Archive for the ‘Alberta renters’ Category

A Long Term Successful Alberta Landlord Gives Advice

Saturday, August 1st, 2020

A Landlord Who Has Owned Rentals Since the 1980’s Speaks Out

Thank you ALA for agreeing to post my message “edit free” so I can talk “real talk” about my experiences as a long term landlord/investor who is now a millionaire thanks to owning residential rentals.

Time Are Super Tough Now…But They Were Even Worse Before

Just about all of us are dealing with non-payers or vacancies and it looks like being a small private landlord is a hopeless investment.

It’s not. You can succeed and make a lot of money.

As some who bought his first rental property in 1981 I’ve seen it all.

Our province is the golden land and the problem is the federal government often makes some poor polices which hurt our economy.

And we rely on oil prices and access to sell our product.

Bad Times Can Change To Good Times Fast

Keep confident because it’s always a cycle.

We get low oil prices and a bad government and it hurts us…but then we get a pro-Alberta government and high oil prices and it’s like 2014 when landlords could charge applicants $50 just to see our rentals!

Hold On And Good Times Always Come, You Lose If You Don’t Hold On.

Like I said, our economy is cyclical. We are up and down due to who is running the country and oil prices.

Things could be improving soon and then your rental industry will boom!

Remember it wasn’t so long ago Calgary Mayor Nenshi was blaming us for high rents when there was a huge migration of people to come to work in our province.

Become An Expert Landlord To Hold On During Bad Times, And Thrive During The Good Times.

The up cycle is on the way. Landlords will see our property prices appreciate and a huge influx of people into our province for jobs.

Stay Positive

It’s always like this. We have an up and down economy and things are soon going to get better.

How To Succeed?

(1) Market Your Properties The Right Way

Remember, when good tenants have lots of choices you can stand out with the prettiest property and  consider a lower rent for the first years.

(2) Always Run Credit and Criminal Checks

The ALA offers huge discounts so you can make sure you know you are renting from a good tenant…and not a pro who has ripped people off before.

(3) Get Help From Successful Alberta Landlords To Fix Problems

Join our forum to get help and advice. Don’t listen to the media, don’t listen to the government…learn from people like me who have been in this industry for decades.

I’ve been through it all, all the ups and downs. The most successful landlords know we have a cyclical economy and when times are tough you just ‘get through it’ and carefully screen tenants.

When times are good you raise rents to build a nest egg (and you might even sell some of your rentals at the top of the market!)

Discuss this at the Alberta Landlords Forum

PAY YOUR RENT CAMPAIGN 2022

Thursday, June 4th, 2020

Smart Tenants Will Pay Rent & Cooperate With Your Landlord For a Win-Win Situation

Small landlords know the challenges tenants face.  Because we faced them too!  Many us were renters before.

We want to work with you to keep you renting from us.

Please know that just because we own a rental property, or rent out our basement, doesn’t mean we are rich. We aren’t.

Many of us are working class people who have decided to avoid the crazy stock market and buy a rental property to help us when we retire.

We need rent to be paid so we can also survive and want to cooperate with you to make sure we have a win-win relationship. We have to pay our mortgage, property taxes, insurance, maintenance.

There are calls saying “Don’t Pay Rent” all over social media

We want to make sure tenants know good landlords want to work with you for all of us surviving.

We support tenants in need, but many of us are also on the financial edge!

To prove our support, thousands of landlords and this association are lobbying both the provincial and federal government to create a nation-wide “rent bank” that will help tenants in need get grants or low-cost loans to pay rent.

This will make sure there is no “landlord-tenant” conflicts or haggling and keep landlords in business and tenants safe in their rental homes.

Something similar to the Canada student loan system where people in temporary need get financial help from the government.

Landlords want to work with tenants (and tenant groups) to make this happen. And happen fast!

Avoid The “Don’t Pay Your Rent” Memes and Media

This isn’t a poor tenant vs. a rich evil landlord issue.

