Welcome to the Website for BC Landlords

The Canada Landlords Association is a leading organization for small residential landlords across Canada. We provide a unified voice for private landlords and promote and protect residential landlord interests to national and local government. We provide a unified voice for private landlords and promote and protect landlord interests to national and local government.

Network with top professionals
Get advice from experienced landlords
Learn how the Landlord and Tenant Board works

Meet our recommended partners
Take part in landlord activities, social events.
A chance to "get involved!"

Join Us For Help and Great Services For BC Landlords!

Join us for a One-Time Registration Fee (No Annual Fee!) For Real Help For Landlords and Property Managers

BC landlords are waking up to the fact you need to screen tenants carefully to avoid renting to the “pro tenants” out there.

Sure there are a lot of great tenants out there. However, times have change and it’s important for landlords to protect themselves, their properties and their wallets.In the past you could rely on a handshake with tenants before you handed over the keys. Oh, those were the days!

Experienced BC landlords know there are lots of great people looking to rent safe and affordable properties from friendly and professional small landlords and also lots of not so good tenants who can end up costing you thousands of dollars in losses and months of stress.

It’s up to you to make sure you find good tenants and rent to them. And you now have the services and tools you need to identify good tenants, avoid the bad tenants out there, and become a successful BC landlord for an incredible low price.

Lots of Great Tenants, And Some Others You Need To Avoid

Landlords across British Columbia are still shocked at how a couple of serial bad tenants managed to rip off so many landlords in a short period of time.

They eventually paid one of the landlords what they avoid to avoid jail time, but there are still lots of landlords who they owe money to and the legal process for B.C. landlords seeking justice is slow and stressful.

You Can’t Get Blood From a Stone

This old saying applies for BC landlords.

If you rent to bad tenants who don’t pay rent and rip you off you will have to go to court to try to get your money back.

Canada doesn’t have debtors prisons and if your ex-tenants don’t have any money you won’t see a cent.

This is why it’s important to run tenant credit checks and rent to good tenants and avoid all the hassles of chasing bad tenants who will never pay you the rent they owe and you will never be fully paid for the stress they gave you!

Why Do BC Landlords Rent to Bad Tenants?

There is an excellent article at the Globe and Mail on this topic.

The Globe interviewed Rochelle Johannson who is a lawyer who deals with landlord and tenant disputes.

According to Rochelle too many small landlords base their decision on who to rent to on whether they “like the person or not.”

Too many landlords rely on their “gut feeling” and don’t verify what the people who want to rent your rental property say.

Even when some landlords do a bit of digging they often don’t do it the right way.

Calling a reference the renter gives you might be a friend acting as a former landlord or former employer. They will tell you lies to help their pal rent from you…and rip you off!

Get Terrific Services for BC Landlords (for only a one time registration fee!)

Join us for an affordable one-time registration fee and get access to networking, the BC Landlord Rental Kit, and premium easy to use credit check services.

Here’s what you get, it’s an incredible deal for landlords!

1. One time registration fee only

No annual membership fee. Once you join you never have to pay another cent. Compare this with other BC landlord groups who charge you $50 just to get set up, and then they keep on charging you year after year.

2. BC Landlord Rental Kit

Get all the documents you need in your own Rental Kit library that you can download 24/7.

3. Landlord Community Center and LANDLORD PROFESSIONAL Forum

Network with thousands of other landlords in BC and across Canada. Get tips and advice from a huge nation-wide network of experienced and successful landlords.

4. Handbooks and Manuals

Landlords can get ahead to the line with premium landlord education.

5. Premium Credit Checks

Start running premium credit checks on tenants to protect your investment.

Property Management Companies

You can join get our BC landlord services for a one time fee just like smaller residential landlords can. Why spend thousands of dollars when you can join our landlord and property management community?

BC Landlords Help

We are not affiliated with the government. We are run by successful residential landlords and property managers not bureaucrats getting salaries. We have worked hard to offer the best deal possible to help landlords succeed.

