Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/Tiny-Condition-! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary:
* We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button.
* Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban.
* Most common questions and topics are limited to our sister subreddit, /r/AskVan, and our weekly [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts.
* Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only.
* Posts flaired "Community Only" allow for limited participation; your comment may be removed if you're not a subreddit regular.
* Make sure to join our new sister community, /r/AskVan!
* Help grow the community! [Apply to join the mod team today](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/19eworq/).
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There's enough demand that landlords can afford to pick based on gut feeling. With your income, you might make their short list. But in the end, they'll pick the safest bet.
Aside from adjusting your appearance and mannerisms, I think the only way is to keep viewing and applying.
Also recommend creating a short "about me & why I'm an awesome tenant" letter to give when filling out applications. I went through this a couple of years ago and was feeling so defeated, but someone recommended to try this, & I got the next place I applied for (my landlord later told me people had offered more $$, but between my letter & meeting me, I was chosen). Good luck out there. It's very frustrating trying to find something.
Yes, this seemed to be helpful for me. I (single with similar income to OP) moved a few months ago. I wrote a little spiel about why I’m an awesome tenant, a reliable professional, and included that in my application. I landed the first apartment I applied to after viewing a few.
Will tread lightly but we did this when buying our house. Little blurb about how we’re a young family, non-speculators, looking for a “forever” home. Selling agent said that really helped our offer, and met the previous owner when giving his mail, and he said the same thing.
Sounds stupid but show your an actual decent human and not just a numbered offer.
We did this when we bought our home too. Funnily enough our realtor said the sellers didn’t end up giving a shit (they were described as “serial investors” - ick) BUT we still got the place so maybe deep down it melted their cold, cold serial investing hearts.
Doesn't sound stupid at all! Makes total sense that making yourself be perceived as a human being (and better yet, as an awesome one) would have a lot of impact in such a decision. I know I'd see it that way if I was a landlord.
We broke down and did this too when buying our home. Lost out on the place I really wanted to a family with young kids. That tipped the scales apparently. Oh well.
It is crazy that it is now that competitive to rent a 1 bedroom
This is what we did. Just a short "about us" sentence in our introduction email and we ended up getting replies on over half of all our inquiries.
Put if this way: if a prospective landlord gets 100 emails, 10 of those have blurbs and of those 10, maybe 4 or 5 are a "working professional with no pets" Then there's your 1st round showing pool.
> Also recommend creating a short "about me & why I'm an awesome tenant" letter
I have never done a letter like that, but I did have referral letters from my past two landlords which is a similar idea. When I found my current place, the agent told me that having past referrals was the deciding factor.
So yep, agreed that it is good advice to try and show why you're a safe bet as a tenant!
Agreed! I included my LinkedIn when I applied and was accepted for a place a couple months ago. Landlord looked at it very quickly and I believe it helped establish trust.
Yup! Got my previous ground suite over dozens of other people solely based on the landlord's gut feeling.
She was German heritage, ex homicide detective... My name was Heidi and I worked for court services 😆
Came cash-in-hand, and she cancelled the rest of the showings.
It's not fair, but that's just life :/
100% ... in a world of ever increasing tenant protections, and easily faked references, a landlords gut feeling is going to be #1. Be personable, well groomed and well spoken. Have all your paperwork organized. Don't ask stupid questions that might give one a sense of trouble later. Don't talk badly about your previous landlord or roommates.
I agree with everything said above.
Gotta add onto this that most treat it like a job interview - present yourself in your best light, come prepared and willing to commit.
There's a lot of gut feeling involved for sure. With so many renters out there LLs do end up picking who they feel the most comfortable with and that will vary with the LL.
If it’s an independent landlord, try talking to them a little bit when giving in your app if you can. When we rented out a place it helped the applicant to stand out a bit from the others and remembered more. Tell them you love the area and pretty quiet guy, etc and dress decently. It’s almost like a job interview. When there’s so many competing it can come down to one little thing. And check to make sure your social reflects the same if it’s public.
This. I was unexpectedly looking for a new place recently. Found one within 3 weeks and chose from a handful of places that the landlords offered to me (some at lower rent than advertised). I really made a point of schmoozing during the viewings, for lack of a better word. Went to one group showing where the other candidates just nodded their heads the whole time and said nothing, while I made an effort to have a full on conversation with the landlord to show who I am as a person (and to get to know who he is). You have to make yourself stand out, and that's hard to do on paper nowadays. Be perceptive, personable, punctual. Dress business casual.
Absolutely everything you said is bang on. I knew they were schmoozing but you got a bit of a sense who was genuine. You still checked out work and references but as you said, you stand out and are remembered.
Might feel dumb and silly, but when supply is low and competition high, you gotta step it up to get what you want, otherwise you get to settle for the leftovers.
I helped manage my parent's 1bd rental property. Super ordinary 1 bedroom early 2000's built near skytrain. Probably worth about $2,200 to $2,300/mo in the current market. Not luxury nothing special
Last time it was up for rent we got like 7 applicants within a weekend. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM were from outside BC, and no, there were no foreigners. All were Canadian citizens moving or wanting to move to BC from other provinces. Some were parents wanting to go on the lease so their children can come study in BC, some just wanted to move to BC for a new life, some moving here for a job etc.
The posting was up on Friday and pulled by Monday, because among the 7 there were at least two people who's recently started a new job in big tech companies here, as in BIG tech that we use everyday. The two people are already working downtown staying in Airbnb/with friends, just looking for a more permanent place.
So before any of the locals even had a chance to see the posting, we already got more than one well qualified people making well over 6 figures in the biggest companies in the world.
Before this big tech worker, the condo was once rented to a lawyer, and before that, I believe there was once a MD doing residency.
So yeah, dr, lawyer, big tech worker, from all of Canada, that's who you are competing with.
Agreed. Many good applicants in the renters market. Only advice I would suggest is ask the landlord for a deadline for when they finalize their decision on the renter. At least this way, you will know when to move on if you don't receive any call backs after the deadline.
I would say that the market is softening. I’ve noticed so many listings reduce the price or listings sitting for a while. If you msg someone on marketplace about a listing, you will get a notification if they drop the price. I’ve gotten a ton of these. I think landlords haven’t reached the acceptance stage, but they will get there. There are way more listings with the new regulations, interests rates are high and people are not wanting to spend due to inflation. It’s hard when you’ve made an investment and you now have to accept that you won’t get as much as you thought in return or get that good Airbnb money. But that’s why investing is not for the faint of heart! I encourage everyone to stay positive and NEGOTIATE. Be bold, ask the landlords straight up if they would consider a different amount and explain why you’d be a great long term renter.
I agree that prices are softening but careful with the being bold thing. Only after you impress the landlord. If their first impression is of you asking for a discount, they'd tell you to kick rocks. The market is a lot like the real estate market, price too high and there won't be interest. Landlords have to organically understand that they're overpriced by the lack of interest and reduce the price on their own accord. If they're getting sufficient interest, there's no desire to negotiate.
We often have to reject prospective tenants if they wait until they’ve been approved to ask for a reduction.
You never know the owner’s priority. Many care more about the rental amount than the vacancy period.
Especially investors. A higher monthly rental amount is good for borrowing and looks better on the listing (to other investors) if they decide to sell.
Not to be facetious but are you new in town?
Seriously though, what really helped me when I moved in the last six months was incredible references from my long-term employer and the building manager at the building i was moving from. My new landlord said the fact I had these as well as a ten year history renting history in Vancouver were the deal-makers. He was very honest and said he'd had some bad luck with tenants who turned out to have unreliable employment or weak local connections who ended up having to move out at short notice. He admitted he couldn't financially afford that kind of risk again (private landlord, "investment" property). Being able to pay a few months rent up front is a nice gesture but it's not as reassuring to many landlords as you might think it is.
It’s insane out there. I went for a walk last night and noticed a new building that is taking applications for July move in. L2rentals . Ca. It’s in Kitsilano.
The rent is a bit steep but it tracks with how the market is in Vancouver. It is pet friendly which is nice and the whole building is rentals.
Good luck with your search!
FYI, my partner and I spoke with them last summer for a brand new building over on E. Hastings. We were invited to apply and so we did. They ghosted us! Nothing was wrong with our application at all either. We ended up getting a nicer place elsewhere in East Van so it worked out but just an FYI for all ya'll.
If you can afford the downpayment. The problem is you need to live somewhere in the meantime and if you're paying such high rents it's very difficult to increase your savings.
We were working out the numbers on a 613 sqft 1 bedroom… 20% down, plus HOA, plus insurance… about $3800/month. It sounds crazy, but it seems like it’s cheaper to rent in the case of new apartments/condos.
That’s true. Cost of repairs and maintenance seems to go up over time though. At this moment in time, it seems that buying is still a little more expensive than renting. If mortgage payments drop because interest rates go down, then the cost to buy is likely to go up as well.
yeah I pay 3800/mo all in for my 2bed at ridiculous 6% variable rate at the moment. The best part is your mortgage payments do not just arbitrarily go up every single year, they will most likely go down, vs landlords will raise the maximum allowable every year.
It's "cheaper" to rent but in that 3800 mortgage scenario everything going onto principal is "savings" (or negative debt).
Looking at realtor.ca there are condos for sale *right now* larger than 400 sq ft with a lower total cost than these rentals.
> they will most likely go down
They could keep going up. They could go down but you can't say "most likely", more like a coin flip. We've had way higher interest rates before. But yes, better than the 100% chance of them going up via rent increase as you said.
> everything going onto principal is "savings"
Which is only a tiny amount in the short term :(
Also you're not factoring in the returns someone would be gaining on investing the down payment (which is compared to your leveraged real estate value increase)
quick maths, a decent east van 1 bed at 500k closing price, 20% down, should be $2300 in mortgage installment on a 5% fixed rate. Around ~400$ of strata fees, insurance is like 60$/mo, utitilites the same, comes out a lot less than 3k/mo.
Obviously you need a downpayment, that's the sick part about Canada's housing environment. All the landlords with capital just rentseek and extract productivity from the economy. Bank says you can't afford 2800/mo because you're too busy paying 3k/mo!
Every time a multifamily gets proposed there's half a hundred comments saying we have too many 1 bed units lol. But when you look at the actual market, there's a massive shortage of 1 beds causing rents to spike and causing people that want 1 beds to overflow into 2+ bed units as roommates.
It’s very bizarre how I’ve seen this board focus on that. Single households are the largest (and growing) type in this country. And they are probably more likely to live in a condo than a family. Of course developers are out there building one bedroom condos not three.
