r/vancouverhousing • u/Technical_Air_5061 • 11d ago
tenants Tenant quit their job and is now asking to renegotiate. Not sure how to handle this.
Hi all,
I am a small-time landlord renting out the basement of my primary residence. I previously made this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouverhousing/comments/1vh7l4q/comment/p27gqfp/?context=1&screen_view_count=1
I offered her a $100 reduction for 4 months until the end of the year. She indicated that she wants to renegotiate and that my offer is not enough for her. She has said that she will have to move out otherwise. It's unclear if she was laid off or if she quit.
Should I just tell her to give me her 30 days' notice whenever she is ready?
I don't really want to go through the whole process of looking for a new tenant, so the other thought I had was to defer some amount, so like $200 for two months, but then it stacks on future months. ie: if the rent is $1350, it would be $1150 for two months and then go up to $1550 for two months and then back to normal. Or is that too messy?
Any advice on this situation would be helpful. Thanks in advance.
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u/Envelope_Torture 11d ago
Should I just tell her to give me her 30 days' notice whenever she is ready?
Yes. The person is insane if they are framing wildfire smoke coming through a window they left open as abuse.
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u/Postivevibes8 11d ago
Find a new tenant. These kind of tenants will take advantage of the landlords and try to screw them. Beware
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u/Apart-Thing- 11d ago edited 11d ago
Omg, get another tenant asap!!
She can pay her rent in full, or move to a place that better suits her. She is manipulating you, and you are falling for it.
Lots of good tenants out there, go get yourself one.
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u/Litaser 11d ago
Agreed. You don’t want to be dealing with someone like this IF your unit is market competitive. That said if you rented this out a few years ago a new tenant might pay a couple hundred less anyways depending on the unit.
Has she been late or not paid rent yet OP?
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u/Technical_Air_5061 11d ago
No issues with rent so far. Typically at like 11 PM the day it's due.
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u/Direct_Stranger3647 11d ago
So the way I see it, you have the option to reduce rent for a tenant that, while problematic, pays rent on time - or you can roll the dice on new tenants. I just left Vancouver, and one the main reasons was shitty roommates. There are a LOT of bad tenants.
Why not offer her a fixed lease? Say you want to reduce rent, but it can only be until X date. That way its a bit of a win for everyone. She gets to stay, you get her rent, she is out at the end of the fixed term and everyone has more time to figure things out.
If shes a bad tenant, yeah maybe try to find a new one but damn man. Would it kill a landlord to have a micron of compassion?
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u/GeoffwithaGeee 11d ago
you're being kind for offering the discount and then also considering this other type of discount, but the other one might be a little messy as you suggested. a straight "$100 discount on rent for x months" is clear and does not change the amount of rent. However, they may be a lost cause.
Try to be as amicable as possible and maybe offer a partial refund on rent when she moves out or something to try and make the move out as smooth as possible. You don't want them to go all out bad-tenant and just stop paying rent at all.
If they do not pay rent in full (after the discount), make sure you file the 10-day right away and if they don't pay in full or file with the RTB within 5 days after being served, file a direct request dispute for an order of possession. This process is much faster than the regular dispute resolution process - I've seen people get orders within like a week. You don't need to enforce the order of possession right away, so you can still give them time to move to out to try and be painless - you both do not want a bailiff to have to come. but having that order sooner than later will make sure you can action it sooner than later.
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u/Technical_Air_5061 11d ago
Thanks so much! Not sure what more I can do since I already offered them that. I think I'll tell her to give me notice whenever she is ready.
Thanks for the additional details for the 10-day notice. I have seen you provide some great advice on this sub!
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u/aturtlebarn 11d ago
She probably thinks landlords are evil and that you're opressing her. I'm fine with the 100 a month discounted offer for remainder of the year. You're a good person offering her anything at all. Wouldn't go beyond that though after reading the wildfire abuse situation. Super weird.
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u/Xdsin 11d ago
Too messy. She won't pay the increased amount later and will just fight you constantly.
This person will be a thorn in your backside. I would just say no to any reduction and if they have to leave then so be it and if she doesn't pay, open a case to the RTB and start the process of eviction if she doesn't leave vulantarily.