Our group charges only a one-time registration fee for great services including premium tenant credit check service and access to the BC Landlord Rental Kit with leases and applications! There are not “annual fees” because we understand BC landlords are on a tight budget.

Join Us and Welcome To Our Community! Get Great Tools and Services For a Low One-Time Registration Fee (No Annual Fee!) WE ARE REAL HELP FOR SMALL RESIDENTIAL LANDLORDS!

Tags: application, credit check, evictions, landlord advocacy, lease, rental kit, Residential Tenancy Branch
Posted in B.C. landlords, British Columbia landlords, Credit Check, Credit checks, landlord advocacy, Landlord rights, Landlord Services | Comments Off on Join Us For Help and Great Services For BC Landlords!

British Columbia Landlords: Find Good Tenants! Use Credit Checks

Use our BC landlord services to Find Great Tenants And Avoid the Serial Bad Tenants Out There!

Get The Best Tenant Credit Checks Available! We Are Landlords and We Help Landlords!

ONLY A ONE-TIME SET UP FEE FOR PREMIUM CREDIT CHECKS AND THE RENTAL KIT AND MORE!

The report of the CBC investigation of serial bad tenants is a huge wake-up call for landlords all across our province.

The report is about serial bad tenants who don’t pay rent.

It has landlords demanding a bad-tenant registry in British Columbia.

We had a Vancouver landlord email us the following:

“I also rented to some bad tenants. I was lucky they left owing only a month of rent and left the rental property pretty clean with the keys in the door.

I know see how lucky I was and will never rent to anyone without screening them properly!”

A landlord in Kelowna wrote in:

“This type of tenant scam happens all the time. Only now the media finally reported it!”

We even had an Alberta landlord write in with advice:

“Don’t wait for the government to do anything because they won’t. Make sure you check out anyone who wants to rent your property because this type of bad renter behaviour is happening not just in British Columbia.”

What Makes a Tenant A Good Tenant?

The good news is most of the tenants are there are good. These are the people you need to rent to. They treat you and your property with respect and pay the rent on time.

What is a Bad Tenant?

As we see from the CBC news report, bad tenants don’t pay the rent.

It’s also common for these types of tenants to cause damages to your rental property, leave a lot of garbage behind when they finally move, and cause a lot of drama with other tenants (and give their drama to you, the landlord).

How Can A Landlord Find Good Tenants? (And Avoid the Serial Ones)?

The most effective way is to be careful who you rent to.

A good tenant screening process includes a credit check.

It will provide you with a window on your tenant applicants financial history, as well as verify employment and past addresses.

What Will A Tenant Credit Check Show Me?

It’s exactly what successful landlords need to rent to the great tenants out there!

1. Credit Score

A credit score reveals the credit worthiness of a potential tenant.

If they have a history of paying their bills on time and being careful with the debts and finances it will result in a high credit score.

2. Current and Past Addresses

If any of the landlords had check their tenant’s credit they would have been able to see where they lived before and contacted those former landlords.

This way they would have found these tenants had a history of not-paying rent.

3. Employment

Are they currently employed? What about past employment?

4. Identification verification

Are they who they really say they are?

5. Past court judgments and other important information

Has anyone sued them and won a judgment against them? Do they owe anyone money? Are people chasing after them to try to collect debts owed?

All this is vital information about the people who are thinking of allowing into your investment property.

How Much Will This Cost?

Other groups charge members an annual fee to become a member.

Yikes! Those fees add up!

We don’t believe this is fair for small landlords.

For small landlords this large fee can add up, especially as you have to continue to pay year after year.

British Columbia Landlords – Get our services for only a one-time fee of only $99 and get access to the best credit checks available at a great price!