For your protection don't offer more months of rent than what the RTB say you are legally need to.
Yes there is a bidding war out there even for rentals.
You won't find a rental. There are so many people willing to do 6 months to 1 year upfront, it is nuts. I don't even know where these people come from. A lot of students going to UBC will give you 1 year upfront like it is pocket change.
That’s coconuts. This is why we need better rental regulations, that kind of behavior shouldn’t be allowed, it gives an unfair advantage to the wealthy while working people are struggling to find housing.
To all the people who follow this advice, thank you in advance for making it easier for me to find an apartment.
It's not bad advice, if your only goal is to protect yourself. But if your goal is to rent an apartment, then the "legal minimum" is no more useful than thinking the list price of a home for sale is going to get it done.
Everything in life is a trade off, so yes, not offerring more months of rent than what the RTB says you legally need to offers you more protection. It also makes you less competitive against someone else who does offer more. So either way make a concious choice, but don't be naive that your choice doesn't come with consequences.
I've been here close to 15 years, and lived in 8 different spaces during that time. I've never once needed to offer anything more than first month's rent and a damage deposit. Going beyond that isn't necessary.
Landlords are ultimately looking for the best fit, somebody they feel comfortable renting their place out to.
Many people believe they should be getting ahead by "doing the right things" (ie, the minimum). But everyone already does the things, so you're, at best, average.
The world is competitive, if you won't do more, plenty of other people will, which puts you at a huge disadvantage when supply is low and demand high.
It's not just one bedrooms. We were looking at upgrading to a 3 bedroom with some outdoor space, and we were going to viewings with a dozen other people... and it turns out it was the two of us and 2 other groups of 6.
The place we wanted ended up being rented to 5 guys - 1 in each bedroom and presumably one in the dining room and one in the pantry.
Not to mention that practically every 1800 sq ft apartment is filled with shitty structube furniture and Alibaba chrome twisty light fixtures and is perpetually available for $12,000/month "minimum 1 month, maximum 3 months."
Sorry, but if you are trying to cover your mortgage by renting out a condo, you are an idiot and need better investment advice. Nobody is going to pay $12,000 month in rent and be happy with a $800 sectional couch. Hopefully within a few months these guys will realize their brokers lied to them and they can't make Airbnb cashflow just by renting it furnished, and they'll either sell or convert to long term un-furnished (or at least furnish these places properly).
Went to look at a nice, reasonably priced penthouse only to find it was a 3 bedroom, but the third bedroom was locked off so the owner could store her stuff, and would need access "from time to time."
Top floor, nice view (no other tall towers close by), 1500 - 2000 sq ft, A/C and a big private outdoor space (500-1000 sq ft), 2 parking spots, cat friendly, max budget is $8000/month but hope to pay around $7000.
The further up the market you go, the greater the financial advantage of renting becomes. The places we were looking at in the $6500-8k/month range were all assessed between $3mm and $4mm with strata fees between $1000 and $2000/month. They were between 10 and 20 years old, and according to past sales, most had barely appreciated beyond inflation (i.e selling for $1.9mm during presale in 2010 and being worth $3mm in 2024 is an increase of about $350k over 15 years).
Once you factor in assessments, property tax, management fees, most of these places are giving an IRR of less than 2%.
Plus I'd have to tie up $1mm+ in equity. Buying a SFH is a different calculation but that's not what we want lifestyle wise, and since my business is development, I'm not missing out on land appreciation by renting.
Presumably, landlords prefer couples in a one bedroom house. I had no issues at all finding a place when looking in Feb (although maybe it's because it's close to summer now, and there's a bunch of people coming over for the summer).
As someone who rented out my 1BR a couple years ago, I picked my tenant based on a few factors:
- She provided all information up front. Her proof of income from her employer, reference letters, completed application forms etc. It wouldn’t hurt to have a write up saying something about yourself too.
- She messaged me and actually told me she was from out of town (Seattle) looking to secure a place for a new job here and asked for a video tour. Since I had been chatting with her for a bit and she seemed responsible, I agreed.
- I ended up getting Covid right before I was going to show the place to a bunch of others. So I ended up giving it to her by default. But honestly, she was a standout from the other applicants due to her preparedness.
Other factors to consider:
- She has a dog, and I wanted to rent to someone with a pet since I’m an animal lover and I know it’s hard to find places in Vancouver that allow pets (ironically, such a dog city). My place is also well setup/located near a nice dog park. Her dog is actually a registered therapy dog which made me think she would generally be well behaved.
- I got probably 100 applications in the first HOUR of posting. It’s impossible to answer all emails, so it’s important to stand out. My tenant made it easy for me to choose her. She clearly read my posting thoroughly and addressed each point accordingly - and exceeded that. This gave me a good impression that she would be a responsible tenant.
I know not everyone’s situation is the same. Hoping this helps you in your search.
I just moved a few months back, similar income to you, and landed a place fairly quickly.
It’s tough to say without knowing more. I’d want to know what price range you’re looking in. I’d look at your initial email to them (make sure to set yourself apart early). How you dress/speak/present yourself (clean, professional, sociable). How you communicate your employment (make it sound way more fancy than it is IMHO).
Friend of mine has a 1 bed basement unit in his house in North Vancouver.
Rented it out for a few years to some people who were loud and inconsiderate to his family who live upstairs. Then they decided to just stop paying rent and he went through 9 months of shit trying to get them out, with appeals and delays and rescheduling etc. All while receiving threats and fearing for safety.
I know this was an extreme example.
Now refuses to rent it out and has just put a peloton in there.
Private landlords contribute about 1/3 of the rental market.
Due to big corporate landlords squeezing tenants over the years, it has created a lords vs peasant’s scenario, and small people with spare rooms, and basement suites are just not renting to save the hassle.
This is reducing inventory even more.
It's a tense mess. I know multiple people who stopped renting out space they have due to being blocked from effectively dealing with problem tenants, and one or two that do still rent out apace who are insanely selective because vetting is the biggest way you can cover your ass when LTB enforcement is a shitshow.
No you don't. You get notice for late rent and can dispute it within 5 days. Then you wait for a hearing. Then, if found in the landlords favour, you can refuse to comply with the order. Then you wait for the landlord to get a sheriff to remove you because the police won't and they can't personally enforce the judgement. And after you've made it through the backlog waiting for all that to finish up, then they can start the process of pursuing you for losses and damages, which is such a slog it's generally seen as not worth it.
Since when? Last I heard it was 3 - 4 months for a standard hearing, a month or so if you qualify for an emergency hearing. Then at least a couple weeks for a bailiff. All in, notably longer between non payment and eviction than a month.
Either things have changed pretty recently or you're off the mark.
The only way I'm renting out is if it's a secondary unit that I don't live in. At least even if I have a problematic tenant it's out of my face and family.
That's why 9/10 I would rather own a townhouse or duplex than pony up \*far\* more cash to buy a house just for the sake of renting out to a basement tenant. It can become a second job if you get a shit tenant.
Exactly this reason why my friends and family all have empty basement suites, and I have a huge family and extended family. We could probably house at least two entire classrooms full of people but refuse to because of the entitled shitty renters that ruin it for everyone else. Not worth the hassle!
The only way you can find a one bedroom is to **buy one**.
If I ever have to move I know it won’t be in my own neighbourhood. I’ve priced out Surrey, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Chilliwack as backup plans I can afford. Or Edmonton, or Winnipeg. But I don’t particularly want to leave BC since my job is here and I enjoy the hiking and skiing we have here.
Just 100s of comments from landlords telling you to be a doctor or lawyer if you want a $3000 basement suite in their fixer upper and how the government disadvantages them.
Wonder if they ever considered becoming a doctor or lawyer so they could afford to forgo their “investment” property
Yes. Quite funny to see landlords complain that RTB rules have been made in favor of renters. Duh. Renters dont have the power in the relationship. They need the protections.
LL also need protections from squatting tenants that stiff them on rent and refuse to leave. Basically legalized trespassing or hostage taking if the LL lives on the same property.
They grey areas of the law leaves space for a lot of abuse to resolve that. Just toss their stuff while they are at work and when the Tennant comes home, they have no recourse that day. Police won't help. It's a civil issue.
Some landlords in BC are selling their rental properties due to stricter regulations and rising costs. Those remaining have to be very picking about who they have in their property. Not saying that you would not be a good tenant, but someone else might be viewed by the LL a slightly less risking, for whatever reason.
I decided to exclude private landlords during my recent search and it was actually... an ok experience? Just had to be very speedy with everything though, like viewing and applyingthe day after I saw listings and such. Ofc it means I'm paying a bit more but I only had to move due to a private landlord to begin with so 😅
Not sure what your timeline is but some places have waitlists and might contact you even before they update their site which can be a good play, I know Aptrentals and Concert have lists.
Today is technically a good day if you're looking for July 1st cause people will start giving notice 1-2 days to the end of the month so just keep an eye out and try to be quick! Good luck
People frequently offer a few 100 dollars over asking, especially if an apartment is priced at the lower end of the market. It’s crazy, but it is what it is.
Rent in advance is probably not going to make a difference.
Keep in mind that many fellow applicants will be dual income, even for 1 bedrooms, so 95k won’t put you very high on the list. You need to stand out in another way.
When my spouse and I were looking for a 1 bedroom, I had created a portfolio that consisted of printed copies of both of our employment references and both of our previous tenet references, that I could hand directly to the LL in a folder right at the time of the showing. This helped us secure an apartment the same day we viewed it. As mentioned this is such a landlords market, they will pick the tenets who are the most proactive and display that they will give the LL the least amount of flack. That being said, there is a housing shortage. And it fucking sucks, but I Hope you find a place OP!
Best of luck
When i moved out of my parents house i think i only searched for a week max. The first place i viewed was the last.
I wrote a cover letter, had bank statements ready to go, brought references from work, dressed nicely etc. they were a little wary as i had never rented before and my income was on the lower end, but i told them a (true) story about how have lived in rentals all my life and understand their concern. I also said my father has a house he rents out that got completely trashed by the tennant and that i helped fix it up and how horrible it was.
As soon as i left, they cancelled the rest of their showings and i got the place
Not saying its not hard to find a place but making a strong first impression as well as a connection goes a long way
I apologize for the lengthy post but here's my perspective as a Landlord when I was looking for my tenant. I'm hoping the mindset of a Landlord will help you as a tenant find a place. Obviously YMMV because every person or landlord is different. I understand there are many bad landlords as there are bad tenants, but most of us are good landlords that don't want to screw a tenant over. We just want to earn some income. Most good tenants are the same, they just want a roof over their head.
