After his wife died, he got an email from his landlord. His jaw dropped after checking the rent

A man was going through a difficult time navigating life after losing his wife when an email from his kind landlord restored his faith in humanity. Bereaved families have a lot of decisions to make, and none of them are pleasant. In the midst of that, having to worry about the roof over your head is an additional torture, which this landlord was able to recognize. The grieving husband piecing his life back together (u/unique_raise_9771) shared the story on Reddit on October 29.

The landlord ensured that the tenant could continue renting the place for as long as he wanted on a month-to-month basis, so as to avoid putting any financial pressure on him. After losing his wife to cancer, the landlord knew he was already going through a lot and didn't want him to make a quick decision on the lease. In an email, the landlord informed him that they would be reducing the rent from $3,600 per month to $3,400 per month. "I am offering this decreased rent both as a gesture of goodwill in memory of your lovely wife and in appreciation for the consistency of your tenancy," the landlord informed. They further noted that there had been a slight drop in local rental market rates — another reason why the landlord decided to reduce the rent. The tenant was in a profession that required him to travel more often, so the landlord was aware that he might need to terminate the lease. "Please know that with at least 30 days' notice from the date of intended vacancy, I will be happy to prorate your last month to reflect the percentage of time you actually intend to occupy the house," the email mentioned, adding that he would receive a minimum of 60 days' notice if the landlord wished to stop their 'monthly' system.

"I hope this email gives you some peace of mind that you do not need to make any quick decisions on continuing to rent the home, but that you also have the flexibility to make decisions that are best for you and your family without undue cost or hassle," the landlord wrote. The person who posted the story further clarified that the landlord had only one rental property, and the tenants had been living there since July 2024. "It's a high COL (cost of living) area, so the rent is priced very fairly for that rental home, but he'll likely want to move out at some point," he said. While this is one of the few instances where a landlord went above and beyond to help a struggling tenant, it's sadly not the case everywhere. In fact, a LendingTree survey of more than 2,000 respondents found that 58% of renters have had at least one landlord they didn't like. Now, among those who have had problems with their landlords, 42% reported a lack of respect or professionalism.

The Reddit post received an overwhelming response online. Some people shared awful experiences with their landlords; others recounted how lucky they were to have had such kind landlords. For instance, u/blueiron0 commented, "There are a lot of great private landlords out there, to be honest. There's a human aspect to it rather than just the cold, mechanical rules of a big company. Normalize supporting small landlords more.  The problem is that every year, more and more properties get bought up by larger investors, and every potential private landlord is competing with that large money for properties."

u/bree2219 said, "When we first moved into the place we're living now, we had a 3-month-old. My landlord at the time had filled a kitchen cupboard with some diapers and wipes for our baby." Similarly, u/caramelclubsoda shared, "My landlords give my roommates and me red envelopes every New Year and cook up big meals for each major holiday! They also keep the rent way below market value. I will miss them when I eventually move away."

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