[nagdu] Tenant Rights

[sblanjones11]

Dear Heather,
I definitely would pursue this according to the laws of the province where
you are.  That, exactly, is what they are created for:  To protect the
rights of the likes of you & me, so that we can live in the place that is
most convenient for us, and not be harassed by people who just think they
can shut us out because they don't want our guide dogs.

Standing up for what is right is hard, especially when it might smack of
self-interest; but if you don't, landlords will just continue to think they
can live above the law, and the ones who come after you will have to repeat
your inconvenience.  
Consider, and do what you think is best..

We are here to support you in any way we can.  
HTH.
Susan & Rhoda

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
Of Heather Hutchison
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 5:24 PM
To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
Subject: [nagdu] Tenant Rights

Hi all,

My apologies if this isn't allowed because I live in British Columbia,
Canada, but I was wondering if I could get some general input on what to do
about being discriminated against due to the presence of my guide dog in
applying for a rental unit.

An acquaintance of my boyfriend was moving out of her apartment and we
decided it would be a great area and a perfect place for us to live in, so
we contacted the landlords (a husband and wife) to set up a viewing (we've
seen the place before, but to do it officially). She set up a time the next
morning for us to come and view the suite. My boyfriend mentioned the fact
that I have a guide dog (not as a question of if it would be alright, but
simply to state a fact) and everything changed. She said she would have to
check with her husband and quickly hung up. She called back and left a
message specifically stating that because there was another dog on the
premises (these are completely separate units though) that because of my
dog, we would not be considered to rent the suite. We have kept this
message. We called her to try and explain the law (the guide animal act of
British Columbia states that it is illegal to discriminate against a person
with a disability because of their intent to keep a service animal in the
rental unit unless sleeping, cooking or bathroom facilities are
shared) but she would not listen. She put her husband on the phone and he
proceeded to be incredibly rude, screaming that they did not have to accept
a guide dog, essentially that the law was wrong. He said they weren't even
having viewings (which is incorrect because we had previously had an
appointment for that same day until they found out about my dog). He then
said we could come look at it if we really wanted but that we wouldn't get
it anyways. He said they were being threatened when we said we would take
legal action. One last time we tried to read him the act, but he hung up in
the middle of it.

What should I do? I am having a very difficult time finding a place to live
(I've heard every excuse in the book) and I'm tired of people blatantly
ignoring the law. It is very difficult to find pet friendly suites in
Vancouver and they are almost impossible to get into because they are in
such high demand. I filled out a human rights complaint but have not sent it
yet. Anything else I should do? Should I pursue this?

Thank you very much in advance for any input you might have.

Heather with Bibby

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