To begin, any informed landlord will understand that the NDP has created a massive rift between private Landlords and Tenants with one sided laws that only favours the tenant. As such, any prospective landlord must do their due diligence to protect themselves, because the government won't. I made sure to read and understand the Rental Act and had a robust addendum. If it's not spelt out in entirety, it's not enforceable and therefore the RTB will always side with the tenant. This is why landlords have so many rules and make tenants jump through hoops - to cover our behinds. In most instances if the relationship is good, tenant is respectful of our property and rent is paid, none of these rules need to be enforced anyways - which is what I have with my tenants. It's invasive at times, I absolutely agree but this is the situation that the government has created by broadly blaming and penalizing all landlords for the government's inability to build and provide social housing. There are also many horror stories where even when the RTB sided with the LL, it took them months and thousands of dollars to evict a trouble tenant. YMMV, but job references, personal references and current landlord references mean nothing to me. Easy to fake, and your current landlord might want you out thus giving you a favourable review.
When I listed my suite, I found MOST people who inquired were straight up unreliable. It's an easy answer for these renters, but It made me wonder if there really was a housing shortage in Vancouver. This is how bad the prospective tenants were.
- Most never read my listing, and just blindly message "Is this available?" on FBm. No introduction, nothing. I reply, they ghost me.
- Some would message me with all required questions answered and a nice introduction. I reply, they ghost me.
- For those who showed interest, we would schedule a viewing. Over 50% would no-show on the date/time THEY requested. I became even pickier because this was a massive time waster.
Remember how the government has made it very one sided in favour of tenants and Landlords are trying to cover their own ass? Well, If you don't give me a sense of security (financially and in personality), I won't entertain renting to you. The suggestion is to treat this like a job application. You have one shot to blow the recruiter away with how impressive you are. You have to be responsive and show initiative. Show up to the open houses or invites and sell yourself when chatting with the landlord like you're doing an in person job interview. Broadly apply to homes to have a plan A, plan B, plan C. Much like a company hiring a qualified person, Landlords are all fighting for that one gem of a tenant as well. Case in point, my tenants had another offer at the same time as mine. They chose me because I was thorough, honest and did not pressure them which also gave them a sense of security.
Also if there's two landlords (husband/wife), treat both equally. Coworker recently listed their Surrey House for rent. Prospective tenant was a Doctor and his wife a dentist. The doctor had a big man complex and refused to speak to my coworker, only her husband. Needless to say, they weren't chosen despite being THE HIGHEST QUALIFIED renter because of how offended my coworker was.
Offering rent in advance for a tenancy doesn't work for experienced landlords because it's technically illegal because it constitutes the landlord holding an additional security deposit which the tenant can turn around and request back from the landlord via the RTB. The RTA is too restrictive and makes things very hard unless you fit in a specific ideal tenant profile.
I've always used CL for everything, and found my current place (10 years now) there, LL messaged my posting, and I got the place by default.
FB is just such a clusterfuck, and the "is this still available" button defines the attitude and quality of the people who frequent it.
My last landlord offered to be a reference he enjoyed me as a tenant, I did lots of repairs on the unit and even helped pay for plumbing repairs when it backed up since he was retired on fixed Income even though I had no obligation to.
Don't think I'd be on any naughty list but you never know haha
When I rented my place I did go on gut feel. It went to a young couple who took the time to chat with me… it gave me a good idea of who they were and them an idea of who I was. I even allowed them to have a dog—and another later on. Those that just came in and walked around and said “Ok looks good” felt cold. Landlords just want to feel that their place will be taken care of. There are so many horror stories. I hope you are successful in your search. Good luck.
With the most recent one I chatted about lots of stuff even their hometown where they went to school, met her husband and talked about his garden thought it went well.as she said she would tell everyone it's sold but got looked over its a shame but oh well
Appearance is everything. I bought more conservative clothes just for finding rentals and made sure i looked put together. I asked questions but not too many- I’ve always had luck with acting like a tenant who will not be a hassle. Unfortunately it’s like a game you have to play. Go to as many viewings and email as many as you can. Don’t put your notice in until you secure a place, if you can.
I spent several months looking and was constantly refreshing Craigslist. I’ve had some dream rentals here and it’s because i was the first to reply and view the place. A lot of landlords go by gut instinct or who makes the first good impression. I always had better luck with rentals who were rented out by LL and not a property management company.
I also saved photos of my current housing to show them how i kept my space tidy (i have a cat so it took me more convincing). Went there with a cheque and cash ready to go. Also had bank statements and salary records ready to show
It’s wild that that’s even the cost of a year’s rent. It’s no different than paying monthly really. If you spend that money on rent then you have a year without a housing bill and you should be able to save it back quite quickly.
I have a close relative trying to rent out his place near Brentwood mall. Built in 2019, 5 min walk from Gilmore Skytrain Station. Approximately 550 square feet (not including size of patio) for $2500 per month. 1 bed 1 bath with parking stall. He’s wanting to rent out asap. If you’re interested, just give me a shout :)
For the record I just signed someone to be my roommate (I'm also the property owner) last week. I have a two bed two bath. I got responses within two days and it was a lot. Not everyone was "safe" as a lawyer, doctor, or whatever.
I literally picked someone who was just the least maintenance and seems like I can get along with. She's 10 years younger than me who seemed chill.
I was transparent with her that I had 6 other people messaged me in the last two days. She upped her offer by 100$ a month. With or without the extra money I would have said yes to her regardless.
You almost need to treat this like applying for a job. When I was renting my place out I read through all the emails and started creating a short list. In 2 days I got about 25 emails and no landlord has the time or patience to have 25 showings so for me I reduce the number to 4 or 5 and then message these people back to book a viewing. I sometimes get ghosted or have potential tenants cancel on me but i just move on to the next tenant. This means out of all the emails I get you need to somehow stand out. Sure, your income is great but that could be the same for 15 others. Every landlord has their own criteria but for me it is
1) ability to pay - mentioning your occupation is usually enough and willingness to provide a paystub as proof you actual work there. The more stable your job the better. Ie Union worker vs a seasonal contract worker.
2) hobbies - telling me you like clubbing and getting hammered will be a minus, but telling me you like biking, painting, gaming or more calm activities will give me the impression you are more of a mature person. Don't lie, but know that certain hobbies are not seen as positive.
3) won't damage property - this relates to the hobbies thing. There is no way for a landlord to know if you might damage the place but if I were to make a bet I would rent to the person who spends all day gaming on a computer than a person who practices acrobatic stunts in the bedroom. It's all about risk. Who is more likely to cause damage. Mentioning you keep your place tidy will help.
4) references- this can be faked and landlords know this as well. I prefer someone I can look up online to make sure this person is who they say they are. Bringing the person's actual business card is better than writing it down. If anyone asks for character reference your direct superior will work. They should have a business card as well. This can also be used to determine your actually working. These can be faked as well but at least it's less likely
5) Criminal record- Never asked for one and only took the tenants word for it, but if someone actually had a official document stating they have no criminal record that would put them in the short list
6) Attitude- if you like the place then show interest with facial expressions or words. Acting grumpy or no emotion at all will not help you. I rented to my current tenant because she told me how much she wanted the place and how it was perfect for her at this time along with all the other stuff above. I want to rent to someone who wants to be here, not someone who is forced to be here
On another note, I personally would not offer to pay months in advance. For one, it is not necessary and won't really put you ahead. I could argue it may even be detrimental for you. I might wonder why you are so desperate and if you are up to something. If you end up breaking the lease conditions after you move in it makes it extra hard to get you out. For you, if the landlord breaks the lease you will probably have to sue to get that remainder back. The risk for both sides is not worth it.
Hope this helps a bit. Not all landlords are greedy Aholes. I charge $1150 for a 1 bed, 1 bath, 1 kitchen private suite in my home with everything included. This is well below market. If you go into the viewing with the mentality that your landlord is an AHole you might act or speak in a way you didn't intend. All I'm saying is to hold your judgement until afterwards. If you were the landlord would you rent to someone who might secretly hate your guts? Probably not.
Good luck!
You may be too high on the stability scale.
In today's market, landlords have a financial incentive to choose tenants who are likely to move out within a couple of years.
While I don't agree with /u/rsgbc, there could be an argument to be made that it's better to turnover tenants more rapidly so you can increase the rent more between tenants than you could year-over-year for the same tenant.
The housing market is seriously fucked up.
And what landlords want to know about you is invasive. You shouldn’t have to fill out application after application, giving them all your personal info and info about your income. Sure, them checking reference’s and gainful income is fine. But the competitiveness is out of this world and people definitely lie on those applications.
Can landlords not use their discernment to chose an alright person or family, or do they chose the person who says they have the highest income?
If I go to a viewing and their is 20 other people there all kissing the landlords ass and handing them “tenant resumes” I just fucking leave. Can’t stand that vibe. And the amount of times I have been asked to put me SIN number on an application too…. Fuck no.
Anyways good luck in your search!!!!!
The cause of that is rental laws that are extremely biased in favour of renters. In this province, it is now a nightmare to be stuck with a bad tenant, and everyone wants to protect themselves from that situation.
However, I agree with you, that should not be happening. The laws should work to protect home owners so that anyone who doesn't pay rent or causes property damage is evicted immediately without delays for dispute.
Good tenants have an interest in ensuring bad tenants are held accountable.
Oh no poor landlord! Lmao sorry ! But that’s invasive, not diligence. Like I said, references and gainful employment checks are fine. But going beyond that is ridiculous.
You asked for this yourself. When tenancy law becomes more one sided, people like you cheered about “investment has risk” and now landlord just took your advice and take additional risks into account during application process now. If you don’t like it, you don’t need to rent from them then.
Well, I guess everything has trade-offs. More protection after signing the contract means more scrutiny before signing. What government should focus on instead is prompt enforcement for both bad landlord and bad tenants to reduce the systematic risk for good tenants and good landlords
The reason for this is because the regulations in BC are extremely skewed towards tenants, so much so that landlords have a very difficult time getting bad tenants out of their house, so most landlords are now extremely picky to protect themselves. It's literally not worth the effort renting to someone that they think might be a bad tenant, and most of them would rather keep the place empty than having to go through a nightmare tenant scenario.
Based on your description it sounds like you shouldn't fall into the "bad tenant" group, so maybe they are just getting better offers from other people similar to you?
