In 2021, I wrote a column for the Campbell River Mirror where I talked about how it feels to be evicted.
, and unfortunately it was a feeling I'd get used to over the ensuing five years.
It was depths of the pandemic, and the housing crisis was years old by that point. My wife and I had been renting our place for just about a year, and in that time the landlords we originally rented from had sold the house, and new landlords had moved in. We essentially came with the property, with the rest of our one-year lease intact. However, when that lease ended, our new landlords informed us that they didn't want to continue with our arrangement and we had to move. We found a new, smaller place to rent. It was further from my work, but it was something. Rent went from about $1,200 per month to about $1,400 per month. But we still had a roof over our heads.
Then about eight months down the line, our new landlords (third set in under two years) told us that they were selling the place and that we didn't have to worry because our lease was in place. That was the second time the same thing happened.
The house was sold, and as soon as our lease was up, we were told that our new landlords (now set four) did not want to continue with the arrangement, and we had to find a new rental. Rent went from $1,400 per month to $1,950, and we moved into a bigger place, albeit one that we had to compromise some of our needs to fit in.
Just over two years later, we got a note from the landlord (number five, but who's counting?) saying that they had to move back into their unit and that we would have to find somewhere else to live. That was just a few months ago.
Since we moved to the Comox Valley exactly five years ago, we have moved an additional three times, each with an increase to our rent. Where we started with a $1,200 cabin, we are now about to move out of a $1,950 condo. Can you guess how much fun this has been for us? Our rent has gone up 62.5 per cent over those years. Can you guess how much our income has increased in that time? I can tell you it hasn't been 62.5 per cent.
However, by some miracle, some family help and good-ish timing, we have been able to find a place to purchase. While it will be more expensive (I'm not going to share how much, let's just say we had to stretch the budget because the "starter home" doesn't really exist in the Valley anymore), at least we have some say about when and if we want to move out.
Living under threat of eviction is exhausting. It is exhausting to think about your space and decide not to make it a home because you'll have to take it all down someday when the landlord comes calling. I understand it, people can do what they want with the places they own. It has nothing to do with the landowners themselves, but the system we have. But for once, I get to make the call, and we won't be leaving until we're good and ready.
We are going to be looking at a few years of peace, of mental recuperation and maybe a taste of actually living without the fear of getting that email from the landlord.
I wonder what that's like?
