Rent
The Conundrum of Home Affordability
- Let’s Go Exploring: Cusco and the Lost City of Machu Picchu - May 29, 2023
- Reader Case: Can I Move to Spain? - May 15, 2023
- Big Tech Is Laying Off Workers: Is Your Job Next? - May 1, 2023
The world may be distracted by all sorts of geopolitical shenanigans right now (Afghanistan, the resurgence of COVID, etc.), but here in Canada you may be surprised to learn that we are going through something rather interesting right now: a federal election. While the last American election in 2020 was focused mainly on the government’s pandemic response, the Canadian one is focused on something entirely different: the housing market. This is not a uniquely Canadian issue, but up here in the frozen North the government reacted to the freefalling economy during the pandemic as many governments did: by dropping interest […]
Should You Buy a Co-op?
- Let’s Go Exploring: Cusco and the Lost City of Machu Picchu - May 29, 2023
- Reader Case: Can I Move to Spain? - May 15, 2023
- Big Tech Is Laying Off Workers: Is Your Job Next? - May 1, 2023
A few weeks ago a reader emailed us asking “I get that houses and condos are super pricey right now, but I just found this co-op in my neighbourhood that’s still reasonably priced. Is that a good idea?” To which my response was “What the Hell is a co-op?” Turns out, in the spectrum of home types you can buy that range from “detached single family mansion” to “tiny box in the sky,” there exists a weird and relatively obscure breed of housing called the co-op, or housing co-operative. They physically can look like anything from an apartment-style dwelling to […]
How to Evict Your Tenant
- Why HomeExchange Beats Airbnb - May 22, 2023
- Let’s Go Exploring! Da Nang, Vietnam: The Next Digital Nomad Paradise? - May 8, 2023
- The Worst Travel Day Ever - April 24, 2023
Last Monday, we talked about “renovictions” and how a tenant took her landlord to small claims court and won. But just as there are bad landlords, there are also bad tenants. Today, we’re going to hear the opposite side of the story—a landlord who had to evict a tenant who hadn’t paid rent for over 6 months! As you know, it’s already a pain the ass to evict a bad tenant, but during a pandemic? That sound you just heard is the sound of landlords collectively screaming and pulling their hair out. Let’s find out from “Big City Landlord” what […]
How To Sue Your Landlord and Win
- Why HomeExchange Beats Airbnb - May 22, 2023
- Let’s Go Exploring! Da Nang, Vietnam: The Next Digital Nomad Paradise? - May 8, 2023
- The Worst Travel Day Ever - April 24, 2023
One of the biggest complains from tenants living in expensive cities is “renovictions.” To recap, this is when landlords evict their tenants under the guise of “renovation” so that they can raise rent above guidelines. I wrote about this in a previous post and today, we’re going to see a real-life example of someone who actually sued their landlord and won in small claims court! I’m sure the comments below will be full of thoughtful and civilized discussions. *slides sharpened knives onto table while whistling nonchalantly* So, without further ado, let’s hear it from “Mrs.I-Fought-My-Landlord-And-Won:” 1) How long have you […]
Should Governments Meddle with the Rental Market?
- Why HomeExchange Beats Airbnb - May 22, 2023
- Let’s Go Exploring! Da Nang, Vietnam: The Next Digital Nomad Paradise? - May 8, 2023
- The Worst Travel Day Ever - April 24, 2023
One of the most common arguments against renting over owning is the “renoviction” problem. Basically, this happens when a landlord uses the excuse of a “renovation” to kick out their existing tenants so they can raise rent above guidelines. This isn’t so much of a problem in small towns and suburbs but tends to happen in big cities where jobs are plentiful and, as a result, stiff competition and low vacancy drives everyone into a hunger games style fight for rentals. Oddly enough, we’ve never run into this problem in the 9 years that we lived in Toronto, the […]