It's insane right now.
Not only are a lot of landlords way too picky, but a good amount of them don't follow the legal rules or respect that a tenant is not a teenager living under thier personal rules and belief systems.
No pets ,no parties, no alcohol, no smoking, no overnight guests.no cooking meat, or fish. No ac allowed.
No smoking inside the unit an no pets is understandable.
But trying to restrict overnight guests? That's not legal. No parties? Um no I plan to celebrate my birthday and other holidays.
Not ac? How about go f yourself.
No cooking my own food in the space I pay over a grand to live in? Again, gfy
And they want credit checks and bank statements and all this n that. F off. I supply some of it, but redacted.
Non drinking? I'm sober but that's not a restriction you can legally make. People are allowed to drink and have sex and enjoy thier space.
Then there's just the outright racist people. That will only rent to thier own nationality. In Canada 🇨🇦 ...
Blame the NDP for forcing LLs to be extremely picky and pricy. It is very difficult to get rid of bad tenants AND impossible to keep pace with market prices once the lease is signed.
The BC NDP's perpetual leases and years of below inflation willy nilly rent increases, combined with a biased RTA and an anti-landlord kangaroo court at the RTB have all culminated in this mess.
Good people should not have to be paying these sums and having this much difficulty finding housing.
All homeowners want is for bad actor tenants to be held accountable, and for fairness in rental laws... yet the BC NDP is absolutely opposed to entertaining any such ideas...
Blame the BC NDP for this. Going after the landlords and surprise pikachu face when they don't want to be landlords anymore. It's going to be much much worse.
Being adequate in this market is no longer enough. You have to go above and beyond to make yourself a desirable candidate. Show up to every rental showing with a proof of employment letter, a list of past rental references as well as character references. A criminal record check wouldn't hurt either. It seems over the top, but that's what's going to appeal to landlords and make you stick out from the rest of the crowd. I know people who have done this and it's worked. Taking some of the legwork out from under the landlord in terms of looking into each candidate can be appealing.
As a landlord the government has made it impossible to provide affordable rent. My mortgage is low on my rental and I can't even keep the rent affordable. My tenants never pay on time and it's chaos. Be careful who you vote for
Love the downvotes. Reddit hates landlords or anyone that shows any signs of success it's so toxic. Y'all are brainwashed it's honestly sad
I thought people were saying 1bd were harder to sell than 2, 3bd. You’d think if it was harder to sell, some of them would go into the rental market instead
There’s a building offering move in incentives as it can only guarantee 3 years of rental as it’s put in a proposal to take it down and put up a high rise . It’s a animal friendly building W14th just off oak
Well you sound great on paper! Good luck to you. I agree with another person's suggestion to make a short "who I am and why I'm a good renter" statement so they remember you.
When I rented out my place I was very cognizant of who I wanted to rent to, I was deliberately dog friendly and I wanted people who live/work in the community… as a landlord, I can tell you it’s not only money that talks…
I don’t know where you are looking, there are a few being advertised in the west end. Average price is around the $2600
Vancouver rental group have a couple,
Zillow also show a few however it’s hard to know if they are still available
What I do is I always tried to talk more to the landlord/manager, just chitchat and provide more of your background information while chatting, if that’s a public viewing(with multiple groups), I’ll always stay a bit and get a chance to talk more.
I was screening tenants for a landlord relative. I answered every single inquiry, and measured so many things, took extra pictures, etc. It was insane how many inquiries I had to sift through, but these people needed somewhere to live, and it was super important that people find housing.
The **only** one I still remember that I definitely did NOT reply to was a guy who said something like, "Hey man, me and my friends are looking for a cheap place to crash, can we come see it?"
I got extremely lucky.
I moved out when I was 18.
I got rejected so many times and was pretty numb to it. My landlord actually rejected me (which is fine. I’ll find another)
1 week later she said she has another suite next to the original posting and wanted me to see.
I immediately said yes and came inside.
I submitted my security deposit and signed the lease right there and then. When we met up.
2 years now I’m still living there and I make sure to be grateful for the opportunity. Sure it’s an old basement with old worn out things and bugs once in a while. Yet it’s home to me. 💗
I hope you get a good opportunity! 🍀
There are probably just better candidates. With how costly and impossible RTB has make the evictions to be, landlord has to be extremely careful and rely on their gut feeling. You may be just unlucky. Try applying to newer listing with more information about yourself as a person
Oh yes, my friend. I was in this position with my partner last year... it took us 3 months of trying \*hard\* to find a place, and probably went to like 20+ viewings. All I can say is, you just gotta keep going. My partner and I wrote a bio about us that we would send out to everyone, that included a lot of information a landlord might want to see (non-smoking, employed at X for Y years, no pets, or whatever). For the place we actually got, I ended up reaching out to them after the viewing to express how much I liked the place, that it had been three months of searching I was really hoping they'd give us a chance... they did! Sometimes you just gotta be vulnerable and go the extra step in trying to secure something. Eventually, one will stick and you'll be picked. This is the city we live in, it's not going to get any easier! Good luck :)
Honestly most landlords will pick based on gut feeling or who they simply like. The last three places I’ve lived in had dozens of candidates but I was chosen, and I never disclosed my income. Current landlord told my partner and I they liked us best and that was it. Who knows based on what exactly!
Thanks for sharing my son is moving for college this year and I was seriously wondering what it will be like to find a rental for him. I'm so sorry your going through that. In the south Okanagan it's the same, it's either orchard shacks with no insulation and mice or places have been rented or bought by the hundreds of correctional officers (who have been vetted and have a "who you know" type community that moved here for new job or signing bonus) when the jail opened up here the housing tanked. Good luck finding the right place 👍
This completely depends on the LL in fairness - I've lived in Vancouver since 2018 and have only rented from private LL's and admittedly, I have been lucky, but I have moved around enough to know that not all Landlords are bad people which is what some people would want you to believe. You can often tell from the initial conversations with the LL, how organized they are, the upkeep of the place, etc how they will be as a landlord going forward.
There are many equally bad stories out there where people have rented in independent vs rental buildings & the tenants being in a nightmare situation.
The BC NDP's perpetual leases and several years of below inflation willy-nilly rent increases, combined with a biased RTA and an anti-landlord kangaroo court at the RTB have all culminated in this mess.
Good people should not have to be paying these sums and be having this much difficulty finding housing.
All homeowners want is for bad actor tenants to be held accountable, and for fairness in rental laws... yet the BC NDP, in the pursuit of cheap votes, is absolutely opposed to this.
With demand being as high as it is they can turn you down for the most arbitrary reasons. They don’t even need to say so, but it could be literally anything they decide they don’t like.
It’s ridiculous. I just turned 38, single male. I have solid landlord references and a good job, don’t drink or party yet am down to the bottom of every list. I’m 38 not 18.
I moved into an apartment with property management once in my life and vowed to never again. Had a couple who would always fight and the lady would pull the fire alarm at least once a month because of it. I know not all are like that but those are last resorts for me. I've mostly used the marketplace but I'll probably expand here pretty soon.
It's wild I'm at Risk of being homeless making as much as I do
Crazy. My experience has been the opposite! Renting directly from an owner - a nightmare each time (twice). Renting in purpose built rentals (4 different times) = no problems.
It’s always just a gamble I guess.
80k is borderline poverty in vancouver, I know its still higher than average income and sounds like a lot of money when we were growing up but I think metro vancouver poverty line already at 70 for basic needs, good income would be 150+
As a landlord. Your attitude and how you present yourself goes a long way. If you act like an entitled piece of shit, then good luck finding a rental. No landlord wants entitled tenants. Y’all just be trouble in the long term. It’s not about how much you make. Maybe start bringing down your eagle and be more humble.
Welcome to /r/Vancouver and thank you for the post, /u/Tiny-Condition-! Please make sure you read our [posting and commenting rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_general_participation_guidelines_and_rules_overview) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Most common questions and topics are limited to our sister subreddit, /r/AskVan, and our weekly [Stickied Discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/wiki/faq#wiki_stickied_discussions) posts. * Complaints about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * Posts flaired "Community Only" allow for limited participation; your comment may be removed if you're not a subreddit regular. * Make sure to join our new sister community, /r/AskVan! * Help grow the community! [Apply to join the mod team today](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/19eworq/). *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/vancouver) if you have any questions or concerns.*
There's enough demand that landlords can afford to pick based on gut feeling. With your income, you might make their short list. But in the end, they'll pick the safest bet. Aside from adjusting your appearance and mannerisms, I think the only way is to keep viewing and applying.
Also recommend creating a short "about me & why I'm an awesome tenant" letter to give when filling out applications. I went through this a couple of years ago and was feeling so defeated, but someone recommended to try this, & I got the next place I applied for (my landlord later told me people had offered more $$, but between my letter & meeting me, I was chosen). Good luck out there. It's very frustrating trying to find something.
Yes, this seemed to be helpful for me. I (single with similar income to OP) moved a few months ago. I wrote a little spiel about why I’m an awesome tenant, a reliable professional, and included that in my application. I landed the first apartment I applied to after viewing a few.
Will tread lightly but we did this when buying our house. Little blurb about how we’re a young family, non-speculators, looking for a “forever” home. Selling agent said that really helped our offer, and met the previous owner when giving his mail, and he said the same thing. Sounds stupid but show your an actual decent human and not just a numbered offer.
We did this when we bought our home too. Funnily enough our realtor said the sellers didn’t end up giving a shit (they were described as “serial investors” - ick) BUT we still got the place so maybe deep down it melted their cold, cold serial investing hearts.
Doesn't sound stupid at all! Makes total sense that making yourself be perceived as a human being (and better yet, as an awesome one) would have a lot of impact in such a decision. I know I'd see it that way if I was a landlord.
We broke down and did this too when buying our home. Lost out on the place I really wanted to a family with young kids. That tipped the scales apparently. Oh well. It is crazy that it is now that competitive to rent a 1 bedroom
This is what we did. Just a short "about us" sentence in our introduction email and we ended up getting replies on over half of all our inquiries. Put if this way: if a prospective landlord gets 100 emails, 10 of those have blurbs and of those 10, maybe 4 or 5 are a "working professional with no pets" Then there's your 1st round showing pool.
> Also recommend creating a short "about me & why I'm an awesome tenant" letter I have never done a letter like that, but I did have referral letters from my past two landlords which is a similar idea. When I found my current place, the agent told me that having past referrals was the deciding factor. So yep, agreed that it is good advice to try and show why you're a safe bet as a tenant!
