I’ve lived in B.C. my whole life. We moved to Saanich in the ‘90s, bought a house and raised our family.
We had hoped to retire in this home, and had a plan to do so. With the kids gone, our empty nest got a redesign in hopes of making enough money to stay here, as Saanich property taxes grew faster than our income.
Then the NDP government came to power and started to change the rules.
It started during COVID when there was no grounds for an eviction. Predictably, this gave permission for bad renters to abuse landlords, and they did. This was followed by more rules brought in on July 2024.
One of the most concerning is that landlords found ending tenancies in “bad faith” could be ordered to pay the tenant up to 12 months rent. In our case, rent was $2,000 per month, so this penalty could total $24,000 in after-tax dollars. “Bad faith” was to be determined by the heavily biased B.C. Rental Tenancy Board.
The NDP then mandated a maximum rent increase of, 0% in 2021, 1.5% in 2022, and 2% in 2023. As everyone knows, price increases from 2021 to 2023, far exceeded 3.5%. It was closer to 20%. This guaranteed we would be making less, and losing more as time went by. It also made investing in the unit impossible as materials and labour had exploded in price but our rent stayed essentially the same.
These dictates by the NDP government made renting our home out far too risky as we have the majority of our savings tied up in our home. One bad renter, that can’t be evicted, is a nightmare every landlord lives in fear of, and too many have had experience with.
So, we decided to put our unit on Airbnb. We invested in furniture, appliances, bedding, TVs, etc., put in a great deal of time and work, and got it on the market in 2024. We made exactly $30,619 gross, less after expenses. So we’re not exactly getting rich doing this, but it allowed us to pay our bills and stay in our home.
Now the NDP has changed the rules again with the registry for short-term rentals. This new registry adds more fees and red tape, a snitch line, and new government department staffed with bureaucrats and an increased schedule of fines.
Unfortunately for anyone in my municipality they will not be given “permission” by Saanich to rent their own property short term. So, in short, the government just legislated us out of business. With renting made too risky, and with Airbnb being outlawed in May, it leaves me facing the horrific prospect of selling my precious family home and moving to Alberta.
To my mother who moved to the Island be closer to me in her old age, I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry. Maybe the NDP will look after you.
Richard Green
Saanich
