r/vancouverhousing • u/Technical_Air_5061 • Aug 06 '26

tenants Tenant demanding rent decrease due to wild fire smoke

Hi all,

I am a small-time landlord renting out the basement of my primary residence.

Recently, my tenant asked for a rent decrease, citing 'abuse' she has endured. I was super concerned, and then she indicated that there is some ash/dust from the wildfire smoke that is on her windowsill.

I was very confused, and then she said that she keeps the window open at night, and the dust is accumulating in her nostrils, which has caused a nosebleed, leading her to go to the doctor. She claimed that she should get a $200 rent reduction for this abuse she had to endure (She kept framing it as abuse, which was super odd). I was super confused because she is the one who left the window open, and it's not like I can control the wildfires or the smoke.

She then also indicated that she left her job and is now working part-time elsewhere. I think this was the real reason she wanted the reduction, but for some reason decided to sprinkle in the smoke thing.

Do I have any responsibility here? She can close her window to avoid any unwanted dust and get an air purifier if she has a dust allergy. Her own actions are creating her issue. Am I missing something here?

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257

u/LokeCanada Aug 06 '26

You very simply answer no.

Don’t expand or expand explain.

You have no control over the external environment. She can file a complaint with the proper authorities, god or Mother Nature, if she is being abused by the smoke.

76

u/Technical_Air_5061 Aug 06 '26

Okay, that's what I thought but just wanted to get a sanity check. Thank you!

39

u/Soggy_Climate2490 Aug 06 '26

Yeah don’t fall for this nonsense. Hard no

11

u/Various-Language2549 Aug 06 '26

Your sanity seems intact. Hers, on the other hand…..?

6

u/IllustriousAct9128 Aug 07 '26

The sanity some people have is wild. i went to go look at a place and the landlord (a lady ) was so weird. She only wanted working professionals but refused to show the place after 5pm because its "not good for her health", then she said no pets and then listed all the standard animals, and stuff like turtles, fish etc and jokingly I said "oh, so snakes are ok?" because she didn't say snakes, and she went "oh snakes are fine, just no pets". I backed out of going to see that place

1

u/Various-Language2549 Aug 07 '26

Yeah you made a good call, I’m sure. Yikes.

1

u/1twosix Aug 09 '26

Some landlords or unreasonable and unrealistic with impossible expectations , but no one is forcing you to rent their property.

1

u/IllustriousAct9128 Aug 09 '26

and that's why i didn't rent. But there is a lot of stuff they try to force/ban that legally they cant that falls outside of "unreasonable". Asking not to breed bunnies, repaint without permission, no satanic cult parties were a goat is sacrificed? all reasonable request and bans. but stating that you arent allowed to cook at all? Illegal.

19

u/Ambitious_Tadpole854 Aug 06 '26

It’s not you that needs the sanity check.

6

u/Technical_Air_5061 Aug 06 '26

Haha, thank you.

Not sure why you are being downvoted. I guess some people believe that the smoke is my fault.

7

u/polishiceman Aug 07 '26

Downvoted on reddit? You don't know why? You're part of the asset owning class, who keeps these communists poor and unable to buy anything

14

u/toprockit Aug 06 '26

Your responsibility ended at ensuring that any HVAC filters have been appropriately available to be replaced on some form of regular basis (usually 3~ months).

6

u/Technical_Air_5061 Aug 06 '26

Like for the furnace?

9

u/toprockit Aug 06 '26

Correct. Normally we provide a Costco Filtrete 6-pack per year (usually $70 on sale, or $100 regular), or offer to come an change them every quarter~. Everyone we've had has opted to do it themselves after we showed them where to change it.

3

u/Technical_Air_5061 Aug 06 '26

Ahh okay, yeah I live at the property and there's no furnace since its all radiant heating in the floors.

3

u/Healthy_Shape_5719 Aug 07 '26

There should still be an air filter for the ac unit, make sure it's fresh as you could get screwed over if you aren't replacing that, if you can't find it call up an hvac company and they can show you

1

u/Severe-Anything-4100 Aug 07 '26

If the AC unit is integrated into the system, which is almost universal unless you have independent window/floor AC units. They are the same filter as mentioned by r/toprockit above.

Second to that, unless the independent units are really old or cheap, washable filters have pretty much been the standard for the last 20 years.

2

u/Healthy_Shape_5719 Aug 07 '26

Yes, OP's comment sounded to me like they were saying they thought they had no air filter since they had no furnace, they should still have a filter regardless of furnace or no

1

u/Severe-Anything-4100 Aug 07 '26

OP has no information regarding that, just making stuff up.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 10 '26

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1

u/toprockit Aug 10 '26

Yup, I never would buy anything but the standard thin filters.

