Tenant stunned after old landlord sends him a check for $2,500 as a ‘share’ from selling the home

If finding a good rental home is challenging, finding a genuinely good landlord can feel nearly impossible. The word "landlord" often carries strong, negative associations—many landlords, unfortunately, justify the stereotype. Yet, there are a few who defy it, like one who recently caught the internet’s attention. Chris Robarge, from Worcester, Massachusetts, shared that he was surprised when an old landlord reached out, asking for his current address. He had already moved out, and everything seemed squared away, so the request felt odd. But then, days later, a letter arrived containing a $2,500 check. The landlord had attached a note explaining that he’d sold the property for a good profit and wanted to give back to the tenants who’d helped pay down the mortgage on it.

In a heartfelt Facebook post, Chris Robarge shared memories of moving into this rental after his divorce—it was the first place he felt at home again. Reflecting on his time there, he noted the landlord’s kindness. "It's a letter from that person, informing me that they sold their house and that they were paying me and every tenant they ever had for what we contributed to the profit they made from selling the house," wrote Robarge. 

He was beyond shocked. "I have been sitting with this for more than a day and I am still completely beyond an actual way to describe what this act means to me. All that I can say is that there are people who talk about their values and there are people who actually live them, and the reason I wanted to share this is that I want to encourage us all to actually live our values," he wrote, before adding that the post was shared with the permission of the landlord. 

The landlord wrote a letter explaining the thought process behind the check. "I recently sold the house and the rent you paid each month contributed to paying off the mortgage. I firmly believe the capitalist tradition of retaining money after the sale of a property is exploitative and antithetical to society. I wanted to return to you the portion of the rent you paid," the landlord reasoned. He also elaborated on how he came to the sum, factoring in the increase in the value of the home from when he bought it. The landlord concluded, "It was a great house and I'm glad that I was able to share it with you." 

Robarge added that he was going to keep $500 to do work on his car, and the rest he was giving away to help others. "I am giving away the rest of the money. I want this good deed to reach as far as possible. I have already given $500 to Black and Pink Massachusetts, I'm going to fill every Worcester Free Fridge, I'm making a donation to OurStory Edutainment, and I'm going to give some money out in the streets to people who need it. If you can't do what my former landlord did, let this inspire you to give whatever you can spare to someone or someplace that needs it," he concluded. 

Many praised the landlord for his act of kindness. Lin Wilcox wrote, "This made me cry. We have been through some heart-wrenching times these past few months from deaths to suicides job loss etc. I could not get people to pay me what they owed me and out of the blue, a pastor friend brought us 500 inside a Thanksgiving card. We were close to being homeless. It saved us. I intend to pay it forward as well." Robarge replied, "This is it. This is how all the best things happen for people, and all it takes." Another person commented, "Wonderful surprise! There are still some caring people in the world!"

This article originally appeared 3 years ago.