When Chuck Martens could no longer afford his rent, he came up with a solution. He negotiated with his landlords to swap his labor for a rent reduction. Now Martens does landscape work for his Omaha apartment complex. Seven days a week, he mows the grass, collects trash and wields a leaf blower. Hedge trimming is his favorite.
“It’s like you’re doing an ice sculpture, but with a trimmer instead of a chainsaw,” Martens, 77, said.
Martens also changes the locks when tenants move in or out or need replacement keys. He cleans the hallways and even shows apartments to prospective renters…