Not Me, Vancouver

Obviously I'm the wrong type of person to be living in this city. I've been looking for an apartment for 3 months, and half of the ones that actually do get back to you ask for all kinds of illegal information like SIN, driver's licence, bank info, and even credit card numbers. If you balk about any of it, you get removed from the list and that's that. Sure, I report it, but now I'm probably blacklisted. Besides, when most of the apartments in the city are owned by multinational corporations, why should they give a rat's ass? Someone will always be desperate enough play their game. Not me.

9 Comments

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Mitch

Aug 22, 2017 at 2:38pm

Yeah they don't ask for any info in say Toronto....

15 7Rating: +8

Never ever give your SIN...

Aug 22, 2017 at 3:09pm

Identity theft is rampant nowadays and it's because sheep people give this out. Never ever give out your SIN to anyone....

25 8Rating: +17

Yes, it's tough out there.

Aug 22, 2017 at 4:12pm

My present apartment is in a poorly maintained building with rent higher than it should be. My next door neighbour is emotionally unstable and a bit scary.
However, the crap I've had to deal with in trying to find a better place (as you've mentioned) has backed me off of the idea.
I've reconciled myself to being marooned here, for the time being.
At least I'm not homeless.

landlord

Aug 22, 2017 at 6:23pm

I'll need some information from you to check your credit rating. You might not like that but that's okay, we don't have to do business together. You'd ask the same from me if I wanted to use your backhoe for a few weeks. Try renting a car sometime. They'll want to see some information as well. Try renting a safety deposit box at a bank that is not your branch. You'll be asked for lots of information. It's just the way the world works. Get used to it.

What are the odd's...

Aug 23, 2017 at 2:51pm

of the Landlord showing you their SIN # if you asked for it.

14 5Rating: +9

Anonymous

Aug 23, 2017 at 10:33pm

I have had exactly the same experience as you.
I think that a lot of "landlords" don't actually know what they're doing, or have any clear idea of how to be a good landlord, they're just in a position to exploit the current real estate market.
What really bothered me was the variety of so-called application forms; I received one that asked for my banking information, it actually had a little box where I was supposed to enter my chequing account number.
There should be a standard approved form that is downloadable for both potential renters and landlords. Why has no one done that?

16 3Rating: +13

@landlord

Aug 24, 2017 at 9:50am

The problem is, you are NOT the bank or a car renting business. You are some dude and only god knows how shady you are... Keep thinking the way you think and you'll be left with the bottom of the barrel renters... good luck.

7 12Rating: -5

Re: What are the odds...

Aug 24, 2017 at 3:30pm

Zero. Landlords have a job, known contact information, an address that you can trace them to etc. There's no guarantee (at least at that point in the rental process) that potential tenants have any of these. So from an objective viewpoint which one do you think is more likely to steal the other's identity and be able to get away with it?

Who's to Blame?

Aug 24, 2017 at 3:37pm

For every terrible landlord (and they are out there) there is an equally terrible tenant (the ratio is likely higher). Maybe giving landlords the recourse to deal with bad (meaning those that don't pay their rent, damage the property, cause unreasonable disruptions to other tenants etc) tenants more effectively, but in a way that doesn't impugn the rights of good tenants would result in landlords who can put more faith in potential tenants and less issues like this?

I'd probably have better luck trying to improve relations between the US and North Korea though...

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