Tags: Alberta landlord, bc landlord, BC Landlords Association, credit check, Kelowna landlord, Surrey landlord, Vancouver landlord
Posted in British Columbia landlords, Credit checks, Landlord BC | Comments Off on British Columbia Landlords: Find Good Tenants! Use Credit Checks

BC Landlords: Premium Tenant Credit Checks for $12/check!

March 3rd, 2014

Are Landlords Helpless Against Bad Tenants? Not Anymore! This Deal Can’t Be Beat!

Landlords across British Columbia are becoming aware of the need to protect ourselves against bad tenants.

We’ve seen too many cases of small business landlords not getting paid rent for six months or seeing their rental property turned into a crack shack.

With an increasing pool of good tenants out there, make sure you take the necessary steps to find them (and shut out the professional tenants who want to rent from you).

How Can I Make Sure I Rent To Good Tenants?

Good tenant screening is the key.

This includes a tenant credit check which will go beyond a tenant telling you a ‘story’ and show you the real numbers and verify if they are telling you the truth.

BC Landlords Can Now Do Premium Credit Checks For Only $12 Per Check (with no hidden or annual fees!)

Many landlords don’t make tenant credit checks part of their screening process.

Why?

Many of the credit check companies out there are confusing in how they bill you.

It’s nearly impossible to know how much it will cost you with all the ‘additional fees’ they charge.

And they want an annual fee for any type discount, if they offer any at all.

Small landlords are on a budget and paying $25 or $30 or $40 for a tenant credit is simply out of reach for most landlords.

The Problem With Asking a Friend To Do A Tenant Credit Check For You

We live in an increasingly legalistic society.

This means it important small landlords know the rules and follow them.

Some landlords will ask a friend who is a real estate agent, works at a bank, sells mortgages or works at a car dealership to check their tenants for them.

This can lead to big problems for you and your friend and if reported to Equifax will get your friend (and their company) cut off from Equifax services.

It can also lead to a Privacy Complaint against you with the provincial government.

Getting a friend or relative to do a tenant credit check for you is simply not worth the risk when you now have safe, legal, and affordable options!

Now BC landlords can do safe, legal credit checks for an incredibly low price per check

We have partnered with GARDA a world leader in background screening.

How Long Does It Take Me To Get Set Up For Tenant Credit Checks With GARDA?

No time at all.

GARDA doesn’t require you to get ‘set up’ taking days, or weeks or months before you can do a tenant credit check.

You get a form your tenants sign and you then can get your tenant credit check done. This means:

1. No hassles

2. No delays

3. No need for copies of your passport, drivers license, etc.

You can start doing checks immediately.

What Does A GARDA Tenant Credit Check Show Me?

A GARDA credit check provides you with some of the most important information you need to make an educated decision on choosing tenants.

You get to view into the financial past and present of your potential tenant to make sure they are the right tenants for you!

– GARDA tenant credit checks confirm the tenant’s identity

– GARDA tenant credit checks verify the tenant’s employment

– GARDA tenant credit check confirms previous employment

– GARDA checks show if they have any court judgments against them

– GARDA tenant checks show you the tenant applicant’s credit score

All this information for a low cost per check.

With no annual fees.

With no hidden additional costs.

Become a Member of the BC Landlords Association

While other groups offer very little to help small British Columbia landlords succeed, we offer real value to help you and your rental business!

For Only $12 per Check For Members You Can Make Sure You Rent to Good Tenants!

Are you willing to invest $12 to make sure you rent to good, paying tenants (and avoid the pros)?

Tags: Equifax, GARDA, Kelowna landlords, Surrey landlords, Vancouver landlords
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British Columbia Landlords: Rent Increase Guideline 2014

January 1st, 2014

BC Landlords Are Asking “How Much Can I Raise the Rent In 2014?”

It’s news from the Residential Tenancies Branch that landlords all over the province are interested in.

Each year the government announces how much BC landlords can raise the rent for their tenants.