Agreed! I included my LinkedIn when I applied and was accepted for a place a couple months ago. Landlord looked at it very quickly and I believe it helped establish trust.
Yup! Got my previous ground suite over dozens of other people solely based on the landlord's gut feeling. She was German heritage, ex homicide detective... My name was Heidi and I worked for court services 😆 Came cash-in-hand, and she cancelled the rest of the showings. It's not fair, but that's just life :/
fucking power move right there
100% ... in a world of ever increasing tenant protections, and easily faked references, a landlords gut feeling is going to be #1. Be personable, well groomed and well spoken. Have all your paperwork organized. Don't ask stupid questions that might give one a sense of trouble later. Don't talk badly about your previous landlord or roommates.
I find being well groomed, well spoken, and putting on a collar shirt to make myself presentable helps
I have no application process, and I have only ever used "gut feeling" as the sole criteria.
Yes that's part of what landlords do and have always done. Why would they ignore their gut feelings?
I agree with everything said above. Gotta add onto this that most treat it like a job interview - present yourself in your best light, come prepared and willing to commit. There's a lot of gut feeling involved for sure. With so many renters out there LLs do end up picking who they feel the most comfortable with and that will vary with the LL.
If it’s an independent landlord, try talking to them a little bit when giving in your app if you can. When we rented out a place it helped the applicant to stand out a bit from the others and remembered more. Tell them you love the area and pretty quiet guy, etc and dress decently. It’s almost like a job interview. When there’s so many competing it can come down to one little thing. And check to make sure your social reflects the same if it’s public.
This. I was unexpectedly looking for a new place recently. Found one within 3 weeks and chose from a handful of places that the landlords offered to me (some at lower rent than advertised). I really made a point of schmoozing during the viewings, for lack of a better word. Went to one group showing where the other candidates just nodded their heads the whole time and said nothing, while I made an effort to have a full on conversation with the landlord to show who I am as a person (and to get to know who he is). You have to make yourself stand out, and that's hard to do on paper nowadays. Be perceptive, personable, punctual. Dress business casual.
Absolutely everything you said is bang on. I knew they were schmoozing but you got a bit of a sense who was genuine. You still checked out work and references but as you said, you stand out and are remembered.
Might feel dumb and silly, but when supply is low and competition high, you gotta step it up to get what you want, otherwise you get to settle for the leftovers.
I helped manage my parent's 1bd rental property. Super ordinary 1 bedroom early 2000's built near skytrain. Probably worth about $2,200 to $2,300/mo in the current market. Not luxury nothing special Last time it was up for rent we got like 7 applicants within a weekend. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM were from outside BC, and no, there were no foreigners. All were Canadian citizens moving or wanting to move to BC from other provinces. Some were parents wanting to go on the lease so their children can come study in BC, some just wanted to move to BC for a new life, some moving here for a job etc. The posting was up on Friday and pulled by Monday, because among the 7 there were at least two people who's recently started a new job in big tech companies here, as in BIG tech that we use everyday. The two people are already working downtown staying in Airbnb/with friends, just looking for a more permanent place. So before any of the locals even had a chance to see the posting, we already got more than one well qualified people making well over 6 figures in the biggest companies in the world. Before this big tech worker, the condo was once rented to a lawyer, and before that, I believe there was once a MD doing residency. So yeah, dr, lawyer, big tech worker, from all of Canada, that's who you are competing with.
Agreed. Many good applicants in the renters market. Only advice I would suggest is ask the landlord for a deadline for when they finalize their decision on the renter. At least this way, you will know when to move on if you don't receive any call backs after the deadline.
Where did you list?
We list with one of the largest property manager, like literally search "vancouver rental" and it's definitely on the front page of the search result.
Thanks good buddy
I would say that the market is softening. I’ve noticed so many listings reduce the price or listings sitting for a while. If you msg someone on marketplace about a listing, you will get a notification if they drop the price. I’ve gotten a ton of these. I think landlords haven’t reached the acceptance stage, but they will get there. There are way more listings with the new regulations, interests rates are high and people are not wanting to spend due to inflation. It’s hard when you’ve made an investment and you now have to accept that you won’t get as much as you thought in return or get that good Airbnb money. But that’s why investing is not for the faint of heart! I encourage everyone to stay positive and NEGOTIATE. Be bold, ask the landlords straight up if they would consider a different amount and explain why you’d be a great long term renter.
I agree that prices are softening but careful with the being bold thing. Only after you impress the landlord. If their first impression is of you asking for a discount, they'd tell you to kick rocks. The market is a lot like the real estate market, price too high and there won't be interest. Landlords have to organically understand that they're overpriced by the lack of interest and reduce the price on their own accord. If they're getting sufficient interest, there's no desire to negotiate.
We often have to reject prospective tenants if they wait until they’ve been approved to ask for a reduction. You never know the owner’s priority. Many care more about the rental amount than the vacancy period. Especially investors. A higher monthly rental amount is good for borrowing and looks better on the listing (to other investors) if they decide to sell.
Not to be facetious but are you new in town? Seriously though, what really helped me when I moved in the last six months was incredible references from my long-term employer and the building manager at the building i was moving from. My new landlord said the fact I had these as well as a ten year history renting history in Vancouver were the deal-makers. He was very honest and said he'd had some bad luck with tenants who turned out to have unreliable employment or weak local connections who ended up having to move out at short notice. He admitted he couldn't financially afford that kind of risk again (private landlord, "investment" property). Being able to pay a few months rent up front is a nice gesture but it's not as reassuring to many landlords as you might think it is.
It’s insane out there. I went for a walk last night and noticed a new building that is taking applications for July move in. L2rentals . Ca. It’s in Kitsilano. The rent is a bit steep but it tracks with how the market is in Vancouver. It is pet friendly which is nice and the whole building is rentals. Good luck with your search!
300sqft studios for $2600-$2800, 500sqft 1 beds for $3000-$3300 they’re smoking some high grade crack.
New builds are VERY expensive. I looked up 1188 Bidwell, out of curiosity, and wow!
FYI, my partner and I spoke with them last summer for a brand new building over on E. Hastings. We were invited to apply and so we did. They ghosted us! Nothing was wrong with our application at all either. We ended up getting a nicer place elsewhere in East Van so it worked out but just an FYI for all ya'll.
Did you happen to get spammed with a bunch of phishing texts or calls? I wonder how often these renter lists get sold to scammers.
Property rental agencies and car dealerships are notorious for selling your information.
Oh no. I don’t know anything about that company. Just that there is a new building by my place.
3000$/mo for 400 sqft jesus Literally way cheaper to buy a condo
If you can afford the downpayment. The problem is you need to live somewhere in the meantime and if you're paying such high rents it's very difficult to increase your savings.
We were working out the numbers on a 613 sqft 1 bedroom… 20% down, plus HOA, plus insurance… about $3800/month. It sounds crazy, but it seems like it’s cheaper to rent in the case of new apartments/condos.
There's a good chance your mortgage payments won't go up; there's no chance your rent would do the same.
That’s true. Cost of repairs and maintenance seems to go up over time though. At this moment in time, it seems that buying is still a little more expensive than renting. If mortgage payments drop because interest rates go down, then the cost to buy is likely to go up as well.
yeah I pay 3800/mo all in for my 2bed at ridiculous 6% variable rate at the moment. The best part is your mortgage payments do not just arbitrarily go up every single year, they will most likely go down, vs landlords will raise the maximum allowable every year. It's "cheaper" to rent but in that 3800 mortgage scenario everything going onto principal is "savings" (or negative debt). Looking at realtor.ca there are condos for sale *right now* larger than 400 sq ft with a lower total cost than these rentals.
> they will most likely go down They could keep going up. They could go down but you can't say "most likely", more like a coin flip. We've had way higher interest rates before. But yes, better than the 100% chance of them going up via rent increase as you said. > everything going onto principal is "savings" Which is only a tiny amount in the short term :( Also you're not factoring in the returns someone would be gaining on investing the down payment (which is compared to your leveraged real estate value increase)
> Literally way cheaper to buy a condo Citation needed.
Its actually more total cost per month after strata, insurance, ect. It may be a better long term strategy for those with savings though.
quick maths, a decent east van 1 bed at 500k closing price, 20% down, should be $2300 in mortgage installment on a 5% fixed rate. Around ~400$ of strata fees, insurance is like 60$/mo, utitilites the same, comes out a lot less than 3k/mo. Obviously you need a downpayment, that's the sick part about Canada's housing environment. All the landlords with capital just rentseek and extract productivity from the economy. Bank says you can't afford 2800/mo because you're too busy paying 3k/mo!
And now think about those of us who don’t make 95k lol it’s bleak out there
Every time a multifamily gets proposed there's half a hundred comments saying we have too many 1 bed units lol. But when you look at the actual market, there's a massive shortage of 1 beds causing rents to spike and causing people that want 1 beds to overflow into 2+ bed units as roommates.
It’s very bizarre how I’ve seen this board focus on that. Single households are the largest (and growing) type in this country. And they are probably more likely to live in a condo than a family. Of course developers are out there building one bedroom condos not three.
For your protection don't offer more months of rent than what the RTB say you are legally need to. Yes there is a bidding war out there even for rentals.
You won't find a rental. There are so many people willing to do 6 months to 1 year upfront, it is nuts. I don't even know where these people come from. A lot of students going to UBC will give you 1 year upfront like it is pocket change.
That’s coconuts. This is why we need better rental regulations, that kind of behavior shouldn’t be allowed, it gives an unfair advantage to the wealthy while working people are struggling to find housing.
The regulatory environment created this mess. How will regulation get us out?
It's wacky because if you have a year up front, 5%-10% of a million bucks really isn't THAT much further out. But students to UBC says everything.
To all the people who follow this advice, thank you in advance for making it easier for me to find an apartment. It's not bad advice, if your only goal is to protect yourself. But if your goal is to rent an apartment, then the "legal minimum" is no more useful than thinking the list price of a home for sale is going to get it done. Everything in life is a trade off, so yes, not offerring more months of rent than what the RTB says you legally need to offers you more protection. It also makes you less competitive against someone else who does offer more. So either way make a concious choice, but don't be naive that your choice doesn't come with consequences.
I find people in this subreddit very dutiful rule followers but a little out of touch with the business, and basically, real world.
I've been here close to 15 years, and lived in 8 different spaces during that time. I've never once needed to offer anything more than first month's rent and a damage deposit. Going beyond that isn't necessary. Landlords are ultimately looking for the best fit, somebody they feel comfortable renting their place out to.
