “Everyone should be paying their April rent because all of this happened in the middle of March. So, what were you going to be doing for April anyway? Everybody should have been prepared for April rent.”
Strcic said monthly rent in the building falls between $1600 and $1900 a month, making the raffle “a good one” to win.
“I'm excited about it and I'm happy for the tenants,” she said. “It's just goodwill.”