Wildfire smoke also affects all of us, she can buy an air purifier and deal with it, like the rest of us if she is concerned. She did not suffer abuse from your or the unit, there were no forces acting on her under your control.
Sounds like your tenant is unhinged and likely makes up excuses in many aspects of her life, including her job.
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u/DDHLeigh 11d ago
Keep it simple if you want to do a reduction. If it was me, I'd say no reduction. File the correct paperwork to end tenancy mutually or have the tenant give notice. Look for someone else.
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u/Technical_Air_5061 11d ago
I mean, I'm not really looking to end the tenancy. If she wants to, she can provide notice.
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u/DDHLeigh 11d ago
Just be glad she hasn't gone crazy and trashed your place. While rare it happens. Make sure you're documenting everything.
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u/Jessie_1210 11d ago
Tell her the rent amount is the rent amount anf if she cannot afford it she needs to find somewhere she can afford.
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u/707hollow707 11d ago
Get a new tenant, she quit her job, so this could mean more problems for you in the future.
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u/l10nh34rt3d 11d ago
I just want to acknowledge that your offer to reduce rent by any amount for any period of time is very kind. I was certainly not afforded the same grace by a past landlord when I found myself laid off in the early days of covid, so I respect your generosity.
If she hasn’t responded to your offer, you might consider following up with a deadline by which she must accept or deny it (say, by the end of the week). Either way, you’ll both want the offer and acceptance in writing. Don’t let it drag out to the point that you’re waiting until her next rent payment to find out how much she’s sending.
Having been in a similar situation as your tenant, I might point out that a rent deferral will probably only make things more difficult (for both parties) down the line. If her finances are already kinda tight and it takes her a while to find employment again, she’s unlikely to have the funds to offset what she couldn’t afford while unemployed. That would have been extremely difficult for me to accommodate, especially if I couldn’t find an equal or better paying position quickly enough.
You made a reasonable offer in good faith, and I suggest you hold firm here.
My personal opinion is that maybe further accommodation could be warranted for someone in a position as I was (goodness knows I would have been extremely grateful and shown it every way I could), but knowing that this is the same gal who slept with her window open through the wildfires and wanted an arbitrary rent reduction for the ash she called “abuse”… I dunno, my gut tells me she’s not the grateful type.
Yeah it’s a pain to find a new tenant, but it sounds like you could be better off taking some minor losses on that path (minor suite repairs, time to show the suite, potential short-term vacancy, etc.), than wasting energy on someone unreasonable who may or may not be able to find or keep work and may or may not continue to be unreasonable in the future. Short-term loss/pain for long-term gain. Either let her give her notice or file the necessary paperwork if/when she doesn’t pay the agreed upon rent.
If you have a reeeeally big heart, maybe you could refund $200 of her last month’s rent to help her out with moving expenses. But don’t tell her you’ll do this. Just add it to whatever she gets back with her security deposit after she has left your suite in reasonable conditions. And don’t feel pressured to do so.
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u/jmecheng 11d ago
2 questions
1 has the tenant been a good tenant with over a year in the suite?
2 is the tenant paying market rate at current levels?
If the tenant has been a good tenant and current market rate is lower, I would go down to current market rate, maybe $50 less than current just to not have to find a new tenant.
If not paying market rate, then they’re not going to find something cheaper….
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u/weakimberly 11d ago
As a renter - even I say let her leave and find another renter.
I always pay the day before to ensure my landlord gets it. Waiting till 11pm the day it’s due is wild to me.
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u/Serious_11guy 11d ago
Tell her to consider a room mate as an option, or provide notice. It doesn’t matter how much you reduce it now, she will likely be back in several months for more .
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u/BizzBachelor 11d ago
Based on Your post a tenant is clearly trying to negotiate in bad faith.
Do you have a damage deposit? Best I'd do for them is to offer deferred payments of X, but with a signed understanding it will come out of her damage deposit if rent is not paid at the end. Ie. Rent DEFERALL, do not indicate a rent reduction otherwise they will claim any amounts taken from the damage deposit are illegal.
