Rental database to be made for Vancouver
Posted January 11, 2012 1:53 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Slumlords listen up, a rental database in Vancouver is in the works. The goal is to help renters make informed choices about where to live and the state the building is in.
“Over 50 per cent of Vancouverites rent and over in the west end it’s over 85 per cent,” says City Councillor Tim Stevenson.
He says the database will provide details on the buildings history, the state of repairs, “Most people aren’t all that aware or have any knowledge of what goes into the construction of their building and what kinds of things have been going on over the years. Then they get in and they run into real problems.”
The hope is to also prevent incidents stemming from poor upkeep like at the Pandora Street rooming house where three men died in a fire.
Mayor Gregor Robertson says the information is there for the taking, “The City already collects data on the history and safety compliance of buildings and we want to open it up and make it more accessible.”
The idea for an online database comes from New York City which provides a searchable database of buildings at Landlordwatchlist.com.