British Columbia Has Rent Control

Lots of new people who invest in residential rental properties in British Columbia are unaware we have what is called ‘Rent Control’ in this province.

This means the provincial government interferes with the rental market and controls how landlords run their rental businesses.

It doesn’t matter if you are a Vancouver landlord or if your properties are in Surrey or elsewhere, you have to obey whatever the government thinks is right when it comes to rent increases for the new year.

We are in a similar situation to what Ontario landlords face each year.

And those landlords aren’t happy with it.

Go check out the Ottawa Landlords blog to see what they face and they feel about their tiny 0.8% allowable rent increase.

How Much Can British Columbia Landlords Raise the Rent in 2014?

BC landlords can raise the rent 2.2% in 2014.

The Rent Increase for 2014 at 2.2%… It Just Feels Far Too Low!

We’ve received lots of emails already from landlords who feel the same way.

After all, the Rent Increase Guideline for BC landlords was 3.8%.

And many landlords don’t think their increased costs are lower than what we faced in 2013.

A Kelowna landlord emailed us the following message:

Property taxes go up. Hydro costs go up. Heck, even water bills are going through the roof!

Does the government really want people to invest in rental properties? Because it sure doesn’t seem like it.

I thought we decided against the NDP!

Why can’t we have the same rules as what Alberta landlords get? My cousin is a landlord in Calgary and she is going to raise the rent over $100 for her $900 rental apartment.

That’s where the government keeps their Big Brother/Big Sister ideas away from good landlords who just want to make a profit of some sort by providing great properties to good tenants??

BC Landlords and Getting Good Results in 2014

As we have read, BC landlords faced a lot of challenges in 2013.

With a low rent increase for the new year landlords must be extra careful who they rent to.

Make sure you do proper tenant screening and don’t rent to someone who will not only give you a headache, they can stay in your property and enjoy very small rent increases for years on end.

To discuss this and other landlord matters go to the BC landlords forum.

Tags: British Columbia landlords, Kelowna landlords, ottawa landlords, Rent Increase Guideline 2014, Surrey landlords
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Investing In British Columbia: Landlords Can Take Advantage of a Growing Tenant Pool

As Home Prices Rise the Pool of Good Tenants Grows for BC Landlords

In our last blog post we discussed how BC landlords can enhance our chances to rent to good tenants with proper tenant screening techniques.

With proper tenant screening, including credit checks, you improve your chances of renting to good tenants who respect you, respect your rental property, and pay the rent on time.

Some potential investors have emailed us asking “are there any good tenants in BC?”

It’s a valid question considering the media attention on so many ‘tenants from hell.”

Opportunities for British Columbia Landlords

Let’s focus on the positives of investing and becoming a landlord in BC.

According to a report in Canadian Real Estate Wealth Magazine buying a home is becoming increasingly difficult.

Difficulties in getting a mortgage are only one obstacle for new buyers. Prices are rising.

You also have to service the home. Utilities costs and taxes are rising.

An RBC report shows buying a house is simply not affordable for many renters.

The reports states that in 2013 a house owner will have to spend over 40% of household pre-tax income just to buy a small bungalow.

Owning Investment Properties Is a Business

A successful business has lots of good, paying customers and clients.

With the increasing costs of home ownership, it means many people who plan to buy a home will:

1. If they are currently renting they will hold and continue renting

2. Non-renters will decide to rent for a period of time before buying

The Pool Of Good Tenants Is Growing More people renting means the tenant pool grows.

This isn’t only happening in Vancouver.

Landlords in places like Surrey and Kelowna will also have more opportunities to rent to good tenants.

Reminder: There are Still Bad Tenants Out There

It’s important for landlords to use the proper tools and services to find good tenants.

Whenever you get the feeling of renting to tenants on your ‘gut feeling’ read this story about a Victoria landlord who is out more than $20,000 in lost rent, for fixing damages, and having to clean up the mess her tenants left.

