A Home for Life: The Extraordinary Legacy of John Perrett

In an era of rising rents and housing uncertainty, the story of Jane Sayner serves as a profound reminder of the power of human connection. For over two decades, Jane was a dedicated tenant in a modest unit in St Albans, Melbourne. She treated the rental as her own, never imagining that the property would one day truly belong to her.

A Decades-Long Bond

Jane’s landlord, John Perrett, was a man known for his private nature but deep sense of justice. Throughout Jane’s twenty-two-year residency, the two developed a relationship built on mutual respect. Jane was the model tenant—meticulous in her care for the unit and unwavering in her reliability.

As the years passed, the unit became more than a building to Jane; it was the backdrop of her life. However, like many renters, she lived with the quiet, underlying knowledge that her housing security was ultimately in someone else’s hands.

The Ultimate Act of Kindness

The turning point came as John’s health began to decline. Unmarried and without direct heirs, John began to consider the legacy of his estate. Rather than selling his holdings to developers or distant interests, he decided to reward the loyalty of the person who had looked after his property for nearly a quarter of a century.

When John passed away in 2020 at the age of 86, his will revealed a life-changing surprise: he had left the unit entirely to Jane. Overnight, her monthly rent payments ceased, and she became the sole owner of the home she loved.

More Than Just a Property

John’s generosity extended beyond Jane; he left the bulk of his multi-million dollar estate to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, specifically the nephrology department that had cared for him for years.

For Jane, the gift was the ultimate security. In a world where the tenant-landlord relationship is often purely transactional, John Perrett’s final act proved that kindness and trust can create a “home for life.” Jane continues to live in the unit today, no longer as a guest, but as the owner of a legacy built on twenty years of mutual respect.