Editor: This letter is being sent to shed some light on a very real problem in Langley — the present condition of many rental properties that are unacceptable in terms of their safety and overall condition.
Home owners are allowed and expected to have a certified home inspector to come in and check the home before allowing their families to live in the dwelling. Renters are being charged what is deemed as afffordable prices for rents, but many of these rentals are nowhere near acceptable in terms of code expectations, safety or clean.
Landlords and property investors turn a blind eye to the conditions of these rentals, all in the name of money that is going straight into their own pockets. Yet these rentals would not be acceptable for their own families. It’s time that rental propertiues in Langley be inspected by the city and that all the necessary upgrades be done in order to meet the actual rents being charged.
Just because a person chooses to rent does not mean they should have to live and pay for substandard accommodations. The City of Langley needs to address this issue.
Another issue is renters who destroy places and create a bad reputation for good renters who look after the property respectfully.
Barbara Smythe,
Langley
