Login / RegisterFormer COPE councillor says renters evicted for renovations need more support
Former two-term Vancouver city councillor Ellen Woodsworth is issuing a personal call for more support for renters facing eviction because of renovations.
Woodsworth will have to move out of her long-time East Vancouver rental home this month.
“It will be 33 years on September 1, so I’m being evicted, then, exactly 33 years after moving in here,” Woodsworth told the Georgia Straight by phone. “We appealed the eviction notice at the Residential Tenancy [Branch].”
Woodsworth said the RTB ruled in favour of her landlord, who is evicting tenants in order to carry out renovations.
Her total rent for the two-bedroom apartment in the heart of the Commercial Drive area, including utilities, was $825, and Woodsworth claimed that the landlord has “tripled or quadrupled” rents in suites around hers that have already been vacated and renovated.
“You know, what I discovered through this process is that there really isn’t a support system for renters who want to stand up against an eviction notice and have a reason to do so,” Woodsworth said.
Woodsworth enlisted the help of the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, but, according to the ex-councillor, the centre gets 2,500 to 3,000 calls a month and only has three staff members.
“I really think that we need to strengthen the existing legislation,” Woodsworth said. “But I also think the province needs to provide some support for renters’ advocacy groups.…It is shocking how little support there is for renters.”
Woodsworth said she has found rental accommodation “in a portion of a house” in Strathcona, but the Coalition of Progressive Electors mainstay said her monthly costs will be higher. She declined to reveal her new rental rate.
2. Landlords invested in/ bought the property.
3. Landlords have by far the most to lose (i.e. have the most risk).
4. Landlords make the housing available on their own initiative.
5. Landlords sometimes need or want to make upgrades to their property.
What's the issue?
A property owner has every right to renovate their units to bring in more income. If you hinder that even more than it currently is, then landlords will stop renting, and all those rental buildings will turn into condos.
I pay $1530 a month for a 1 bedroom condo, NOT including utilities. Yes, its high. If I wanted to live in a trashy apartment that hasnt been upgraded since the 70's, then I could find a place for $1100. If I wanted to pay $850 a month for rent for a 2 bedroom, I would move to the rural areas of Surrey and have a very long commute.
There is huge support for tenants being evicted for renovations. They get a whole year notice!!! And I think they also get 1 months rent paid to them for "moving expenses".
This lady should either be grateful she had a place at such a reduced rate for so long, or she should have purchased her own property, which would have been paid off by now.
It's pretty well-known that the RTB sides with landlords, so a proper court might have sided with her.
There's no easy solution for affordable rentals, but considering Woodsworth was making $60k plus a year and spending less than 16% of that on accommodation - WELL below the standard benchmark of 33% - I would assume she's managed to save a good chunk of cash. I'm hella more sympathetic to my friends making minimum wage and living in a $1350/mo basement suite.
Right you are! Go tie up court resources, maybe even seek out legal aid while you're at it!!
/end sarcasm
Ironically, petty court grievances and self-centred whiners looking to exploit our legal system are symptomatic of the sense of entitlement in our society that cost taxpayers and bleed resources away from things like - affordable housing
Taxpayers R Us indeed
No basement suites cost $1350 per month.
And even if you were able to find such an anomaly, no one earning minimum wage could possibly pay that rent.
Landlords, generally speaking, renovate suites for one of two reasons: because they have been ordered to or because they want to jack up rents well past what is legally allowed in the normal course of events.
To call those caught up in such greed-motivated machinations "self-centred whiners looking to exploit our legal system" says more about yourself than those upon whom you cast aspersions.
Ellen Woodsworth is not looking for your, or anyone else's, sympathy. She is merely expressing her concerns about the lack of support she discovered for tenants with few resources fighting such evictions.
That motivation is undeserving of anyone's contempt.
Being able to be kicked out of your home whenever the landlord wants? It seems like it's more risky to rent in Vancouver to me.
LOL no, if a landlord jacked up rent above a normal rent, then no one would rent the place.
even without renovating, a landlord can apply to the landlord and tenant board to substantially increase the rent if the rent they are getting is far below market value. each case is looked at individually, and in this case, the landlord would have won the right to substantially increase rent because of the significant difference - no evicting or renovations required.
rent increases here are extremely limited, and if a landlord does not increase the rent every year, eventually they get to a point where the rent is far below market value (this case is a perfect example - this lady was getting a place for about 1/3 of what she should have been paying for it). Tho their costs are not below market costs. Any landlord has every right to get a fair market rent. why would a landlord rent a place if they cant get a decent rent?
all you perma-renters need to understand that if you make it so bad for the landlords that they cant make a decent rent, they will stop being landlords and rents will rise even more because everything will turn to condos and there will be less supply.
No one wants to hear about your condo woes any more.
gee - my mistake: this basement suite for $1450 / month is North Burnaby, not Vancouver
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bnc/apa/3158699322.html
I'm afraid you're a bit out of touch - a newly renoed basement suite in East Van can easily fetch $1k plus.. and I know this because the kids next door live four to a basement suite, have low-paying jobs and pay $1350. True story.
I think renovating a row house for the first time in at least 33 years, may in fact be motivated by something other than the two examples you cite. I'd add that the CofV has been jacking up property taxes faster than a landlord can legally jack up rents. Between the cost of real estate and the cost of property taxes - we'd have a real rental crisis on our hands simply because no one in their right mind would purchase property to rent at a loss.
I wouldn't call it contempt for Woodsworth, but I have little sympathy or respect for someone who feels so entitled to cheap rent that she would seek an RTB appeal and then take to the soapbox about it.
Four people earning minimum wage and paying $1350 for a basement is a different story. And I knew if anyone looked hard enough they would find some greedhead renting a basement for that much or more. I just didn't think you would go to the trouble. But it is not the norm, not by a long stretch.
Let's call it a day.
http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/bnc/apa/3158699322.html"
Interesting. The Craigslist ad posted at 3:16 pm today, and the above comment was posted at 3:37pm. In my experience, that's roughly the amount of time it takes for the Georgia Strait to review a comment and post it here at this hour.
I placed a Craigslist ad just to mess with you...
*twirls finger by temple in clockwise motion while whistling*
The $1450 basement in Bby was not a result of research, it was the first thing I found when I looked, don't make me part of your paranoid conspiracy. My $1350 neighbours are here in East Van.
But, really the cost of basement suites in the GVRD is a red herring...
The issue: Woodsworth is crying foul over losing her $825 two bedroom rowhouse... Really, REALLY?
Do you realize that she's paying just $75 over the welfare shelter allowance for a two bedroom ($375/person).. for a former councillor who was making $60k / year plus an expense account?
And then to suggest she take it to court? You do realize that our court systems are so overburdened and backlogged that real criminals are getting let off as they can't get a timely trial, right?
Actually, a landlord can only kick out a tenant if the tenant doesnt pay rent, or if the landlord does substantial renovations (must tear out kitchen and bathroom), or the landlord has to move in for a minimum of 6 months. A landlord cant just ask a tenant to leave.
The most a tenant is out is a place to live, and they can find another. The tenant could trash the place, and landlord would be out thousands of dollars. The tenant could also refuse to pay rent, and refuse to follow the eviction notice. Much more risky for the landlord.