It’s a working class tenant facing challenges renting from a working class small landlord who is also facing challenges.

If you don’t pay rent (like so many are saying) it will lead to eventually being evicted with large debts, and your search for a new home will include no reference and bad credit.

Good Landlords and Good Tenants Working Together

Tenants make sure you pay your rent on time, or work it out with your landlord.

Short term easy answers like “don’t pay rent” will lead to unnecessary problems for tenants a few months from now.

These groups should be joining us to lobby for a nation-wide rent bank to truly help tenants instead of wanting to “stick it to the landlord” (which only lead to legal issues down the road). But it’s so sexy to be a revolutionary, right?

Be Smart

If you can’t pay rent work things out with your landlord who will give you a discount or deferred payments.

Paying Rent or Cooperating With Your Landlord On A Fair Payment Plan Is the Smart Move!

Share Your Landlord Experiences To Make Your Voice Heard

Monday, June 1st, 2020

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Tenants Speak Out: “It’s Time To Make Security Deposits Illegal in Alberta!”

Tuesday, February 11th, 2020

alberta landlords damage security deposits

Tenants Speak Out and Share Their Concerns and Opinions on the Rental Industry

As part of our “Let’s Improve the Alberta Rental Industry” we have invited landlords and tenants to share their opinions on how we can make these improvements. These opinions are from individual contributors and are not the opinions of the Alberta Landlords Association. We believe by fostering communication between landlords and tenants we can improve the Alberta rental industry. Landlords and tenants can share your thoughts and opinions by emailing us at landlordtenantsolutions@groupmail.com

Tenants Speak Out: “It’s Time to Make Security Deposits Illegal in Alberta! Make Sure To Negotiate No Security Deposit!”

I’m very happy to have a way to express my opinions as a Tenant in Alberta.  I’m a Tenant in Alberta. I moved here about five years ago to find a good job and lay down roots here. It’s been okay.

I dislike the total lack of respect for the environment, total lack of animal rights, and a feeling that women are second class citizens. But overall my job is pretty good and the taxes are low. The biggest problem has been dealing with so many rotten landlords who think they are “so much better than us” and use the system to rip us off.

As a Tenant in Alberta there really has been no where to turn. The media are all bought and paid for by the big oil companies. Our so-called elected representatives have made it clear they don’t care about Alberta Tenants. 

I was told it’s because we are often “transient”. Yeah, that’s because we are looking for jobs and have workers have no security here.

We are told we don’t vote so one listens. Yeah, like we have any real choices and anyone to vote for.

I’ve heard that we should organize but we are too busy trying to pay the ridiculous rents here to have time to do anything else but eat, work, sleep and hope the landlord will actually fix things in the rental apartment we are paying for.

Since moving to Alberta one of the worst things about my life is renting. The landlords all feel they are ‘better’ than renters because they have a house and we have to rent. Well, landlords should realize we are the ones paying your mortgage.

But really the worst thing is the archaic and predatory way landlords charge damage deposits. It’s bizarre how landlords can get away with the things they do regarding damage deposits here.  This needs to change and I hope enough people read this to start the process of making damage deposits illegal in Alberta.

Landlord Damage Deposit Demands are Insane

If you are new here the fact landlords demand so much money up front is shocking. If you dare consider yourself privilaged to actually own a pet the landlords will use this to up the demands. Are we dealing with landlords or with the mafia…or are they one and the same here?

Tenants Don’t Have So Much Money Up Front

Landlords get what economists call “passive income.” Probably most here, especially the lesser educated landlords, won’t understand this but “passive income” is what highly educated economists say when they mean people who collect money but don’t even actually have to work to get it.

Highly educated economists say tenants have to rely on our own labour power. This means we have to sweat it out to make money unlike landlords who can sit back, do nothing, and the money still rolls in. Because we have to work hard to save, tenants don’t have huge bank accounts like landlords do so paying these huge deposits is very tough for us. 