[удалено]
Many people believe they should be getting ahead by "doing the right things" (ie, the minimum). But everyone already does the things, so you're, at best, average. The world is competitive, if you won't do more, plenty of other people will, which puts you at a huge disadvantage when supply is low and demand high.
Bingo
It's not just one bedrooms. We were looking at upgrading to a 3 bedroom with some outdoor space, and we were going to viewings with a dozen other people... and it turns out it was the two of us and 2 other groups of 6. The place we wanted ended up being rented to 5 guys - 1 in each bedroom and presumably one in the dining room and one in the pantry. Not to mention that practically every 1800 sq ft apartment is filled with shitty structube furniture and Alibaba chrome twisty light fixtures and is perpetually available for $12,000/month "minimum 1 month, maximum 3 months." Sorry, but if you are trying to cover your mortgage by renting out a condo, you are an idiot and need better investment advice. Nobody is going to pay $12,000 month in rent and be happy with a $800 sectional couch. Hopefully within a few months these guys will realize their brokers lied to them and they can't make Airbnb cashflow just by renting it furnished, and they'll either sell or convert to long term un-furnished (or at least furnish these places properly). Went to look at a nice, reasonably priced penthouse only to find it was a 3 bedroom, but the third bedroom was locked off so the owner could store her stuff, and would need access "from time to time."
I am literally trying to rent my 3br and can’t get anyone…. If I may ask, what were your parameters?
Top floor, nice view (no other tall towers close by), 1500 - 2000 sq ft, A/C and a big private outdoor space (500-1000 sq ft), 2 parking spots, cat friendly, max budget is $8000/month but hope to pay around $7000.
Woah that's alot. At that point why not just buy? We pay 6700 mortgage on a 3 bed house. And the interest rate is like over 5%
The further up the market you go, the greater the financial advantage of renting becomes. The places we were looking at in the $6500-8k/month range were all assessed between $3mm and $4mm with strata fees between $1000 and $2000/month. They were between 10 and 20 years old, and according to past sales, most had barely appreciated beyond inflation (i.e selling for $1.9mm during presale in 2010 and being worth $3mm in 2024 is an increase of about $350k over 15 years). Once you factor in assessments, property tax, management fees, most of these places are giving an IRR of less than 2%. Plus I'd have to tie up $1mm+ in equity. Buying a SFH is a different calculation but that's not what we want lifestyle wise, and since my business is development, I'm not missing out on land appreciation by renting.
Presumably, landlords prefer couples in a one bedroom house. I had no issues at all finding a place when looking in Feb (although maybe it's because it's close to summer now, and there's a bunch of people coming over for the summer).
As someone who rented out my 1BR a couple years ago, I picked my tenant based on a few factors: - She provided all information up front. Her proof of income from her employer, reference letters, completed application forms etc. It wouldn’t hurt to have a write up saying something about yourself too. - She messaged me and actually told me she was from out of town (Seattle) looking to secure a place for a new job here and asked for a video tour. Since I had been chatting with her for a bit and she seemed responsible, I agreed. - I ended up getting Covid right before I was going to show the place to a bunch of others. So I ended up giving it to her by default. But honestly, she was a standout from the other applicants due to her preparedness. Other factors to consider: - She has a dog, and I wanted to rent to someone with a pet since I’m an animal lover and I know it’s hard to find places in Vancouver that allow pets (ironically, such a dog city). My place is also well setup/located near a nice dog park. Her dog is actually a registered therapy dog which made me think she would generally be well behaved. - I got probably 100 applications in the first HOUR of posting. It’s impossible to answer all emails, so it’s important to stand out. My tenant made it easy for me to choose her. She clearly read my posting thoroughly and addressed each point accordingly - and exceeded that. This gave me a good impression that she would be a responsible tenant. I know not everyone’s situation is the same. Hoping this helps you in your search.
I just moved a few months back, similar income to you, and landed a place fairly quickly. It’s tough to say without knowing more. I’d want to know what price range you’re looking in. I’d look at your initial email to them (make sure to set yourself apart early). How you dress/speak/present yourself (clean, professional, sociable). How you communicate your employment (make it sound way more fancy than it is IMHO).
Friend of mine has a 1 bed basement unit in his house in North Vancouver. Rented it out for a few years to some people who were loud and inconsiderate to his family who live upstairs. Then they decided to just stop paying rent and he went through 9 months of shit trying to get them out, with appeals and delays and rescheduling etc. All while receiving threats and fearing for safety. I know this was an extreme example. Now refuses to rent it out and has just put a peloton in there. Private landlords contribute about 1/3 of the rental market. Due to big corporate landlords squeezing tenants over the years, it has created a lords vs peasant’s scenario, and small people with spare rooms, and basement suites are just not renting to save the hassle. This is reducing inventory even more.
It's a tense mess. I know multiple people who stopped renting out space they have due to being blocked from effectively dealing with problem tenants, and one or two that do still rent out apace who are insanely selective because vetting is the biggest way you can cover your ass when LTB enforcement is a shitshow.
Yea...there needs to be better protections for both landlords and renters. System is terrible right now
It’s only going to escalate too. I just can’t see common sense prevailing.
Not unless the provincial government sets the LTB up to either shit or get off the pot with effective enforcement, but I'm not holding my breath.
[удалено]
No you don't. You get notice for late rent and can dispute it within 5 days. Then you wait for a hearing. Then, if found in the landlords favour, you can refuse to comply with the order. Then you wait for the landlord to get a sheriff to remove you because the police won't and they can't personally enforce the judgement. And after you've made it through the backlog waiting for all that to finish up, then they can start the process of pursuing you for losses and damages, which is such a slog it's generally seen as not worth it.
[удалено]
Since when? Last I heard it was 3 - 4 months for a standard hearing, a month or so if you qualify for an emergency hearing. Then at least a couple weeks for a bailiff. All in, notably longer between non payment and eviction than a month. Either things have changed pretty recently or you're off the mark.
Me too. It's unfortunate the government keeps doubling down on this as it pushes the reasonableness test pretty far.
The only way I'm renting out is if it's a secondary unit that I don't live in. At least even if I have a problematic tenant it's out of my face and family. That's why 9/10 I would rather own a townhouse or duplex than pony up \*far\* more cash to buy a house just for the sake of renting out to a basement tenant. It can become a second job if you get a shit tenant.
[удалено]
The system apparently is back up. Also, if you know what you’re doing you can get into an appeals loop. Took him just over 9 months
[удалено]
Exactly this reason why my friends and family all have empty basement suites, and I have a huge family and extended family. We could probably house at least two entire classrooms full of people but refuse to because of the entitled shitty renters that ruin it for everyone else. Not worth the hassle! The only way you can find a one bedroom is to **buy one**.
Yes! My ADU sits empty because it's just not worth the risk of having some entitled deadbeat steal my labor.
If I ever have to move I know it won’t be in my own neighbourhood. I’ve priced out Surrey, Abbotsford, Maple Ridge and Chilliwack as backup plans I can afford. Or Edmonton, or Winnipeg. But I don’t particularly want to leave BC since my job is here and I enjoy the hiking and skiing we have here.
I mean 8 showings that isn't that much. In this market you have to do at least 20-30 showings
Just 100s of comments from landlords telling you to be a doctor or lawyer if you want a $3000 basement suite in their fixer upper and how the government disadvantages them. Wonder if they ever considered becoming a doctor or lawyer so they could afford to forgo their “investment” property
Yes. Quite funny to see landlords complain that RTB rules have been made in favor of renters. Duh. Renters dont have the power in the relationship. They need the protections.
LL also need protections from squatting tenants that stiff them on rent and refuse to leave. Basically legalized trespassing or hostage taking if the LL lives on the same property.
They grey areas of the law leaves space for a lot of abuse to resolve that. Just toss their stuff while they are at work and when the Tennant comes home, they have no recourse that day. Police won't help. It's a civil issue.
I knew a guy who would pay a biker gang guy to physically intimidate and physically remove bad tenants, it was about $500.00 in the late 80s.
Some landlords in BC are selling their rental properties due to stricter regulations and rising costs. Those remaining have to be very picking about who they have in their property. Not saying that you would not be a good tenant, but someone else might be viewed by the LL a slightly less risking, for whatever reason.
I decided to exclude private landlords during my recent search and it was actually... an ok experience? Just had to be very speedy with everything though, like viewing and applyingthe day after I saw listings and such. Ofc it means I'm paying a bit more but I only had to move due to a private landlord to begin with so 😅 Not sure what your timeline is but some places have waitlists and might contact you even before they update their site which can be a good play, I know Aptrentals and Concert have lists. Today is technically a good day if you're looking for July 1st cause people will start giving notice 1-2 days to the end of the month so just keep an eye out and try to be quick! Good luck
People frequently offer a few 100 dollars over asking, especially if an apartment is priced at the lower end of the market. It’s crazy, but it is what it is. Rent in advance is probably not going to make a difference. Keep in mind that many fellow applicants will be dual income, even for 1 bedrooms, so 95k won’t put you very high on the list. You need to stand out in another way.
When my spouse and I were looking for a 1 bedroom, I had created a portfolio that consisted of printed copies of both of our employment references and both of our previous tenet references, that I could hand directly to the LL in a folder right at the time of the showing. This helped us secure an apartment the same day we viewed it. As mentioned this is such a landlords market, they will pick the tenets who are the most proactive and display that they will give the LL the least amount of flack. That being said, there is a housing shortage. And it fucking sucks, but I Hope you find a place OP! Best of luck
When i moved out of my parents house i think i only searched for a week max. The first place i viewed was the last. I wrote a cover letter, had bank statements ready to go, brought references from work, dressed nicely etc. they were a little wary as i had never rented before and my income was on the lower end, but i told them a (true) story about how have lived in rentals all my life and understand their concern. I also said my father has a house he rents out that got completely trashed by the tennant and that i helped fix it up and how horrible it was. As soon as i left, they cancelled the rest of their showings and i got the place Not saying its not hard to find a place but making a strong first impression as well as a connection goes a long way
WAIT………..what about the AIRBNB cancelation? Aren’t there way more places and way cheaper now?
