September 1st, 2013

You are a Calgary landlord. 

You know there are bad tenants out there, but you have some great rental properties and know there are good ones too.

Your rental units are legal, clean, modern and attract a lot of tenants.

You know the laws and rules and follow them.

For example, you wouldn’t think of discriminating against a potential tenant based on sex, gender, or colour.

Heck, you welcome all tenants who pay on time and respect you and your properties.

Landlord Faces the Ugly Face of Discrimination

According to a report in Metro News unfortunately a couple of tenants out there aren’t like us. 

Since coming to Canada in 2001 from Nigera Landlord Paul said this is the first instance of racism he has experienced.

We’ve discussed the things can do to create hardship for landlords no matter where you are but nothing like this.

Paul rented to some problem tenants and was preparing to go through to process to evict them.

He did an inspection on his house and found the tenants had vanished.

Tenants Left Something Behind

While the tenants were gone, they left something for the landlord to find.

Racial insults were burned into the house carpets and scribbled on the walls.

Sexual pictures were also drawn on the walls of the house.

“Yesterday, I cried until I slept,” said Paul who also has concerns for his safety.

“They wrote my name there,” he said, pointing to one part of the graffiti.

Elsewhere on the walls were crudely drawn swastikas and the words “White Power” and “KKK.”

The Police Are Involved

Staff Sgt. Jim Leung said Calgary police officers who specialize in “hate-biased crime” are investigating the incident, and the main suspects are the previous tenants.

“These two renters, both 24 or 25 years of age, are suspects in this case because we have to draw an inference that when they moved out, they were the instigators of the hate bias,” Leung said.

“We’re going to do our best to try and locate these two.”

They Also Left Damages

Doors were ripped off the hinges, dozens of holes were punched or cut into the walls, and garbage was strewn everywhere.

Paul estimated the damage to be at least $5,000 and said he can’t afford to repair it immediately.

“I don’t know what I’ll do,” he said. “That’s a big question.”

To Discuss This and Other Calgary Landlord and Tenant Issues Go to the Alberta Landlord Forum.