Re: "Landlords have right to set the rules," letter, Aug. 11.
The statements in the letter are not supported by the facts. Landlords do not make the laws around residential tenancy issues and they do not "legally set" the rules.
That is the job of the Residential Tenancy Branch, who enforce the strict guidelines of the Residential Tenancy Act. The authority of the act always supercedes any specific policies by a particular landlord.
The writer's reference to employed tenants as being "more desirable prospects" seems biased against jobless renters.
Worse, it obscures the fact that many unemployed renters on government assistance are the most stable tenants of all.
In our insecure job market, "professionals" are downsized every day, with steady employment a fleeting memory. Guaranteed rent allowances result in less turnovers and less costly upkeep - reducing the strain on the landlord's wallet.
This is the "real world."
Doreen Marion Gee
Victoria