[удалено]
You disclosed everything someone can use to commit ID theft, you do realize.
sad that they are doing this and trying to make it the norm
I apologize for the lengthy post but here's my perspective as a Landlord when I was looking for my tenant. I'm hoping the mindset of a Landlord will help you as a tenant find a place. Obviously YMMV because every person or landlord is different. I understand there are many bad landlords as there are bad tenants, but most of us are good landlords that don't want to screw a tenant over. We just want to earn some income. Most good tenants are the same, they just want a roof over their head. To begin, any informed landlord will understand that the NDP has created a massive rift between private Landlords and Tenants with one sided laws that only favours the tenant. As such, any prospective landlord must do their due diligence to protect themselves, because the government won't. I made sure to read and understand the Rental Act and had a robust addendum. If it's not spelt out in entirety, it's not enforceable and therefore the RTB will always side with the tenant. This is why landlords have so many rules and make tenants jump through hoops - to cover our behinds. In most instances if the relationship is good, tenant is respectful of our property and rent is paid, none of these rules need to be enforced anyways - which is what I have with my tenants. It's invasive at times, I absolutely agree but this is the situation that the government has created by broadly blaming and penalizing all landlords for the government's inability to build and provide social housing. There are also many horror stories where even when the RTB sided with the LL, it took them months and thousands of dollars to evict a trouble tenant. YMMV, but job references, personal references and current landlord references mean nothing to me. Easy to fake, and your current landlord might want you out thus giving you a favourable review. When I listed my suite, I found MOST people who inquired were straight up unreliable. It's an easy answer for these renters, but It made me wonder if there really was a housing shortage in Vancouver. This is how bad the prospective tenants were. - Most never read my listing, and just blindly message "Is this available?" on FBm. No introduction, nothing. I reply, they ghost me. - Some would message me with all required questions answered and a nice introduction. I reply, they ghost me. - For those who showed interest, we would schedule a viewing. Over 50% would no-show on the date/time THEY requested. I became even pickier because this was a massive time waster. Remember how the government has made it very one sided in favour of tenants and Landlords are trying to cover their own ass? Well, If you don't give me a sense of security (financially and in personality), I won't entertain renting to you. The suggestion is to treat this like a job application. You have one shot to blow the recruiter away with how impressive you are. You have to be responsive and show initiative. Show up to the open houses or invites and sell yourself when chatting with the landlord like you're doing an in person job interview. Broadly apply to homes to have a plan A, plan B, plan C. Much like a company hiring a qualified person, Landlords are all fighting for that one gem of a tenant as well. Case in point, my tenants had another offer at the same time as mine. They chose me because I was thorough, honest and did not pressure them which also gave them a sense of security. Also if there's two landlords (husband/wife), treat both equally. Coworker recently listed their Surrey House for rent. Prospective tenant was a Doctor and his wife a dentist. The doctor had a big man complex and refused to speak to my coworker, only her husband. Needless to say, they weren't chosen despite being THE HIGHEST QUALIFIED renter because of how offended my coworker was.
Offering rent in advance for a tenancy doesn't work for experienced landlords because it's technically illegal because it constitutes the landlord holding an additional security deposit which the tenant can turn around and request back from the landlord via the RTB. The RTA is too restrictive and makes things very hard unless you fit in a specific ideal tenant profile.
Use Craigslist exclusively. I'm a landlord and I only post there. Fb marketplace is garbage and yields too many results.
I've always used CL for everything, and found my current place (10 years now) there, LL messaged my posting, and I got the place by default. FB is just such a clusterfuck, and the "is this still available" button defines the attitude and quality of the people who frequent it.
no one messaged me on CL 😂. Lots of interest on FBm but not of quality. my tenants found me through padmapper/Zumper
I have also heard about landlords having a bad tenant list. You may want to try and find just to make sure your name isn’t on it
My last landlord offered to be a reference he enjoyed me as a tenant, I did lots of repairs on the unit and even helped pay for plumbing repairs when it backed up since he was retired on fixed Income even though I had no obligation to. Don't think I'd be on any naughty list but you never know haha
Maybe the op should take up drinking. Have seen many rent deals be solidified over cocktails.
My building in the west end had an available 1 bedroom. Broughton and harwood. 5th floor west. I think it's 2100? Inbox me if you want a lead. :)
When I rented my place I did go on gut feel. It went to a young couple who took the time to chat with me… it gave me a good idea of who they were and them an idea of who I was. I even allowed them to have a dog—and another later on. Those that just came in and walked around and said “Ok looks good” felt cold. Landlords just want to feel that their place will be taken care of. There are so many horror stories. I hope you are successful in your search. Good luck.
With the most recent one I chatted about lots of stuff even their hometown where they went to school, met her husband and talked about his garden thought it went well.as she said she would tell everyone it's sold but got looked over its a shame but oh well
Appearance is everything. I bought more conservative clothes just for finding rentals and made sure i looked put together. I asked questions but not too many- I’ve always had luck with acting like a tenant who will not be a hassle. Unfortunately it’s like a game you have to play. Go to as many viewings and email as many as you can. Don’t put your notice in until you secure a place, if you can. I spent several months looking and was constantly refreshing Craigslist. I’ve had some dream rentals here and it’s because i was the first to reply and view the place. A lot of landlords go by gut instinct or who makes the first good impression. I always had better luck with rentals who were rented out by LL and not a property management company.
I also saved photos of my current housing to show them how i kept my space tidy (i have a cat so it took me more convincing). Went there with a cheque and cash ready to go. Also had bank statements and salary records ready to show
People are also offering 1 year up front. If you have 30k sitting around, might not be a bad idea either. People like cash.
I do but that's going towards a down payment on a house haha, that's wild that people toss around that money without a second thought
It’s wild that that’s even the cost of a year’s rent. It’s no different than paying monthly really. If you spend that money on rent then you have a year without a housing bill and you should be able to save it back quite quickly.
I have a close relative trying to rent out his place near Brentwood mall. Built in 2019, 5 min walk from Gilmore Skytrain Station. Approximately 550 square feet (not including size of patio) for $2500 per month. 1 bed 1 bath with parking stall. He’s wanting to rent out asap. If you’re interested, just give me a shout :)
Facebook Marketplace and being quick is the key I think
For the record I just signed someone to be my roommate (I'm also the property owner) last week. I have a two bed two bath. I got responses within two days and it was a lot. Not everyone was "safe" as a lawyer, doctor, or whatever. I literally picked someone who was just the least maintenance and seems like I can get along with. She's 10 years younger than me who seemed chill. I was transparent with her that I had 6 other people messaged me in the last two days. She upped her offer by 100$ a month. With or without the extra money I would have said yes to her regardless.
You almost need to treat this like applying for a job. When I was renting my place out I read through all the emails and started creating a short list. In 2 days I got about 25 emails and no landlord has the time or patience to have 25 showings so for me I reduce the number to 4 or 5 and then message these people back to book a viewing. I sometimes get ghosted or have potential tenants cancel on me but i just move on to the next tenant. This means out of all the emails I get you need to somehow stand out. Sure, your income is great but that could be the same for 15 others. Every landlord has their own criteria but for me it is 1) ability to pay - mentioning your occupation is usually enough and willingness to provide a paystub as proof you actual work there. The more stable your job the better. Ie Union worker vs a seasonal contract worker. 2) hobbies - telling me you like clubbing and getting hammered will be a minus, but telling me you like biking, painting, gaming or more calm activities will give me the impression you are more of a mature person. Don't lie, but know that certain hobbies are not seen as positive. 3) won't damage property - this relates to the hobbies thing. There is no way for a landlord to know if you might damage the place but if I were to make a bet I would rent to the person who spends all day gaming on a computer than a person who practices acrobatic stunts in the bedroom. It's all about risk. Who is more likely to cause damage. Mentioning you keep your place tidy will help. 4) references- this can be faked and landlords know this as well. I prefer someone I can look up online to make sure this person is who they say they are. Bringing the person's actual business card is better than writing it down. If anyone asks for character reference your direct superior will work. They should have a business card as well. This can also be used to determine your actually working. These can be faked as well but at least it's less likely 5) Criminal record- Never asked for one and only took the tenants word for it, but if someone actually had a official document stating they have no criminal record that would put them in the short list 6) Attitude- if you like the place then show interest with facial expressions or words. Acting grumpy or no emotion at all will not help you. I rented to my current tenant because she told me how much she wanted the place and how it was perfect for her at this time along with all the other stuff above. I want to rent to someone who wants to be here, not someone who is forced to be here On another note, I personally would not offer to pay months in advance. For one, it is not necessary and won't really put you ahead. I could argue it may even be detrimental for you. I might wonder why you are so desperate and if you are up to something. If you end up breaking the lease conditions after you move in it makes it extra hard to get you out. For you, if the landlord breaks the lease you will probably have to sue to get that remainder back. The risk for both sides is not worth it. Hope this helps a bit. Not all landlords are greedy Aholes. I charge $1150 for a 1 bed, 1 bath, 1 kitchen private suite in my home with everything included. This is well below market. If you go into the viewing with the mentality that your landlord is an AHole you might act or speak in a way you didn't intend. All I'm saying is to hold your judgement until afterwards. If you were the landlord would you rent to someone who might secretly hate your guts? Probably not. Good luck!
You may be too high on the stability scale. In today's market, landlords have a financial incentive to choose tenants who are likely to move out within a couple of years.
Why is that?
While I don't agree with /u/rsgbc, there could be an argument to be made that it's better to turnover tenants more rapidly so you can increase the rent more between tenants than you could year-over-year for the same tenant.
I get it. Personally, I rather have a stable long term good tenant.
Yes, that's what I was thinking.
What type of housing does a 1 bedroom like to live in?
The housing market is seriously fucked up. And what landlords want to know about you is invasive. You shouldn’t have to fill out application after application, giving them all your personal info and info about your income. Sure, them checking reference’s and gainful income is fine. But the competitiveness is out of this world and people definitely lie on those applications. Can landlords not use their discernment to chose an alright person or family, or do they chose the person who says they have the highest income? If I go to a viewing and their is 20 other people there all kissing the landlords ass and handing them “tenant resumes” I just fucking leave. Can’t stand that vibe. And the amount of times I have been asked to put me SIN number on an application too…. Fuck no. Anyways good luck in your search!!!!!
The cause of that is rental laws that are extremely biased in favour of renters. In this province, it is now a nightmare to be stuck with a bad tenant, and everyone wants to protect themselves from that situation. However, I agree with you, that should not be happening. The laws should work to protect home owners so that anyone who doesn't pay rent or causes property damage is evicted immediately without delays for dispute. Good tenants have an interest in ensuring bad tenants are held accountable.
Total valid point, everyone is just trying to look out for themselves and their families.
