Whistler Craigslist ad offers ’free rent for a girlfriend’
Dating is hard. Finding affordable housing is harder. So why not combine the two?
That seems to be the logic behind a peculiar Craigslist ad posted last week under the housing section for Whistler, B.C. “Free rent for a girlfriend,” proclaims the title of the ad, which proposes free housing in exchange for the right girl.
“Online dating sucks and kind of have no life right now, so dating is somewhat of a forgotten concept to me,” begins the post. “Getting to the point where I decided to try this haha.”
The writer of the ad, presumed to be a man and who is identified in the ad as being “28, fit and easy going,” is seeking a woman who is “not a workaholic or an alcoholic” and who wants “to do stuff.”
“Active and fit a must ... no princesses, i dont live in a castle . ... Extra points if you’re a decent cook haha,” the ad states. Cats and dogs are permitted, smoking is not, the dwelling is furnished and wheelchair accessible, and the bathroom and bedroom are, well, shared.
Housing in Whistler comes at a premium these days, due to the international draw of the resort town, the price of real estate and the proliferation of Airbnb. Just 6,400 bed units are covered under a restricted covenant that provides for local workers.
Last season, the Whistler Housing Authority had a waiting list of about 650 locals seeking housing in the area. At the height of the winter, Whistler has a workforce of about 14,000 — 11,000 of whom are local residents. The other 3,000 commute from Pemberton or Squamish.
But if you thought all your housing woes were instantly solved, slow down. The apparent Craigslist Romeo wants to spend some time with you first to see if there’s a spark.
“Obviously not going to let the first girl desperate for a place move in ... would rather live by myself than with someone that i can’t stand ... But if you’d like to have a chat, maybe go for a hike, i bet there is better chances of meeting a nice girl in the housing section of craigslist than on tinder.”
The arrangement can be “seasonnal (sic) or long term for the right one,” but no photo of the ad’s author has been attached since “Whistler is a small town, would be pretty aukward (sic) haha.”
The author, who responded to Postmedia’s request for comment but did not give his full name, said the ad was written in all seriousness.
“I’ve had two responses: One of them stopped after one or two messages, the other one — I’m pretty sure was a time waster as we organized a bike ride and until about an hour before the ride, stopped giving signs of life,” said the 28-yearold Whistler resident, who was well aware of what an attractive offer “free rent” could be.
“I personally refuse to pay a stupid amount of rent and feed the machine,” he said of the rising real estate in and around Whistler. “The dream is still there — although a lot of people gave up on it.”
Ladies, don’t all move in at once.