A Metro Vancouver family is facing criticism online after posting a listing asking their prospective tenant for free childcare services in addition to the rent they’d pay for their room.
The proposed arrangement was shared this weekend in a Facebook group dedicated to helping renters find roommates.
“We need help with two minor responsibilities,” the housing ad reads. “Help seven-year-old get ready for school between 7 [and] 7:30 am. School bus picks up at the door.”
The second responsibility is being home from 9 pm to 8 am on weekdays.
Instead of paying an employee for live-in childcare services, the family also expects to be compensated by their lodger. They’re charging $475 per month for a private room on the ground level of their home. The prospective tenant would share the bathroom with the children.
The person who posted the ad told Daily Hive she was helping the family with translation and shared the listing because the mother doesn’t have Facebook herself. Instead of renting the room for a higher price and paying for childcare, she said the family figured it would be easier to set the rental price lower. She added a potential renter has already been in touch, and declined to comment further.
The post made it onto the SlumlordsCanada SubReddit, where users commented on the steep responsibilities mentioned in the post, including overnights apparently minding children.
“I was almost thinking this seems like a very underpaid au pair, but she’s gonna be paying rent too,” one person said.
“I thought it was bad enough only getting paid $475 a month, but I misunderstood. You have to pay them! What in the actual,” said another.
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Commenters were quick to jump on the original Facebook post, too.
“You’re looking for a live-in nanny, and you expect them to pay?” one person said.
Asking a tenant to perform unpaid labour falls outside the protections set out in BC’s Employment Standards Act. It’s also not clear if the prospective tenant would face eviction for failing to perform the childcare duties.
Daily Hive has reached out to BC’s Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre for comment. BC’s Ministry of Housing is not commenting at the moment due to the current provincial election.