the buzz log

Jobs are in high demand these days. Unfortunately, there seem to be fewer and fewer every day. In order to ease the "But what if I get laid off?" fears of potential tenants, one landlord is offering an attractive deal that has the Web buzzing.

Basically, here's how it shakes out. If a tenant has lived in the property for more than three months and is laid off, he or she can stay for 60 days rent free. After that period, he or she can back out of the lease. Not a bad deal, and when folks are worried about losing their income, a little assurance goes a long way.

The landlord, Goldberg Companies, has properties in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, and Florida. The company's "layoff proof lease" goes into effect this Saturday. A representative says, "We want to help ease the fears of people who have good current jobs but are just scared of the future." In other words, you can't just show up without a job and expect to live there for two months gratis.

Still, if Search is any indication, there should be a lot of interested tenants. Queries on "rent free lease" and "free rent" surged on the news. This isn't the first time a company is responding to folks worried about layoffs. As the Cleveland Plain-Dealer explains, Hyundai is offering to take back cars from buyers who lose their jobs.

If you're interested in a list of Goldberg properties, check out this article from NewsNet5.com.