Paying Big Deposits Means Less to Spend on Our Families, Educations, and Survival

Because hard working tenants have to give so much of our money to the landlords it means we have less money to spend on our families. It’s not easy to buy clothes and high quality fresh foods when so much of your pay check goes to the landlord and they have so much of your money up front.

It makes it harder for us to pay tuition so we can do new training for better jobs. It makes it difficult is any unexpected emergencies happen like if our pets need to see the vet or we need to buy new winter boots and coats to keep your children warm.

In What Other Business Do Owners Get To Collect So Much Money?

Only here do tenants have to pay so much up front just for the right to pay a huge portion of our monthly salary to a landlord who just sits back and collects it.

If you go to the supermarket to buy your kids groceries for their survival the grocery store doesn’t demand you pay thousands of dollars just for the right to buy fruits, vegetables, kraft dinners, and milk.

Landlords Our Pets As A Weapon To Demand More Money

How many times have I been told to pay thousands of dollars more because I have dogs and cats. If I told them I had pets, I could see the cash registers in their little minds ching-ching-chinging. It’s ridiculous!

How many tenants who can’t pay landlords these thousands of dollars have had to make the nightmare choice of giving up their pets just to be able to have a home to live in? For many of us it’s a choice of our pets or putting our children on the street.

Many Landlords Never Pay Back the Deposit

If all of this isn’t bad enough, the reality to be explained to you know is enough to demand we end the collection of damage deposits in Alberta now!

Many tenants move out and the property is in perfect condition but the seedy landlords don’t pay us the money back! Some will just ignore us and others will make stuff up about so-called “damages” or “stains” or other stuff that is just normal wear and tear.

Let’s Make Damage Deposits Illegal in Alberta 

There is no need for landlords to collect a damage deposit at all. Tenants already pay our rent and if we don’t pay the landlords can evict tenants.

Let’s make it illegal for landlords to collect a damage deposit and if they demand one we should be able to go to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service to immediately get it back.

Landlords who break the new law should also have to pay a fine and also pay whatever they demanded before to the tenant in certified funds.

Just because you are renting doesn’t mean you should be able to be legally abused and exploited by people who look down on you.

Let’s change this now! 

This is only one of the injustices tenants here face. I will be sending more in and hope they actually get published and not just vanish to whitewash how tenants really feel here and the changes we need.

Amazing Alberta Landlords & Terrific Tenants Working Together To Improve Our Rental Community

Friday, January 5th, 2018

Alberta landlords alberta tenants working together

We Invite Good Alberta Tenants To Cooperate With Us To Help Both Tenants and Landlords Succeed in 2018!

There are a lot of amazing landlords in Alberta. We’re not talking about all the big huge corporate rentals run by faceless corporations. We’re talking about small family landlords. People who rent their basement out. Or have an investment property or two (sometimes three or four due to their savings and hard work!)

Small landlords are terrific to rent from (much better than the average corporate building!)

Many of us have been renters in the past and know how important it is to find a nice place to live, work, and raise a family while you save up for your own down-payment to buy a place. This is why many of us have such a hard time dealing with renters who rip us off.

Good landlords are looking for good tenants

Experienced and successful Alberta landlords know it’s important to find good tenants.  And we will take of you. When you need something fixed, we fix it. When you need someone to talk to about the property, we’re all ears. And we don’t expect much in return: just pay the rent and be considerate of us and the property we you are borrowing from us for a specific period of time.

And Edmonton landlord wrote to us early this year:

“My renters moved in last February and let me know over the holiday they want to sign for another one year fixed term lease. When I went over there to re-sign I also asked them if everything needed to be changed and after some ums and ahs the lady mentioned the toilet was old and easily clogged. I told them as part of the new lease signing I would change the toilet to one of those modern, high efficiency ones. She was happy and it really can be great being a landlord!”

A Calgary landlord wrote in our ALA forum:

With the economy tough for us it’s also tough for tenants who don’t have all the high paying jobs available like before. Landlords need to make sure it’s a win-win situation for both us and our tenants.

