At one point in his life, Eliot Galán was homeless.
His precarious situation was a result of him having a pet. Nobody would rent to him.
“I couldn’t find a place,” Galán says. “I ended up living in my van, and that lead to unemployment, which lead to long-term homelessness. It was really difficult to climb out of that hole.”
His personal struggles led him to begin advocating for tenants to gain rights and be able to have animals with no restrictions from landlords. This was the reason Vancouver-based Pets OK B.C. came to be.
In 2017, Galán's group launched an online petition that is just shy of 75,000 verified signatures in just a few months. The petition isn't admissible to the province but the paper petition which has 20,000 signatures from BC residents will be submitted but has been delayed due to the provincial government assembling a Rental Housing Task Force that is still working to come up with suggestions for changes to rental policies.
Currently, in B.C., landlords have the final say over whether a tenant may have a pet in the rental unit.
Most ads on websites – like Kijiji and Craigslist – will tell you if pets are allowed. Other ads show a small pet may be negotiable and some will restrict the type of pet you can have in terms of size, breed and number of pets. Landlords also have the right to have other reasonable pet-related rules that the tenant has to follow. These rules don’t apply to certified guide and service dogs.
Here in Prince George, many listings say no pets on Kijiji, Craiglist, Facebook groups or other postings. Others say a small pet may be negotiable but it is rare to see a rental accept pets willingly and many posts with wanted ads state they are looking for a place with their pet.
Today, Galán is working again and still devotes time to fighting for others so they don’t end up in the same spot he once did.
“A few landlords will allow pets but it’s usually only one cat,” he says. “When they will accept a dog, it's roughly 20 pounds tops or 12 inches high.”
There have been some landlords who oppose what the advocacy group is doing. Galán says some landlords have come back with threats.
“If rent controls are strengthened or if renters’ rights improve in any way, shape or form, landlords say they will take their rentals off the market,” Galán says. "It's ridiculous to suggest that landlords will exit the highly lucrative rental housing market. We need to call their bluff."
Roughly 1,700 animals per year are surrendered to the SPCA because renters couldn't keep them in order to rent.
That number equates to 20 to 25 per cent of all animals surrendered by owners each year depending on the shelter.
Tenants with pets will stay longer with an average of 46 months, compared non-pet owners who stay an average of only 18 months, according to a study by FIREPAW and referenced by the SPCA.
Aww love this so much! The best protectors and companions. 💓🐶 https://t.co/BDs90pkjyN
— Pets OK BC (@PetsOkBC) July 13, 2018
Not only is Pets OK B.C. looking for tenants to be allowed to move with their pets, they also are proposing that pet deposits requested by landlords be abolished.
“We’ll see what the government decides to do but we also know we’re not just going to get everything our way,” Galán says. “I’m sure there will be some give and take and trade-offs. We’ve asked that to be removed as well. For someone without pets, their damage deposit is half a month's rent and someone with a pet has twice as much damage deposit, and I think that has pretty far-reaching implications.”
Pets OK B.C. has met with the Rental Board Task Force to present a very detailed and comprehensive report. Prior to the meeting, they also met with members of government.
“They’re aware of our advocacy and the support we have received,” Galán says. “I think because of our efforts and other advocacy groups, they decided to call for this Rental Housing Task Force, so that is a good sign. I’m not getting my hopes up but I’m certainly optimistic.”
The Task Force is scheduled to present its findings and recommendations to Premier John Horgan and Minister of Municipal Affairs, Selina Robinson, sometime this fall.