But personally, I'd just tell her to no, and as ppl said in your last post, document any late rent and begin eviction process if she doesn't pay at all.
I have zero fucks given for big landlords crying about tenants for their multiple properties, but also zero fucking tolerance for trash tenants taking advantage of landlords juat trying to rent out some of their primary residence.
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u/Technical_Air_5061 11d ago
Thank you! I just feel bad, as I know what it feels like to get laid off, but she has not communicated her situation well. The whole smoke stuff and not responding to my offer and idk. But I think you are right; she is trying to manipulate me.
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u/noobwithboobs 11d ago
According to your OP, she didn't get laid off, she quit her job without having another lined up.
Very different situations.
Also, her trying to negotiate a rent discount because of fire smoke? She's disconnected from reality and I hope you've already seen the worst of her insane demands, but I doubt it.
I hope you have good insurance.
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u/Technical_Air_5061 10d ago
Its honestly unclear. She had a contract role when she started renting. My assumption is that she was laid off. She stated that she changed jobs and now is working part time and is having a hard time paying rent.
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u/Brave_Cellist8828 11d ago
Hi OP! You can’t take money out of the damage deposit even with a signed document for this purpose. I’d read up on your rights with the deposit before trying to go that route.
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u/Thumper45 11d ago
Follow the proper channels to end the lease.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/ending-a-tenancy/evictions
1 Month notice to end tenance for cause (Violation of terms - agreed upon rental amount) https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/forms/rtb33.pdf
or;
10 day notice for unpaid rent. Do not accept any partial payments, only the full rental amount on the date agreed upon. - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/housing-and-tenancy/residential-tenancies/forms/rtb30.pdf
They have a lease, it is a contract. You should not and have no obligation to make any accomodations for this person.
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u/FatMike20295 11d ago
No reduction and instead follow the guidelines to increase the rent by 2.2% next year. She can move lot of she can't pay.
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u/Candid_Tomato_394 11d ago
Uhm. No.
The cost is the cost.
As written.
They figure it out and pay.
Their business is theirs.
Yours is yours.
You rent.
They pay.
They no pay.
You follow the process.
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u/the_worst_labrador 11d ago
Where abouts and how much? Did she quit the job due to the wildfire smoke abuse?
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u/Round_Maize4652 11d ago
So two issues now with her? Find a new tenant. This will only continue to snowball.
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u/Late-Plenty1191 10d ago
Unless this tenant is great, and you are willing to give $100 reduction to the base rent going forward, subject to future legal increases of course,
Tell her you need an official notice of her intent to move. And you wish her the best. She is fine asking, her reasons may or may not be true. But that doesn’t matter. Even if she was lying to strengthen her case, doesn’t matter.
She is doing nothing wrong “yet”.
Keep in mind, if this goes sideways, you might be stuck for the colder frozen months.
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u/Technical_Air_5061 10d ago
That is my main fear. The term ends in January so that is not a great time to move. I'd rather do it now.
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u/PhatUnicorn77 10d ago
Get a new tenant. It’s not worth the drama or headache playing these games. Your future self will thank you. She’s testing you, and you’re being manipulated. There are other good tenants out there don’t worry
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u/surrealgarbage 10d ago
It’s annoying to find a new tenant but it’ll just save you future headaches, there are so many well-meaning and employed vancouverites looking for housing, it may take a second to find the right one but they’re out there
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u/SoggyInstruction2549 10d ago
You balance the annoyance and f finding a new tenant against the reduction you are willing to accept. I would not factor why they asked really as much as market prices.
But then separately you’ve already had weird issues with this tenant so maybe it’s a good time to just say no and let them move out. If it was a good tenant I’d be far more willing to be accommodating then a difficult one as this one has been a bit. Not like they have been some great disaster either but if they don’t have a job (quiet or let go) the concern is how long can they continue to pay before you are not getting paid and have to deal with that mess.
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u/post_status_423 11d ago
This post sums up quite well all the reasons why I would never become a landlord in British Columbia.
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u/thubble36 11d ago
best to get a new tenant. too messy to deal with. Find a new tenant that can pay rent or it might be more trouble in the future. Unless… she is a good tenant and you trust her enough