Rents going down ...

[JLives]

Why aren't you willing to just provide a reference though? So bad landlords can be screened before moving everything they own into their new home and then having to move again when they find said landlord in their home unannounced?

What "references" are you talking about? I cannot just give out a list of my tenants and their contact info to anyone, because it would be a substantial breach of their privacy. As I mentioned before, if renters really wanted to "rate" landlords, it would have to come from them, not landlords. Perhaps, start here on Castanet, and ask the administrators to put in some 'landlords review" option in the rental classifieds. I wouldn't mind.

The privacy excuse sounds like a cop out to me. Landlords ask for previous landlords reference all the time. Employers ask for previous employers refences. Potential employees can request current employee references. Whether or not you check it is irrelevant. You can always ask the tenants ahead of time if it is ok for you to give out that information to prospective renters.

[kgcayenne]

…imagine, if a landlord asked you ...

"Hey, you've been with us for a few years and although you are a great tenant, your rent is falling so far behind my costs due to the rent controls, so would you be willing to renegotiate the rent?"

So, what would be your answer, ... honestly?

I would require you substantiate your claim of increased costs.

Did you leverage equity and make the choice to increase that mortgage payment?

1. If no, let’s establish how much you are willing to pay for your own asset as opposed to my paying for the asset that you, not I, will own at the end of the mortgage term.
2. If yes, then “Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.” Don’t expect existing tenants to be financially-responsible for your decisions to increase leverage.

Did strata fees increase drastically? Let’s discuss what those increases were and establish who they benefit: the resident or asset:

1. If it is a benefit to the resident, then let’s discuss how much it is worth.
2. If it is a benefit to the asset itself, i.e. routine maintenance turned into a $60,000 levy because council failed massively on doing in a timely manner, then “Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.” Don’t expect existing tenants to be financially-responsible for your strata council’s lack of foresight (and perhaps your lack of involvement in strata matters).

Did interest rates accelerate drastically?

1. “Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.” Do not expect existing tenants to compensate for market fluctuations for which you lacked the foresight to financially prepare.

Did property taxes accelerate drastically?

1. “Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.” Your portfolio increased in value and there is no benefit to the tenant.

[BC Landlord]

"Hey, you've been with us for a few years and although you are a great tenant, your rent is falling so far behind my costs due to the rent controls, so would you be willing to renegotiate the rent?"

So, what would be your answer, ... honestly?

So if you didn't do any renovations, what would be those extra costs?....aside from things like property tax and insurance that are tax deductible for operating costs.

Property taxes, insurance, ... is that small? Then, "tax deductable", ... from WHAT? If you are on a fixed income (like many mom & pop small landlords are) with one or two rental properties, then there is nothing, or next to nothing to deduct these costs from.

Still, you haven't answered my question .... What would be your answer to your landlord? Would you listen to your landlord's pleas, or would you just brush them off?

[foenix]

So if you didn't do any renovations, what would be those extra costs?....aside from things like property tax and insurance that are tax deductible for operating costs.

Property taxes, insurance, ... is that small? Then, "tax deductable", ... from WHAT? If you are on a fixed income (like many mom & pop small landlords are) with one or two rental properties, then there is nothing, or next to nothing to deduct these costs from.

Still, you haven't answered my question .... What would be your answer to your landlord? Would you listen to your landlord's pleas, or would you just brush them off?

The operating costs are deducted straight from the rental revenue. Are you saying you don't have any of those?

Oh were you asking me? If I was a renter, then I would do exactly like KC posted and ask for proof of these "extra" costs from when I first rented the home then if you did manage to produce them, I would put that against my costs that went up during my tenancy and go from there.

[BC Landlord]

I would require you substantiate your claim of increased costs.
...
“Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.”

So basically, if I get it right, you would respond to you landlord's pleas with demanding an audit into his accounting, and then furnishing him with a "rent increase application form ™". Nice! Have you ever tried it, or it's just a keyboard thing? And where do you think such a cockiness would take the relationship in between you and your landlord to?
Now, you see what kind of role rent controls play here.

[BC Landlord]

The operating costs are deducted straight from the rental revenue.

If you are a corporate landlord, yes. But if you are a small landlords, no. In this case, rental income just adds to personal gross income.

[kgcayenne]

I would require you substantiate your claim of increased costs.
...
“Here’s the form to fill out to apply for that increase.”

So basically, if I get it right, you would respond to you landlord's pleas with demanding an audit into his accounting, and then furnishing him with a "rent increase application form ™". Nice! Have you ever tried it, or it's just a keyboard thing? And where do you think suck a cockiness would take the relationship in between you and your landlord to?
Now, you see what kind of role rent controls play here.

I did do it: They provided me with the strata minutes. I simply gave them the RTA form and informed them of the correct process for this type of rent increase. Things went fine. I left the place better than I found it four years later.

Edited to add: The RTA would require them to substantiate their demands. So yes, I damn well would require proof. And no, it's not an 'audit' pffft.

[BC Landlord]

I simply gave them the RTA form and informed them of the correct process for this type of rent increase.

What the heck is the "RTA form"? How could you possibly "inform them of the correct process", if you don't have a clue yourself?

[JLives]

I simply gave them the RTA form and informed them of the correct process for this type of rent increase.

What the heck is the "RTA form"? How could you possibly "inform them of the correct process", if you don't have a clue yourself?

Um, Mr. Landlord sir, that is the Residential Tenancy Agreement that tenants sign with, uh, landlords.

[kgcayenne]

There was a form landlords had to complete to do this back in 2003. Now, it is an online application.

[BC Landlord]

There was a form landlords had to complete to do this back in 2003. Now, it is an online application.

The proper form is RTB-52. It could be online as well, but either way, the landlord would have to go through Service BC, and pay a $300 filling fee, with no guarantees of a positive outcome. So, in other words, you told your landlord to F/O. How nice of you!

[kgcayenne]

No. No I did not. I did business with a business owner who tried to knowingly sidestep process, which is why my actions were not met with anything other than a standard rent increase every year onward.

[BC Landlord]

No. No I did not. I did business with a business owner who tried to knowingly sidestep process, ..

Someone asking you to negotiate something is not "sidestepping the process", by any measure. It's a rational approach. People don't go to courts to resolve every single argument. Then, you call landlords "jerks". How bizarre!

[kgcayenne]

...So, in other words, you told your landlord to F/O. How nice of you!

What we see here kids is the typical landlorditude of one who is not adequately acquainted with the tenant and finds out (with great regret) that the tenant knows what can and cannot be done, and is therefore willing to hold the landlord accountable. It’s especially frustrating for sub-par landlords when they know that there is absolutely NOTHING to use as leverage against the tenant.

And this is an example of not knowing the background:

No. No I did not. I did business with a business owner who tried to knowingly sidestep process, ..

Someone asking you to negotiate is not "sidestepping the process", by any measure. It's a rational approach. People don't go to courts to resolve every single argument. Then, you call landlords "jerks". How bizarre!

The Background:
Landlord, two weeks before rent is due, announces a $100/mo rent increase, which was 15% at the time. Used strata fees as his reasoning. He tried to sidestep process. He was called-out. He laughed it off in saying: "I at least tried"

[BC Landlord]

Um, Mr. Landlord sir, that is the Residential Tenancy Agreement that tenants sign with, uh, landlords.

You don't need to "sir" me. FYI, the "RTA" stands for "Residential Tenancies Act", and the Residential tenancy agreement form is RTB-1. At least, here in BC.