It's a difficult time to be a renter. With housing shortages, increased application requirements, and skyrocketing costs, it can often feel as though it's only getting more difficult to live independently. That is, unless your landlord is Greg Rausch, who's doing something special for his renters — he won't be raising rent this year as long as the tenant agrees to have their plumbing and electricity ripped out.
"It's really a win-win. My tenants won't have to pay $300 more per month and I'll have thousands of pounds of wiring, toilets, sinks, and showers to hang onto for a rainy day," said Rausch.
The hereditary millionaire isn't completely sure what he'll do with his increasingly warehouse-sized stockpile, but a "pay to play" scenario is on the table.
"I might put 10 toilets and showers down in the basement, but charge people to open the lid or start running water," said Rausch, whose property houses over 150 people. "I could also see about putting a $5 cover charge to enter a small room where tenants can huddle for warmth."
Rausch's renters are reporting mixed emotions, but many, including Connor Breese, are embracing the proposal.
"It's a bit inconvenient, but not so much that I'd rather pay $3,600 more per year. I'm just going to dig holes as needed, exclusively eat Easy Cheese, and make a point of going around town in as little clothing as legally possible when it rains," said Breese.
Aside from planning for the negatives of the deal, Grace Newman is taking stock of what remains.
"Sure, I won't have heat or A/C, but I do have a lot of blankets and five pounds of ice is only $3 from the gas station. I also won't be able to eat anything that doesn't come from a cabinet, but with all of the money I'll be saving on rent, I can probably eat out once or twice per month — I'll even be able to afford tableside guac!" said Newman, embracing the time-honored idea that few humans truly need anything more than good guacamole.
It's a shame how few landlords are as gracious as Greg Rausch, but that doesn't mean there isn't hope. Soon, landlords may stop putting plumbing and electricity in new buildings altogether.
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Photo courtesy of MrJacon000 via CC BY-SA 4.0
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