Remember, lots of good tenants are looking for a good landlord…they are looking to rent from YOU

Make sure you screen your tenants carefully at all times.

Know what questions to ask.

Employment and tenant credit checks are a must.

Succeeding Is Now Up To You There are lots of good tenants out there.

Make sure you find them, and help them find you!

Tags: Investing, Kelowna landlords, Surrey landlords, Vancouver landlords, Victoria landlords
Posted in B.C. landlords, BC landlords, Rental Property | Comments Off on Investing In British Columbia: Landlords Can Take Advantage of a Growing Tenant Pool

Tenant Screening British Columbia: Fast and Affordable Tenant Credit Checks

We’re heard about a lot about the challenges British Columbia landlords faced this year.

Most of them involved residential landlords renting to tenants who didn’t pay their rent.

Or tenants who moved in and left leaving thousands of dollars in damages. It also included tenants who harassed their landlords.

Some tenants brag they feel justified in taking these actions because they claim landlords are ‘greedy.’

Tenant Screening

It’s essential landlords conduct proper tenant screening on prospective tenants.

In this day and age renting to someone based on a good conversation or a call to a previous landlord usually isn’t enough.

We’ve heard the stories.

Some of the worst “tenants from hell” were very charming when the landlord first met them.

Some had lots of personal references.This included glowing letters from ‘former landlords’ and ’employers’ and filled with promises to treat your rental property ‘as if it was their own.’

It is easy for landlords to find any kind of tenant for their rental property. It is much more difficult to find the right tenant who will not pose a risk to your investment.

There are lots of great tenants out there and you want to make sure you rent to them.

How Can I Find Good Tenants?

Garda Background Screening Services is proud to partner with the the CLA to help owners screen prospective tenants using our secure online technology – available in French and English – with results available in as little as 24 hours.

Gardas customized suite of services includes a tenant credit check can help provide a snapshot of a renter’s financial history.

Fast and Efficient Tool For BC Landlords

Time-pressed landlords need a tenant screening process that is simple and easy to use.

Potential renters need only to complete a consent form.

The consent form and two pieces of identification are faxed in toll free or emailed into a designated mailbox.

Get our services and receive special rates.

Should you have any questions, our dedicated account representatives are here to help.

Payment is quick and easy. Landlords can use a credit card.There are no account set up fees and no contracts to sign.

British Columbia Landlords only pay for the services they use.

Results of the checks are emailed to the landlord’s inbox in as little as one business day.

Let Garda help protect your investment and help ensure you find the right tenant.

Garda is are the country’s largest Canadian-owned background screening company. Garda clients count on us to provide them with the tools to manage risk, reduce losses, and enhance security in a cost effective and timely manner.

Protect Your Investment

Landlords all over British Columbia are being careful who they rent to.

Join the our group and start doing premium credit checks with Canada’s leading background screening company.

Tags: Landlord Forum, Tenant Screening British Columbia, Vancouver landlords
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B.C. Landlords Ask: How Much Can I Raise the Rent in 2014?

October 13, 2013

B.C. Landlords Can Raise the Rent 2.2% in 2014

More and more B.C. homeowners are creating secondary suites in their homes and becoming landlords.

There are lots of things new landlords need to learn to become successful. One of these is making sure you keep your rental property maintained.

Maintaining Your Rental Property Is Important

Keep your property up can be costly. Some repairs are urgent and obvious. A water pipe might break. A toilet might need to be replaced.

Others might be upgrades to keep your current tenants happy or to make the property attractive to new prospective renters.

How Much Can I Raise The Rent In 2014?

Rent increases are an important part of being a landlord. In 2013 B.C. landlords are allowed to raise the rent 3.8 percent.

In 2014 B.C. landlords can raise the rent by only 2.2 percent.

Why only 2.2%?

In British Columbia the allowable rent increase is based on inflation plus 2 percent.

