Vulnerable Strathmore senior in tight rental spot – StrathmoreNow.com
At the end of the week, a local Strathmore senior will be evaluating her options as her landlord has decided to not renew her lease. On April 1, the 80-year-old senior was notified her lease would be ending and would not be renewed.
The family revealed that they have attempted to reach out to the landlord and also tried reaching out to the Landlord and Tenant Act, The Mayor of Strathmore, and MLA Leela Sharon Aheer.
So what can seniors in Strathmore do, when on a fixed income, with only a few weeks to find out where to live? We spoke with Hayley Poirier of the REPs of Remax Key about the local rental market and other options for seniors who are looking for housing.
Poirier said, “Word of mouth is probably the best way to find housing right now,”
She explained that normally renters in this area are finding the properties before they are actually put out on the market to rent, noting there is an almost zero occupancy rate for renting right now.
In terms of options for housing, Poirier explained that in the real estate market when some people haven’t bought a home just yet if they’re selling and they haven’t actually found the house they wanted buy, some are moving in with family .
Some people are using recreational vehicles to live in, or are staying temporarily in hotels, another option could be reaching out to churches to see if they have any patrons who would consider renting a room.
She explained that bulletin boards in the community, and Facebook groups like Strathmore Rentals, are other avenues to search for rental units.
So far, the 80-year-old has to be out of her unit by Saturday morning. It is unclear where she will go, her daughter says she doesn’t want to leave.
According to the government of Alberta fixed term tenancy ends without notice on the date stated in the rental agreement. The landlord and tenant may agree to continue after the end of the fixed term.
Details on landlords, tenants, and rental agreements in Alberta can be found on www.alberta.ca.