Regulate what landlords can charge for rent?

Here's an email asking the same question that drives me bananas (yes. bananas):

I feel as strongly about this as you. I am a single mom paying over $1200 because I don't want my child to live in a tiny dump. I don't know how I can ever get ahead enough to buy my own place. I also have a big dog, so you've gotta come up with over a thousand bucks for your deposit right away, it's crazy! Real estate prices are coming down, and rental prices aren't, what sense does that make??

It almost IS like the price of gas. Once the consumers have been forced to pay over a dollar for a liter of fuel, what incentive is there for the oil companies to lower the price? Even after the price for barrels of oil have gone down. They already know we'll pay what we've been forced to. I can't imagine a landlord saying to his/her tenant,

'Well, looks like the value of my home has decreased by 8% over the last couple years. How 'bout I give you a break and reduce your rent by $100/month? Oh, and here's a blank cheque for you to go out and get yourself something nice for the yard'.

No matter how we slice it, our price for a piece of the rental pie will stay where it is now, probably get worse,

UNLESS THE PRICE OF RENTAL HOUSING IS REGULATED BY THE PROVINCE OR CITY.

Not sure how this can or will happen, but it seriously must. Seriously.

I pose this question to the one reader of my online rantings (hi mom!):

As a renter in the city of Victoria, are you willing to support and fight for a by-law that would regulate what a landlord could charge for rent?

If so, why? If not, why? Let's get this showboat on the road. Can we do this? Really. Can we?

Landlords openly gouging renters?

Your dead on, landlords openly gouging renters. Interesting that all suites are just newly renovated? No pets, can't even smoke outside? The Landlord likes us as tenants and really doesn't want to lose us as renters as it costs money to list and rent and show his place. Would like to see a renters coalition set up in Victoria. I believe these property owners will suffer in the near future as vacancy is not as bad as the media and realestate jerks say it is.
Thank you for the post

Thank you for the email! I agree. The vacancy rate cannot be as bad as it is reported to be. Perhaps the people telling us the vacancy rate is less than 0.5% are the same people who are part of the secret 'fuel prices stay where they are even when a barrel of gas costs less than a barrel of monkeys' society. And, btw.. a barrel of monkeys is dirt cheap. Don't ask how I know this.

yea I am pretty chocked and stressed about the price of places too, i just had to give my dog up and I have 2 cats wich I cant give up after having to give up my dog, I work full time and I cant afford 800 for a 1 bedroom or 750 for a bachlor.... im couch surfing right now, and im running out of sources.... this is total BS and something should be done... I cant live in my car with 2 cats.....

No kidding you're chocked. (Must be a cross between choked and shocked. Works for me.) Landlords make it very difficult to own pets in this city. Besides most pet owners being the most responsible, caring people out there, we are usually very good tenants and like to stay in places awhile. Kinda like people with little kids, but no screaming and food everywhere. Well, maybe food everywhere. Especially if you are feeding a barrel of monkeys.

A societal problem and it's reached almost epidemic proportions

Here is the first email that I am choosing to post from dozens of responses I've had. More to come.

Any possible identifiable information has been removed. As a result, slight editing may have been necessary.

We LOVE this ad of yours...you are so very correct. We are two hard working mature adults (with good jobs) with a child and two dogs - talk about almost impossible to find somewhere to live in this city. We ended up in an apt with no balcony, which kind of feels like a cave and we're the mushrooms. It's only redeeming feature is that it's reasonable in rent. However, we have nowhere to garden, to BBQ, to work on vehicles etc. Also, for the past year we've had to leave the larger dog with friends 'cause we can't afford to get kicked out of the apt we're in. That means that we've had to leave our dog behind for almost a year - we've been looking since we moved here in Oct now to find something reasonable for our family and we've come to the conclusion that it will have to be East Sooke or Duncan for affordability and life style choice.
I do not believe that landlords need to be as greedy and self-serving as they have become - this is a societal problem and it's reached almost epidemic proportions - do they really think that in this economic climate that the people they want to rent to can afford what they want to charge - it's become insane. Anyway, those are my thoughts on the matter. We are like you - we are good, responsible tenants who just want a nice place for our family and there's no way at present we can buy in this over-inflated market.

Finding a house to rent in Victoria is UNREAL

Me: Looking for a nice, affordable 2 or 3 bedroom house to rent in the Victoria area.

Them: Renting 1 bedroom suites in houses for more money per month than it would cost to fly to Mexico. Well, maybe not as long as the dreaded...... (echoey James Earl Jonesish delivery) swine flu is active. Got shared laundry? Oh boy, do they! Gee. A separate entrance even? What a luxury.

Me: Annoyed to the point that I can't stand it any more. Simple, short ad created and posted in Used Victoria's 'Houses for Rent' section displaying my annoyance in a public fashion (see 'What started this?').

Renters: Overwhelmingly respond to the ad by sending emails containing their experiences of being treated unfairly and agreeing that it is out of control. (Posts containing excerpts from these emails to come... Don't worry about being identified. I'm all about the privacy.)

A couple of 'them': A few brave lords o' the land felt also felt compelled to drop me a line:

"please do not be rallying the troops against us ..or we will more than likely quit and then where would all the people be?"

You have got to be kidding. Where would all the people be? I have no words other than to let you know you smell of fear and probably Old Spice. Well, maybe fear, Old Spice and a bag of money.

Check back often, post your thoughts and feelings, argue with me or agree with me. Let me hear what you have to say.

They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.
- Andy Warhol