We Want Good Alberta Tenants To Cooperate With Us For A Win-Win Situation

Let’s be realistic. Good landlords are looking to rent to good tenants and good tenants want to rent from good landlords. So let’s work together. We are inviting good Alberta tenants to join us in the following capacities:

1. Share Your Stories and Opinions With Us

By sharing your experiences and ideas you can help other tenants, landlords and educate people and play a role in improving the Alberta rental industry.

2. Become A Tenant Community Leader for the Alberta Tenant Forum

We are looking for 10 experienced Alberta tenants to help run our Tenant forum and make it as helpful as possible for other Alberta tenants to learn from.  As Tenant Community Leader who will be able to invite other verified tenants to join our forum to help educate the community.

3. Provide Us With Your Ideas for Policy Changes

Do you think some things need to change? Share your policy ideas with us.

Alberta Landlords and Tenants in our Alberta Rental Community

Let’s work together in 2018 for our mutual success. Let’s improve the rental industry and play a role in forming new policies. We invite tenants to join our community. If you are interested please email us at tenantexperiences@groupmail.com by January 12, 2018. Make sure you let us know about you and your renting experience and how you want to help (please note only those accepted with receive a reply).

Update on January 15, 2018

Thank you for the overwhelming response of Tenants across Alberta! We now have filled the available positions for Alberta Tenant Community leaders. Keep watching for our next recruitment drive!

Tenants Speak Out: “Don’t Argue With Your Landlord, Take Your Landlord To the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) Where Tenants Have Rights And You Will Win!”

Saturday, December 2nd, 2017

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Tenants Speak Out and Share Their Concerns and Opinions on the Rental Industry

As part of our “Let’s Improve the Alberta Rental Industry” we have invited landlords and tenants to share their opinions on how we can make these improvements. These opinions are from individual contributors and are not the opinions of the Alberta Landlords Association. We believe by fostering communication between landlords and tenants we can improve the Alberta rental industry. Landlords and tenants can share your thoughts and opinions by emailing us at landlordtenantsolutions@groupmail.com

 

alberta residential dispute residential resolution service

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service Really Does Protect Tenants.  Don’t Fight Your Landlord Directly If You have Any Problems With Your Rental Home Take Your Landlord To the Residential Tenancy Dispute Service

This email is to help Alberta Tenants like myself know our rights which are often covered up in Alberta.

Anyone else have lots of arguments with their landlords these days? I bet a lot of you have!

In my case let’s see some problems since I decided to pay her mortgage for her while she dreams the property will up in value next year and she will sell, lol!

There are probably good landlords around but I find the landlords here like to “bully” tenants so it’s basically impossible to work things out, as they are unreasonable and often act like psychopaths. Not everyone, but in my case it was like dealing with the Tasmanian devil you see in the Bugs Bunny cartoons!

At the Residential Dispute Tenancy Dispute Service the Landlord Can’t Bully You and Must Treat You With Respect

I had a big bully of a landlord who was so proud and looked down on me as a renter.  We had problems and she treated me with no respect. She failed to realize that my hard earned rent money was paying her mortgage each month and I was someone who wouldn’t put up with her treating me like anything but the A+++ tenant I am.

I took her to the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service and she was polite and weak…and I won! No bullying, no bullsh*t and no threats. 

Avoid Face To Face Interactions and Just Go To Landlord/Tenant Court (RTDRS)

I found landlords here like to try to intimidate tenants. So just avoid them and take all your concerns directing tot he RTDRS. This is a legal court and the landlords have to behave or they can be punished!

Tenants Make Sure You Use The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS)

I contacted the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) directly and asked them to provide some details to us.

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS) offers landlords and tenants an alternative means of resolving serious disputes outside of court.The RTDRS is designed to be faster, more informal and less expensive than the courts. The RTDRS can help tenants in four main ways:

Damages – This means the landlord will be ordered to pay the tenant for any financial losses because the landlord didn’t follow their legal obligations.