According to the BC Residential Tenancy Act website:

Annual rent increase

22 (1) In this section, “inflation rate” means the 12 month average percent change in the all-items Consumer Price Index for British Columbia ending in the July that is most recently available for the calendar year for which a rent increase takes effect.

(2) For the purposes of section 43 (1) (a) of the Act [amount of rent increase], a landlord may impose a rent increase that is no greater than the percentage amount calculated as follows:

percentage amount = inflation rate + 2%

How Does The B.C. Rent Increase Compare to Other Provinces?

While the rate is low compared to past Rent Increase Guidelines, we are actually getting a pretty good deal in B.C. compared to some other provinces.

Many B.C. landlords aren’t aware that while our Rent Increase Guideline is inflation plus 2 percent most other provinces are only based on the inflation rate.

For example in Ontario landlords can only raise the rent 0.8% in 2014.

In Manitoba landlords can only raise the rent by 2.0% in 2014.

For Landlords From Vancouver to Surrey, To Discuss the 2014 Rent Increase Guideline and Other Landlord Issues Take a Look at the B.C. Landlords Forum

Tags: British Columbia landlords, how much can I raise the rent?, Landlord Forum
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Latest Craiglist Scam has BC Landlords and Tenants Angry

October 6th, 2013

Landlords are looking for good tenants.

Tenants are looking for good landlords.

(Of course there are some bad landlords and some bad tenants out there so let them have fun dealing with each other.)

So how can landlords and tenants who both want to meet, rent out a property, and create a mutually beneficial, respectful and lawful relationship meet?

Some people use the local newspaper. More and more landlords and tenants are using Kijiji. Others are using Craigslist.

Craiglist Scam (and Kijiji too!)

This is what makes the latest Craigslist scam even more annoying and making many good landlords upset. Landlords and tenants rely on sites like Craigslist and Kijiji to meet.

We’ve seen these types of scams all over Canada.

In fact this scam is very similar to what happened to a tenant in Newmarket and hurt a lot of people who wanted rent cottages last summer.

According to CBC News a Kamloops, B.C. landlord says she is the victim of a fraudster on the internet.

Landlord Nicky Plato says she found out this past summer someone took information from her personal online rental listing on Kijiji.ca

What Did They Do With The Information?

Wait for it…they took the information from the Kijiji ad and created a fake ad with it on Craigslist!

What a Scam!

Yes. On a regular Sunday night Plato answered her door and met a woman who showed up at her door. It was a pizza delivery man, it was a tenant expecting to move in to her property.

According to landlord Plato this ‘tenant’ believed that it was her house and she would begin renting on September 1st.

More Details Please

The woman pointed her to the Craigslist ad.

In the ad tenants were asked for a $450 deposit to be wired to, ahem, secure the lease.

Landlord Plato Fights Back

Plato decided to fight back. She contacted the scammer. She did this by posing as a renter interested in the property.

She was absolutely astonished when the scammer sent her copies of photos of the place. The photos even included one of her in her home.

Plato said: “Literally, the hair on my arms stood up. I really didn’t think that my information would be that vulnerable when I am renting online to local people in Kamloops on Kijiji. I never thought it would be that vulnerable.”

She added “He has my address, my licence plate number, my name, my picture….everything!”

She repeated ‘flagged’ the ad according to Craiglists’ policies for this type of fraud.

It hasn’t worked and the fake landlord keeps posting it.

She even called the fake landlord and demanded he stop it. He won’t.

The RCMP said there isn’t much the force can do because it appears the scammers really are in Africa.

Plato says she just wants it to stop.

To Discuss This And Other Landlord and Tenant Issues Go To the B.C. Landlord Forum

Tags: BC landlords, Craigslist, Kijiji, Landlord Forum
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Big Landlord and Tenant Dispute at a Downtown Eastside building

September 2nd, 2013

Vancouver readers we have a big dispute between a landlord and tenants (and tenants and poverty activists).

The issue is over rooms at 259 Powell.

