FEATURE LETTER: CLEAR MESSAGE

Everyone In The Community Has Rights - And Obligations To The Rest Of
The Community.

Dear Editor,

The letter to the editor by representatives of the Tenant's Rights
Coalition [Tenants feel rights violated, June 29, Langley Advance
News] contains some inaccuracies. Police do not conduct searches
without a warrant, unless under the exigent circumstances allowed
under the Criminal Code. At no time during the recent Educational
Public Forum, nor in any other venue, has the Langley RCMP condoned
or advocated searches without a warrant.

The proposed [Residential Rental Premises] Bylaw allows for the
exercise of discretion, and the expectation that each case will be
dealt with on its own merit. It was designed to help make the
community safer, by educating renters and owners of rental property
about the potential for criminal activities in their premises.

There is no "hidden agenda." The intent is to give a clear message to
everyone involved by giving them the tools necessary to make
knowledgeable choices.

The educational component includes the health and safety of the
resident and residence, the rights (and obligations) of the landlord
and tenant in a rental agreement, and the hazards and items a
landlord might come upon which could indicate a criminal enterprise.

The proliferation of organized, sophisticated crime groups throughout
the Lower Mainland has created a need for rental properties in which
criminal activities can be housed. These groups turn ordinary rental
properties into chemical drug labs, grow-ops, crack houses, "shooting
galleries" for injectable drugs, and "trick pads" for prostitutes.
The entire community is affected, and the Bylaw is designed to
prevent the deterioration of our community by such activities.

The Bylaw evolved with the input of the Professional Property
Managers Association, the South Fraser Health Region, the Langley
RCMP, and the Residential Tenancy Branch.

The June 29 letter to the editor makes the point that landlords would
be placed in the position of "having to do regular inspections of
their tenants' homes." The current Residential Tenancy Act stipulates
the right of the landlord to enter a residential premise, and
requires that the landlord provide and maintain the property,
complying with health, safety, and housing standards required by law.

The recommendations of the Bylaw are for the owner of a rental
property to perform regular maintenance inspections, which will
protect the investment of the landlord while encouraging a strong and
healthy rapport with the tenants.

The inspection component of the bylaw is not meant to complicate the
life of the property owner, only to ensure that the next tenant has a
safe and healthy environment in which to live.

The Bylaw is the product of a number of community groups and
professional people coming together to design a workable solution to
combat a problem which has become a huge concern for our community.

Superintendent C.C. MacDonald Officer in Charge, Langley RCMP

Editor: We are reminded that current tenants aren't the only ones
with rights in our community. While the proposed bylaw would create a
less welcome environment for criminal activities such as those
mentioned by Supt. MacDonald, it would also re-establish the
landlords' obligation to ensure that the premises they rent out meet
approved standards, for the good of tomorrow's tenants and the
community as a whole.