Rent Abatement – If the landlord doesn’t take their responsibilities laid out in both the lease and the Residential Tenancies Act they will be ordered to reduce the rent for the tenant.

Compensation –  If the landlord doesn’t do needed repairs to keep you safe and comfortable in your home you can apply to get money from the landlord.

Termination of the Tenancy – You file and will get to move out early

Let’s look at some of the issues me and the landlord right out of Game of Thrones had.

1. The frickin shower is moldy and the landlord is responsible to fix it

I told my landlady aka “the landlord from Hell” about this and she said it was because of my long showers and not turning on the fan. My reply is: like hey, I turn on the fan and it just isn’t strong enough because you went ‘cheap’ on buying the fan and it won’t stop mold! And what I did doesn’t even really matter because the landlord is responsible for repairing mold.

2. The people next door are noisy are smoking weed and it bothers me and the landlord is responsible to protect me and my enjoyment

I have the right to peaceful enjoyment to the property. So Ms. Moneybags tells me “her hands are tied and there’s nothing she can do.” Well you need to follow the lease and it’s not my problem!

3. This rental isn’t safe

If you don’t feel safe you can make the landlord put in locks, security cameras and more. If they don’t you can apply to the RTDRS to MAKE THE LANDORD MAKE YOUR HOME SAFE!

4. Maintenance issues galore

The drains are filled with hair or something and it’s almost impossible to even have a normal bath! I’m paying for this property and paying for your mortgage and I need to be able to have a bath!

The fridge and washer and dryer are too old You expect me to pay for power when you give me these old crappy appliances? That’s not right and if you aren’t at least going to buy new appliances you legally need to keep the old ones in good shape.

5. Landlord won’t pay back the deposit

This problem is so common. Tenants need to go to the tenant-friendly RTDRS to seek justice!

Alberta Tenants Need to Avoid Your Landlord And File At Court Where A Judge Will Stop Their Bulling and Intimidation

Don’t argue with your landlord directly, always go over their head and have an official with legal power be an impartial judge.  This way you don’t ever need to feel intimidated.

(a) Demand the Return of Your Security Deposit

So many tenants struggling to survive face evil landlords who refuse to return their security deposits. Tenants can apply at the RTDRS and get you money back.

(b) Ending the Tenancy Due to the Landlord’s Breach of the Rental Agreement

This can mean lots of things such as not maintaining the property or you have to put up with noise or eve the bathroom clogs. You are not handcuffed to a bad rental property just because you have a lease.

(c) Financial damages form the Landlord’s Rental Agreement Breach

Did you have to move when you didn’t want to because of problems with your rental property your landlord didn’t fix? Take your landlord to the RTDRS and “sue” them for all the money you had to spend to move. If the landlord doesn’t pay you then garnish their wages or put a lien on the rental property.

d) Reduction of rent for loss of benefit of a rental agreement

If you think the landlord broke the lease in any way, take them to the RTDRS and you can get a decrease in rent.

(e) Compensation for performing the landlord’s obligations as outlined in the rental agreement

If the landlord didn’t follow the lease as you see it, you can make them pay you money.

Where Can Tenants Get More Information About These Services?

Detailed information and downloadable tip sheets about using the service at their website at www.servicealberta.ca.

There Is No Need To Argue With Your Landlord Directly.  Avoid Intimidation and Harassment Taking Any Issues Directly to the RTDRS

Being a tenant can make you feel lonely and scared. Landlords can come right to your door and they even enter. By putting them in an “official court” they have to behave and follow the rules. 

It was amazing to how my super aggressive landlady turned into a soft-spoken and careful person when I took her to court.

The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service is Fair and Protects Your Rights!

Some of you might be thinking it’s complicated and time consuming.  But it’s not that bad at all. And remember you are fighting for your home and your rights as a Tenant under the Alberta Residential Tenancies Act.

Alberta Tenants have rights must you must stand up and demand them!

