Landlord Surprises Tenant With Rent Relief, Then Delivers Groceries to Her Front Porch

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A landlord in Saginaw, Michigan, went above and beyond to help his tenant amidst the CCP virus crisis by not only postponing the rent payment but also delivering groceries to the struggling family’s front porch.

Christina Marie, a mother of four young children, shared a picture on social media on April 6, 2020, of bags of food, gallons of milk, and boxes of diapers on her porch.

“I couldn’t tell you how I feel right now,” Marie wrote of her landlord’s thoughtful gesture, “for him to do this for my family my heart is so touched.” Little did she know this selfless gesture would capture the attention of over half a million people around the world.

Marie needed supplies from the store but was anxious to go out and risk exposing herself and her children to the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. When Marie spoke with her landlord, whom she only identified by his first name, Alan, he told her “not to worry about rent.”

Alan also took the time to ask Marie about the state of her fridge and pantry. Upon finding out how low Marie was on supplies, Alan planned to surprise her. Marie wrote that Alan texted her saying, “Go to your front porch, please.” The shock of seeing so much shopping done on her behalf, free of charge, made her emotional.

Marie’s post gained much attention and appreciation from social media users across the world. Commenters on the post noted their locations, which ranged from the Philippines to the United Kingdom to South Africa, and just about every state in the United States.

“He is a very generous man. We need more people in this world like him,” one person wrote.

“What a kind considerate landlord just shows we still have kind wonderful people in this world,” said another, “what a great thing to do.”

Christina Marie’s landlord isn’t the only one who has earned kudos for bold and generous actions to help tenants. On March 23, 2020, a Portland, Maine, landlord named Nathan Nichols went viral with a Facebook post calling fellow homeowners to give their renters a break.

Nichols decided to give his tenants, who are hourly workers in the service industry, the month of April rent-free. He said that since he was still working and in a position to help, he felt compelled to give them relief.

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In Michigan, which has been especially hard hit by the pandemic, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order on March 20, 2020, preventing evictions until April 17, 2020.

“Families across the state are facing a number of uncertainties, from concerns about their health and well-being and that of their loved ones to when their next paycheck will arrive,” Whitmer said in a press release. “Worrying about whether they’ll be evicted from their home, apartment or mobile home should not be on this list.”

Whitmer said that the executive order will help families facing financial struggles and “allow them to focus on what’s most important—staying safe and healthy.”