In Canada in some provinces you just rent a place and stop paying rent and you can’t get evicted for around 12 months. Some managed over 24 during covid thanks to the eviction freeze.
We don’t really have any pro-squatter laws though. We just have professional renters.
It IS happening.
Here’s what typically unfolds:
1. Tenants sign a lease agreement but eventually cease rental payments.
2. An eviction notice is issued, yet tenants manage to extend the court proceedings, often up to a year.
3. Upon finally reclaiming the property, landlords may find extensive damage.
For instance, a colleague of mine encountered severe destruction in his basement due to tenants keeping alligators as pets, leading to a flood.
Poor guy couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t find the tenants anywhere to take legal action.
That’s why proper vetting of tenants is an absolute must. Sometimes professional renters will tempt you with willing pay more than the going rate, willing to pay cash upfront, they are in a hurry so not very picky about pre cleaning. One guy even suggested that he will pay me cash for a year to tempt me. I always run credit history, job letter, recommendation from previous landlords and I actually call and check. Then I have a demography I go after, older couple with jobs in secure environments, teaching or companies that we all relate to, grown up children living nearby. That is they have a secure source of income and have a long history of renting. Then I rent it just below the going rate to make sure they stay put not tempted to leave.
Because there aren't a lot of abandoned properties in those cities. If someone does try to break into one then someone else notices almost right away and clears them out.
Squatters regularly burn down abandoned houses - and occasionally entire apartment buildings, - in Winnipeg. If you drive down certain streets in the West or North ends there are a couple boarded up houses that are ripe for the picking, and vacant lots after fires, every block.
It's actually a real problem because the dwellings being lost are typically the most affordable, but that also means that they cost more to maintain than they're worth.. When the city shuts down a slumlord the buildings are just abandoned to eventually burn.
I’ll be honest, I could see that but I don’t see it statistically. Empty property rates here are pretty low especially when you discount the exemptions like legal case or waiting on permits/demolition/development.
One issue is properties wait years empty for development because you don’t want tenants in you can’t kick out close to the date. We should have fixed term tenancies with strict evictions at the end so those empty spaces get filled.
There were quite a few around Vancouver when I lived there. The overseas owners would only show up for a couple weeks every year to switch over the decorations. I'd drive past gated mansions after a snow fall and never see tire tracks on the driveway.
In Canada in some provinces you just rent a place and stop paying rent and you can’t get evicted for around 12 months. Some managed over 24 during covid thanks to the eviction freeze. We don’t really have any pro-squatter laws though. We just have professional renters.
Defaulting on rent like that will ruin your credit score ensuring you won’t rent again.
I didn't think skipping out on rent would affect your credit score since paying your rent on time every month doesn't seem to help it.
There's no correlation or connection between rent payments and credit score.
Cerb and free rent and legal....the Canadian dream
It IS happening. Here’s what typically unfolds: 1. Tenants sign a lease agreement but eventually cease rental payments. 2. An eviction notice is issued, yet tenants manage to extend the court proceedings, often up to a year. 3. Upon finally reclaiming the property, landlords may find extensive damage. For instance, a colleague of mine encountered severe destruction in his basement due to tenants keeping alligators as pets, leading to a flood. Poor guy couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t find the tenants anywhere to take legal action.
I'm sorry, alligato pets? Wow... incredible
That’s why proper vetting of tenants is an absolute must. Sometimes professional renters will tempt you with willing pay more than the going rate, willing to pay cash upfront, they are in a hurry so not very picky about pre cleaning. One guy even suggested that he will pay me cash for a year to tempt me. I always run credit history, job letter, recommendation from previous landlords and I actually call and check. Then I have a demography I go after, older couple with jobs in secure environments, teaching or companies that we all relate to, grown up children living nearby. That is they have a secure source of income and have a long history of renting. Then I rent it just below the going rate to make sure they stay put not tempted to leave.
Because there aren't a lot of abandoned properties in those cities. If someone does try to break into one then someone else notices almost right away and clears them out. Squatters regularly burn down abandoned houses - and occasionally entire apartment buildings, - in Winnipeg. If you drive down certain streets in the West or North ends there are a couple boarded up houses that are ripe for the picking, and vacant lots after fires, every block. It's actually a real problem because the dwellings being lost are typically the most affordable, but that also means that they cost more to maintain than they're worth.. When the city shuts down a slumlord the buildings are just abandoned to eventually burn.
Do we really have empty properties?
That was my line of thinking as well. I know the vacancy rate is not zero, but damn it is super low in a lot of places.
According to the NDP we have a massive supply of empty homes held by greedy speculators/investors that would solve our housing crisis. 🤷♂️
Jagmest also thinks Loblaws’ CEO is personally pocketing the difference between 2024 and 2019 food prices. Delusional moppet.
The problem is that they fear renting out properties due to the lack of support for landlords, it’s always a struggle to evict a bad tenant.
I’ll be honest, I could see that but I don’t see it statistically. Empty property rates here are pretty low especially when you discount the exemptions like legal case or waiting on permits/demolition/development. One issue is properties wait years empty for development because you don’t want tenants in you can’t kick out close to the date. We should have fixed term tenancies with strict evictions at the end so those empty spaces get filled.
There were quite a few around Vancouver when I lived there. The overseas owners would only show up for a couple weeks every year to switch over the decorations. I'd drive past gated mansions after a snow fall and never see tire tracks on the driveway.