Janice Williams making headway in battle with landlord

Town looking into new bylaw or policy to force landlords to keep their rental accommodation safe and in good repair

After months of harassment and repeated notices of eviction, Janice Williams has  made headway in the battle with her landlord. Major repairs have been done to her apartment on the top floor of Gibsons Cinema and more are scheduled. Her lawyer is “cautiously optimistic” she can stay there. 

Solution Based Contracting (SBC) did asbestos remediation this week and removed all mouldy drywall in the bedroom, and part of the living room ceiling. The insulation was removed as well.

After the work was finished Mario Laudisio, who claims to act on behalf of the landlord, came to inspect the premises. In the presence of Williams’s lawyer and the owner of SBC he phoned a roofing company to fix two leaks in a water line in the ceiling. He also said he would consider asking SBC to replace the drywall.

Laudisio has told Williams she does not owe rent for February, March, April and May. He has made no mention of a rent increase.

In February and March, he sent her a number eviction notices when she asked for repairs.

The Residential Tenancy Branch will still look at the case on June 8.

“I’m amazed,” Williams told The Coast Clarion. “I’m able to move back into my apartment, and  I can turn on the heat now without fear of an electrical fire. I really appreciate all the support I received. I owe this to a whole bunch of people.” 

Williams is celebrating another victory. Last Tuesday, Gibsons Town Council approved the establishment of a small committee to look into a possible Standards Maintenance Bylaw or policy options to force landlords to keep their rental accommodations in good repair. 

Several other cities in B.C. have such bylaws. Some of them go as far as having necessary repairs done if the landlord remains negligent. The cost is added  to the landlord’s property tax bill. 

Mayor Bill Beamish, who proposed the committee, said that enforcement was a big question. “We have to look at what we can do as a small community,” he said. “We can only do so much. But the idea is that rental accommodation is safe for renters, and renters do not face evictions as a result of landlords refusing to make necessary repairs.”

Janice Williams had requested such a bylaw, Beamish told Council. “I’m concerned any time the quality of life life of one of our residents is affected by things that are outside their control,” he said. 

Councillor David Croal will chair the committee; a second member is former councillor and affordable housing specialist Lee Ann Johnson. The town will advertise for a third member from the community. 

The committee will look at options and best practices elsewhere and report back to Council by June 25.  

If Gibsons enacts a Standards Maintenance Bylaw, it will be the first small municipality in B.C. to do so. 

“I’m really touched the town went to bat like that,” Williams said. “Im really, really happy the Town is looking to protect other tenants in the future. To me, that was more important than my personal battle.”