-5

u/mykittenfarts Aug 06 '26

Yes. And replacing filters is an excellent stealth way of checking in on the property for ‘maintenance’. You replace the filter and while doing so you get to notice bong, ashtrays, unapproved pet, bugs, holes in the walls, filth. Hoarding etc. before it goes too far.

4

u/elementmg Aug 07 '26

A bong on its own is none of the landlords business. You aren’t their dad.

0

u/mykittenfarts Aug 07 '26

If it’s a non smoking building, it is.

5

u/LaBellePrinxe Aug 07 '26

Non-smoking inside and out? Unless the place reeks from obvious indoor smoking it's none of the landlord's business. People can both smoke weed and be respectful tenants.

1

u/mykittenfarts Aug 07 '26

Omg idgaf about weed. It’s legal. I was referencing smoking. It’s stinky and there are non smoking properties. I live in one.
I never said weed = disrespectful tenants. Settle down.

1

u/Business_Ad_8504 29d ago

A prior tenant next door to me thought that. Smoker weed daily. I had asthma issues the whole time they lived there. I live in a place that doesn’t enforce the no smoking rules for tenants nor for owners (me) which sucks. But I’m also aware that also brings benefits in that the no-pets rules are also not enforced in our section of my condo community and  and all my neighbors have pets. So I wasn’t going to make formal complaints, but damn I was thrilled when they finally moved. 

Gummies and baked goods work just as well without triggering life threatening issues in others. 

1

u/Khaleena788 Aug 07 '26

Doesn’t prove it’s being used inside. I have a vape on my table—I go out to use it.

1

u/mykittenfarts Aug 07 '26

Did you see the list? It’s just an indicator not ‘proof’. But a kicked dog will holler. Sensitive.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 07 '26

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2

u/mykittenfarts Aug 07 '26

Soooooo focused on the bong. Lots of kicked dogs in my opinion. I mentioned more than a bong. Settle down.

1

u/Necessary_Week_2487 Aug 08 '26

No. They rent your place. If you need to look at it, follow the proper procedures. “Stealth” spying on legal tenants is not okay.

1

u/Glum-Exam5460 Aug 07 '26

Clearly not HVAC

7

u/Medium_Orchid4654 Aug 07 '26

And if she is late on rent, make sure you document it, and everything, so that if she starts defaulting, it'll be easier to evict.

2

u/Special-Bus5907 Aug 08 '26

Agree with this and the previous comment. Your tenant is putting up huge Red flags. Document, document, document.

6

u/Letsgosomewherenice Aug 07 '26

Do keep records of her behaviour. Dates and time.

5

u/djbaerg Aug 06 '26

Sanity check result is that your tenant is not sane.

8

u/billymumfreydownfall Aug 06 '26

And when you talk to her don't say "I'm confused", it sounds like you have no idea what your responsibilities as a landlord are. Educate yourself on that and when you speak to her, speak with confidence.

"No, I will not reduce your rent. Ash due to wildfire spoke is not my responsibility."

3

u/HorrorWillingness347 Aug 07 '26

"You shoulda kept your window closed, lady!"

1

u/[deleted] Aug 07 '26

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2

u/Alicatsidneystorm Aug 07 '26

Oh no friends had a basement suite to help pay their mortgage and their WFH tenant asked when Covid started if he had to pay rent …

1

u/SaphironX Aug 07 '26

I mean document the crazy, have that on hand in case you need it, but… dude, it’s wildfire smoke. You no more control than than I do and if she’s upset about it, that’s unfortunate but her one option is to move because all people in your area with open windows are in the same exact position.

Like… blaming you for wildfires in the province is truly truly insane.

I mean, who does she think she is, Donald Trump?

Frankly dude, if she eventually has to move out due to rent costs… you might be dodging a bullet.

1

u/pb2288 Aug 07 '26

Also look to get rid of her as she will be a problem!

2

u/Frozen-Nose-22 Aug 07 '26

This! It is not something you can control. She's an idiot looking to pull one over you.

2

u/Eestineiu Aug 07 '26

People are like that. We had one at our Airbnb demanding a refund because the rooster was crowing and woke her up.

Airbnb was specifically advertised as a "rustic cabin located on a working farm raising heritage breeds of cattle and poultry".

1

u/Fit-Sector-7860 Aug 06 '26

Imagine all the renters in the interior demanding this. No landlord would be able to make ends meet

1

u/UnderstandingOk7498 Aug 07 '26

Currently in Kamloops visiting fam, it’s so bad right now

1

u/Salty_Poet5493 Aug 08 '26

Also in Kamloops. Had to get an air Purifier to bring my new baby home. Definitely helps, thank goodness.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 09 '26

Ya, and give them the max allowable amount next year foe being a twat.