A few weeks ago police raced to a neighbourhood in Sooke on Vancouver Island after receiving reports of a group fighting with bats and pipes. Four people were taken to hospital and nine are facing an array of charges resulting from a landlord-tenant dispute that turned decidedly nasty. Although we haven’t experienced a similar level of mayhem, the local rental housing scene is starting to heat up.
Michael Roblin, one of the owners of Dynamic Property Management, says “Unfortunately, it is not a good time to be a tenant in Squamish.” Complaints have traditionally been voiced about deadbeat landlords who fail to provide essential maintenance or services. These days many tenants are hopping mad about over-the-top rent increases that have forced them to leave town. Some claim they have been given the “renoviction” bum’s rush by owners who upgrade units and then jack up rents to unprecedented levels.
At the moment, the biggest beef is about a rental pool that appears to have simply evaporated. A number of accommodation-challenged residents are becoming more proactive. Last summer a Squamish-based tenants association was launched to expedite solutions to the housing crunch. One commenter on The Chief’s website was sceptical about that initiative. “What is a tenancy board going to do besides being an advisory or data collector...nothing. They don’t own the property or pay the taxes. That’s the bottom line,” he said. An option the tenants group presented to the district’s housing task force is the construction of 200 to 300 square feet micro homes geared towards people who are willing to live in a compact home with all the required amenities.
On the Lower Mainland there are reports of prospective tenants resorting to a range of tactics to get a foot in the door, including the submission of elaborate resumes, copious references and even plying landlords with token gifts. Russ Godfrey, who has practised law in the housing arena for 24 years and is a legal advocate with the provincial Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, says currently the balance of power has shifted too far in favour of landlords.
But there is a feeling among landlords that they have paid their dues over the years. Their list of grievances is long and includes unpaid rents, total disregard for the premises by tenants, unauthorized changes to suites, loud parties, unsanctioned pets and illicit activities on site. As well, many property owners claim they have been subjected to constantly escalating residential taxes and utilities tabs, coupled with other mounting costs.
Hang on to your hats, folks, landlord-tenant encounters could soon get more animated. In the meantime, stay classy Squamish.