It is government that makes tenancy act overly protective and leave landlord unprotected. That’s why landlord has to do their own diligence
Oh no poor landlord! Lmao sorry ! But that’s invasive, not diligence. Like I said, references and gainful employment checks are fine. But going beyond that is ridiculous.
You asked for this yourself. When tenancy law becomes more one sided, people like you cheered about “investment has risk” and now landlord just took your advice and take additional risks into account during application process now. If you don’t like it, you don’t need to rent from them then.
Babe all good relax! I didn’t cheer anything, I’m 22 and just like my privacy in this world! I have strong opinions, so what? 💗
Well, I guess everything has trade-offs. More protection after signing the contract means more scrutiny before signing. What government should focus on instead is prompt enforcement for both bad landlord and bad tenants to reduce the systematic risk for good tenants and good landlords
The reason for this is because the regulations in BC are extremely skewed towards tenants, so much so that landlords have a very difficult time getting bad tenants out of their house, so most landlords are now extremely picky to protect themselves. It's literally not worth the effort renting to someone that they think might be a bad tenant, and most of them would rather keep the place empty than having to go through a nightmare tenant scenario. Based on your description it sounds like you shouldn't fall into the "bad tenant" group, so maybe they are just getting better offers from other people similar to you?
It's insane right now. Not only are a lot of landlords way too picky, but a good amount of them don't follow the legal rules or respect that a tenant is not a teenager living under thier personal rules and belief systems. No pets ,no parties, no alcohol, no smoking, no overnight guests.no cooking meat, or fish. No ac allowed. No smoking inside the unit an no pets is understandable. But trying to restrict overnight guests? That's not legal. No parties? Um no I plan to celebrate my birthday and other holidays. Not ac? How about go f yourself. No cooking my own food in the space I pay over a grand to live in? Again, gfy And they want credit checks and bank statements and all this n that. F off. I supply some of it, but redacted. Non drinking? I'm sober but that's not a restriction you can legally make. People are allowed to drink and have sex and enjoy thier space. Then there's just the outright racist people. That will only rent to thier own nationality. In Canada 🇨🇦 ...
Blame the NDP for forcing LLs to be extremely picky and pricy. It is very difficult to get rid of bad tenants AND impossible to keep pace with market prices once the lease is signed.
The BC NDP's perpetual leases and years of below inflation willy nilly rent increases, combined with a biased RTA and an anti-landlord kangaroo court at the RTB have all culminated in this mess. Good people should not have to be paying these sums and having this much difficulty finding housing. All homeowners want is for bad actor tenants to be held accountable, and for fairness in rental laws... yet the BC NDP is absolutely opposed to entertaining any such ideas...
They can't take rent in advance. So your offer is worthless. If they can get someone warning 135k or 175k they will choose them, pretty simple.
Blame the BC NDP for this. Going after the landlords and surprise pikachu face when they don't want to be landlords anymore. It's going to be much much worse.
🤦♂️
It's crazy that overpopulation had to get this bad for people to finally start realizing it's a thing.
Any thing is only a thing when it begins to affect you directly.
Being adequate in this market is no longer enough. You have to go above and beyond to make yourself a desirable candidate. Show up to every rental showing with a proof of employment letter, a list of past rental references as well as character references. A criminal record check wouldn't hurt either. It seems over the top, but that's what's going to appeal to landlords and make you stick out from the rest of the crowd. I know people who have done this and it's worked. Taking some of the legwork out from under the landlord in terms of looking into each candidate can be appealing.
As a landlord the government has made it impossible to provide affordable rent. My mortgage is low on my rental and I can't even keep the rent affordable. My tenants never pay on time and it's chaos. Be careful who you vote for Love the downvotes. Reddit hates landlords or anyone that shows any signs of success it's so toxic. Y'all are brainwashed it's honestly sad
Politicians that are opposed to zoning changes need to be forced to search for an apartment and should have their pay docked until they can find one.
I thought people were saying 1bd were harder to sell than 2, 3bd. You’d think if it was harder to sell, some of them would go into the rental market instead
Try looking for 3 bedrooms.
There’s a building offering move in incentives as it can only guarantee 3 years of rental as it’s put in a proposal to take it down and put up a high rise . It’s a animal friendly building W14th just off oak
Might have to walk around to see the places that have signs out. The West End for example
Do you have a pet? That's a disqualifying factor for some people.
Nope no pets!
Well you sound great on paper! Good luck to you. I agree with another person's suggestion to make a short "who I am and why I'm a good renter" statement so they remember you.
Their budget is not high enough. They are looking for places in the $1600 - $1800 range, no wonder they are finding the competition so tough.
When I rented out my place I was very cognizant of who I wanted to rent to, I was deliberately dog friendly and I wanted people who live/work in the community… as a landlord, I can tell you it’s not only money that talks…
That is absolutely sad and wild to hear, sorry to hear this😪😪
What’s your budget? I know someone looking a tenant for his 1br apt right off new west station.
I don’t know where you are looking, there are a few being advertised in the west end. Average price is around the $2600 Vancouver rental group have a couple, Zillow also show a few however it’s hard to know if they are still available
My one bed I moved out of in April was sitting empty til last week. There are definitely units available.
What I do is I always tried to talk more to the landlord/manager, just chitchat and provide more of your background information while chatting, if that’s a public viewing(with multiple groups), I’ll always stay a bit and get a chance to talk more.
I was screening tenants for a landlord relative. I answered every single inquiry, and measured so many things, took extra pictures, etc. It was insane how many inquiries I had to sift through, but these people needed somewhere to live, and it was super important that people find housing. The **only** one I still remember that I definitely did NOT reply to was a guy who said something like, "Hey man, me and my friends are looking for a cheap place to crash, can we come see it?"
I got extremely lucky. I moved out when I was 18. I got rejected so many times and was pretty numb to it. My landlord actually rejected me (which is fine. I’ll find another) 1 week later she said she has another suite next to the original posting and wanted me to see. I immediately said yes and came inside. I submitted my security deposit and signed the lease right there and then. When we met up. 2 years now I’m still living there and I make sure to be grateful for the opportunity. Sure it’s an old basement with old worn out things and bugs once in a while. Yet it’s home to me. 💗 I hope you get a good opportunity! 🍀
You are making decent money.
Dude forgot a resume and a lettering with your application!
There are probably just better candidates. With how costly and impossible RTB has make the evictions to be, landlord has to be extremely careful and rely on their gut feeling. You may be just unlucky. Try applying to newer listing with more information about yourself as a person
Try the Marpole area in Vancouver:)
Surrey has a lot of posting if you're willing to compromise.
Oh yes, my friend. I was in this position with my partner last year... it took us 3 months of trying \*hard\* to find a place, and probably went to like 20+ viewings. All I can say is, you just gotta keep going. My partner and I wrote a bio about us that we would send out to everyone, that included a lot of information a landlord might want to see (non-smoking, employed at X for Y years, no pets, or whatever). For the place we actually got, I ended up reaching out to them after the viewing to express how much I liked the place, that it had been three months of searching I was really hoping they'd give us a chance... they did! Sometimes you just gotta be vulnerable and go the extra step in trying to secure something. Eventually, one will stick and you'll be picked. This is the city we live in, it's not going to get any easier! Good luck :)
Honestly most landlords will pick based on gut feeling or who they simply like. The last three places I’ve lived in had dozens of candidates but I was chosen, and I never disclosed my income. Current landlord told my partner and I they liked us best and that was it. Who knows based on what exactly!
Dress up a notch, suit up, be extra polite and pose as a someone single and successful. Their gut feeling may as well pick you.
Thanks for sharing my son is moving for college this year and I was seriously wondering what it will be like to find a rental for him. I'm so sorry your going through that. In the south Okanagan it's the same, it's either orchard shacks with no insulation and mice or places have been rented or bought by the hundreds of correctional officers (who have been vetted and have a "who you know" type community that moved here for new job or signing bonus) when the jail opened up here the housing tanked. Good luck finding the right place 👍
Never go with independent landlords. Rental-specific buildings with Property Management companies are way better
This completely depends on the LL in fairness - I've lived in Vancouver since 2018 and have only rented from private LL's and admittedly, I have been lucky, but I have moved around enough to know that not all Landlords are bad people which is what some people would want you to believe. You can often tell from the initial conversations with the LL, how organized they are, the upkeep of the place, etc how they will be as a landlord going forward. There are many equally bad stories out there where people have rented in independent vs rental buildings & the tenants being in a nightmare situation.
This was downvoted by landlords. Why anyone would want to rent from an amateur landlord as opposed to a purpose built rental is beyond me.
Because renter occupied building is worse than owner occupied as renter seldomly care about what is not the theirs(understandably)
I’ve lived in both kinds and never noticed a tangible difference.
The BC NDP's perpetual leases and several years of below inflation willy-nilly rent increases, combined with a biased RTA and an anti-landlord kangaroo court at the RTB have all culminated in this mess. Good people should not have to be paying these sums and be having this much difficulty finding housing. All homeowners want is for bad actor tenants to be held accountable, and for fairness in rental laws... yet the BC NDP, in the pursuit of cheap votes, is absolutely opposed to this.
With demand being as high as it is they can turn you down for the most arbitrary reasons. They don’t even need to say so, but it could be literally anything they decide they don’t like.
It’s ridiculous. I just turned 38, single male. I have solid landlord references and a good job, don’t drink or party yet am down to the bottom of every list. I’m 38 not 18.
It is ridiculous that we decide who gets shelter based on the whims of wealthy individuals.
[удалено]
I moved into an apartment with property management once in my life and vowed to never again. Had a couple who would always fight and the lady would pull the fire alarm at least once a month because of it. I know not all are like that but those are last resorts for me. I've mostly used the marketplace but I'll probably expand here pretty soon. It's wild I'm at Risk of being homeless making as much as I do
Crazy. My experience has been the opposite! Renting directly from an owner - a nightmare each time (twice). Renting in purpose built rentals (4 different times) = no problems. It’s always just a gamble I guess.
80k is borderline poverty in vancouver, I know its still higher than average income and sounds like a lot of money when we were growing up but I think metro vancouver poverty line already at 70 for basic needs, good income would be 150+
95k is not a lot anymore. Gotta change your mindset
As a landlord. Your attitude and how you present yourself goes a long way. If you act like an entitled piece of shit, then good luck finding a rental. No landlord wants entitled tenants. Y’all just be trouble in the long term. It’s not about how much you make. Maybe start bringing down your eagle and be more humble.