Who Can You Contact For More Information?

If you have further questions, please contact the RTDRS at:

Edmonton: (780) 644-3000

For toll-free access within Alberta, first dial 310-0000

Alberta Tenants Wake Up: The Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service is Fair And You Will Win!

Under the fair NDP government Tenants Have Rights In Alberta!  Just the media won’t tell you that!

If you have any issues with your landlord take them to landlord and tenant court and defend your rights!

Peace Out

Alberta Landlords and Tenants Working Together For Success

Friday, October 6th, 2017

Alberta landlords Alberta Tenants Win Win Campaign

Alberta Landlords are Looking for Good Tenants. Alberta Tenants are Looking for Good Landlords and Nice Properties. Let’s Work Together and Communicate To Make a “Win Win” Situation for Everyone!

We keep reading about complicated and dramatic landlord and tenant issues in Alberta. But being a landlord or a tenant really should be simple shouldn’t it?

Let’s look at it this way. Someone invests in a product. They want to attract good clients so they make sure the product is high quality. On the other hand, there are clients out there looking for a high quality product. When they meet if they both have what the other wants, the transaction is made and both sides are happy.

This is the way it should be for Alberta rental properties. Landlords invest in a nice rental property and advertise it. Tenants are looking for a good rental, see it, and both sides meet. If both sides see what they want the landlord offers the rental unit to the tenant and they sign the lease. It sounds so simple right?

Unfortunately while it sounds simple, in reality it’s not always like that. The Alberta Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service is busy and that is because there are landlords and tenants who are in conflict, fighting each other. We also see lots of bad stories in the news about problems between landlords and tenants.

In some cases it’s good tenants who are having problems with their landlord. We have had politicians accusing landlords of gouging good tenants when the vacancy rates were low and the economy was strong.

In many other cases it’s a good landlord getting ripped off and hurt by bad tenants. For example, this Calgary landlord is out tens of thousands of dollars because the system failed her when manipulated by tenants who were unethical and out to do no good.

Alberta Has A Lot of Good Landlords

Alberta has a lot of hard working people who want to invest in rental properties here. These are people who likely rented themselves at one point and want to invest in nice properties that they themselves would have wanted to live in. Landlords are people who are investing their hard earned money back into the province because they believe in a bright future here. Alberta landlords are important stake holders and play an important role in the success of our province.

Landlords and Tenants Need To Communicate With Each Other

Many of our landlords members think the best way landlords and tenants can create a “win win” situation is for us to communicate with each other.  Not at “hearings” or in the “media”, but with some frank and friendly talk between landlords and tenants.  Let’s get to know each other better and learn what both sides are looking for these days.

We know you are our future “customers” and we want to make sure we are the “best landlords” we can be and we have the “best rental rental properties we can have”. We want to be the best Alberta landlords you have ever had! Let’s work together to make this happen!

What Do Good Alberta Tenants Want? Let Us Know

Good Alberta landlords are always looking for good paying tenants. So we want to hear from all the tenants out there. We are asking you to “help us, so we can help you.”

1. What types of things are most important for you when choosing a rental?

2. Is there anything about a rental that would be a big turn off?

3. Is there anything particular that would lead you to choose a rental over another?

4. What are the ways you find potential places to rent?

5. How important is it for the rental ad to have pictures?

6. Is there anything particular that makes a rental ad stand out to you?

7. What are you looking for in a person who will be your potential landlord?

8. Is important for you to rent from an experienced landlord?

9. What types of questions do you have for landlords to show they are professional?

10. Is there anything you would do to improve the Alberta rental industry?

Tenants can write in to us at tenantexperiences@groupmail.com and let us know your answers to these questions or about anything else to improve the Alberta rental industry. We won’t edit or censor anything and are looking for your side of things.

Alberta Landlords and Tenants Working Together For Success

Both landlords and tenants play an important role in the success of our province. Let’s work together to make things better and improve the Alberta rental industry for years to come.