What Is the Problem?

According to the Province the Downtown Eastside activists says the landlord has evicted a couple of people without following the rules.

They also claim the landlord has ‘bribed’ some tenants to move and speak well of the landlord to counter what the tenants say.

What’s Happening?

We have posts about bad landlords and bad tenants.

This time the issue is a little different. The conflict is about the debate over gentrification of the Downtown Eastside.

What Does the Landlord Say?

Geoffrey Howes, of Living Balance, said the company recently succeeded in legally evicting a tenant who was a “major drug dealer.”

Howes said there have been two legal evictions in the building, adding: “We have had ongoing problems with rampant drug dealing in the building.”

Howes said dealers would leave the alleyway door propped open, and threaten caretakers and other tenants. “We had strangers lining up in the hallway at all hours, needles everywhere.”

“We got support from the tenancy branch to evict the primary dealer,” he said, offering documentation from the branch.

“The fact is, the only people we evict from any properties are for nonpayment of rent or illegal activities.”

Howes said seven other tenants have left the building for other reasons.

What Do the Tenants and their Representatives Say?

At a press conference called by Pivot Legal Society on Thursday, anti-poverty activist Wendy Pederson blinked back tears and accused Living Balance owner Steven Lippman of “harassment and intimidation.”

Pivot housing lawyer DJ Larkin said: “What is happening to the residents of the York Rooms is a violation of human rights.”

Larkin added: “It is a crisis and something needs to be done now.”

To discuss this and other Vancouver landlord and tenant issues go to the BC landlord forum.

Tags: tenant activsts
Posted in Landlord Forum, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Big Landlord and Tenant Dispute at a Downtown Eastside building

Landlords Make Sure Your Tenants Realize The Importance (and low cost) of Tenant Insurance

August 4, 2013

Be a Pro-Active Landlord And Protect Your Tenants and Your Properties

With summer half over and many tenancies beginning in September it’s a great time for B.C. Landlords to remind their new tenants and current tenants the importance of getting Tenant Insurance and check on the fire safety of your rental properties.

Let’s go back to April when there was a horrible fire at a Langley, B.C. housing complex that led to tragedy.

Twelve people were taken to hospital and three were in critical condition.Sadly, one person died.

More than one hundred seniors faced loss and an uncertain future that still is ongoing.

The housing complex was at 203 Street and 54 Avenue. The fire broke out in the 2^nd floor.

Tenant Margaret Mitcham was one of the ‘lucky’ ones.

When the fire broke out she saw the smoke and managed to grab her purse and escape without any injuries.

Investigators still don’t know how the fire started, but fire officials have confirmed there was no sprinkler system in the 30-year-old building, which was constructed before sprinklers were a safety requirement.

The president of the B.C. Seniors Living Association is Dave Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair stated he thinks the government should upgrade the buildings with sprinkler systems.

Tenant / Content Insurance

Margaret Mitcham also has tenant insurance. This means she will be compensated for anything damaged not only by the fire but by the water used to battle it.

She says it is pure luck she has content insurance.

Mitcham says many of those who lived in the building don’t have insurance.

“It’s low rental here, you know, and some of them don’t have content insurance.”

Insurance Bureau of Canada spokesman Serge Corbeil says many renters routinely ignore advice to get rental insurance because they falsely believe they don’t have anything worth insuring.

“Sadly, it’s when you lose everything you realize how much you had. That type of insurance will allow you replace that,” said Corbeil.

He said policies run for as low as $20 a month. The policy will cover living expenses if your home is destroyed by a fire.

“It will also help you pay for those additional living expenses, so if you can’t live in the building you occupy before for awhile, your insurance will help you cover the cost of putting you in a hotel for some time.”

He estimates up to half of all renters don’t carry fire insurance.

B.C. Landlords Make Sure Your Tenants Are Aware of the Importance of Tenant Insurance

Tags: fire safety, good landlords
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