Read real estate agent's extraordinary email asking tenants to buy their LANDLORDS Christmas hampers
- Tenants were offered selection of different luxury hampers to buy their landlord
- Prices ranged from $50 White Wine Grazing to $115 All Things Golden hamper
- The letter from Brisbane real estate agent Kanik and Co sparked a furious row
- Michael Kanik admits mistake but insists it was done with the best of intentions
A real estate agent has asked his stunned tenants to buy their rich landlords a luxury Christmas hamper, sparking a bitter backlash.
Michael Kanik of Kanik and Co in Brisbane sent a letter with the bizarre suggestion to all the renters on his books, and linked to hampers he would send on their behalf.
Prices ranged from $50 for a basic White Wine Grazing Box up to $115 for the top of the range All Things Golden hamper, with the $55 Festive Sweets, $70 Self Care and $99 Foodies Hampers as alternatives.
The letter added: 'This year has been particularly difficult and we understand some tenants would like to thank their property owners for everything in 2021.
'Our team are happy to facilitate the purchasing of a gift and have it delivered to the property owner with a handwritten note to say thank you, directly from you.'
Brisbane real estate agent Michael Kanik (pictured) has asked his stunned tenants to buy their rich landlords a luxury Christmas hamper, sparking a bitter backlash
Prices ranged from $50 for a basic White Wine Grazing Box up to $115 for the top of the range All Things Golden hamper, with the $55 Festive Sweets, $70 Self Care and $99 Foodies Hampers as alternatives
The agent said they would invoice tenants for the hampers which needed to be paid within seven days.
The idea sparked a furious reaction online with social media dubbing it a return to feudal times, when serfs were beholden to the local squires.
'Landlords have seen their passive incomes increase at your expense this year. The time has come to lick their boots harder,' said Sinead Canning on Twitter.
'This agency is in Logan, where the average weekly rent has increased by 30 per cent in the last 5 years and the vacancy rate is one per cent.'
The idea sparked a furious reaction online (pictured) with social media dubbing it a return to feudal times, when serfs were beholden to the local squires
'Capitalism finally flowering into full-blown feudalism,' posted one in reply, while many others could only manage a perplexed: 'What the...'
Another wrote: 'Thank you me lord and lady for allowing me to work the farm fields with me plough and beast. Please accept a bushel as a sign of my gratitude.'
On Monday, Mr Kanik admitted he had made a mistake but insisted he had also sent the letter to all the landlords on his books to allow them to buy tenants a hamper too.
'It was done with the best of intentions but it's blown up in our face,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'We thought it would be a nice gesture.
Michael Kanik admitted he had made a mistake but insisted he had also sent the letter to all the landlords on his books to allow them to buy tenants a hamper too (pictured, Brisbane's CBD)
'It's quite disheartening. We've had quite a few calls about it today.
'We sent out that blanket email saying if you want to participate, but there's no obligation at all. We were just purely trying to do a nice thing.'
He added: 'In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to send it to the tenants, but owners sending tenants a hamper is definitely a good thing.
'All our landlords that come back to us are happy to do so. But some tenants have taken it the wrong way.'
