Letting agency ‘sorry’ for insulting renters
A series of advertisements that outraged renters has been dumped after property manager Quinovic stepped in to censure the franchisee that was behind the controversial campaign.
The Quinovic franchisee in central Wellington that published the Facebook adverts has now issued an apology.
One of its advertisements appeared to question landlords on whether they were charging too little rent, by asking them if they were financing their tenants’ social life.
Another said simply: ‘‘Your tenants may hate us. You will love us!’’
The advertisements were tagged with the explanation that the franchisee was an expert at maximising the returns from investment properties.
Renters United spokeswoman Kate Day said she found a third advertisement that suggested the franchise would not be afraid to ‘‘man up’’ with tenants about rental payments ‘‘the most outrageous’’.
‘‘Leaving aside the implied message that masculinity equals violence, this advert appears to offer Quinovic’s services for threatening and exploiting tenants.’’
Quinovic chief operating officer Paul Chapman said it had censured the franchisee, Quinovic Te Aro, which recently moved its office from Lambton Quay to Tory St, over the advertisements.
Quinovic had 34 franchisees nationwide and the Facebook campaign was ‘‘a local office initiative’’ that was not endorsed by Quinovic group office, ‘‘nor does it conform to our brand standards’’, he said.
‘‘We have requested the advertisements be removed and the franchisee has confirmed this has been done. Quinovic group office does not support the imagery and messaging in the ads and we have censured the franchisee in the strongest possible way.’’
Chapman said that while Quinovic worked for property owners, it treated each tenant ‘‘as a customer’’ of its clients.
‘‘We recognise the need to look after the tenant because the happier the tenant, the longer they will stay and the more they will look after the property,’’ he said.
Quinovic Te Aro has ‘‘wholeheartedly apologised’’ for the campaign.
‘‘The message was not at all intended to be offensive towards tenants. Quinovic Te Aro highly values its tenants and once again we offer our sincere apologies for any offence this may have caused,’’ its statement said.
The apology came just before an after-work protest by Renters United outside the franchisee’s Tory St offices. Many property managers promised to maximise landlords’ returns but the ads were ‘‘particularly brazen’’, Day said.