Saskatchewan Landlords Association


Welcome to the SKLA for Small Business Landlords

The Saskatchewan Landlords Association (SKLA) and its sister organization The Canada Landlords Association (CLA) are leading provincial and national organizations for private small residential landlords. We provide a unified voice for private landlords and promote and protect landlord interests to national and local government.

  • Network with top professionals
  • Get advice from experienced landlords
  • Learn how the Landlord and Tenant Board works
  • Meet our recommended partners
  • Take part in landlord activities, social events.
  • A chance to "get involved!"

Credit Checks For $10/Check – With Membership You Get Huge Savings – You Make Money

With a one time registration fee (only to cover our costs) you get access to credit checks for as low as $10 with the leading background screening companies in Canada.

We have kept this price since 2009 to help landlords pay the lowest price for the best services to help you succeed!

With so many “for profit” start ups charging up to $29.99/check you save $20/check.

so after only 5 credit checks with us you are making money thanks to our huge savings for you.

Many of our members have conducted hundreds of credit checks and the huge savings is like “making money”.

Even making thousands of dollars or more!

With such low costs you can run multiple checks to find the best applicants for your rental property!

It’s important landlords run your own checks to avoid getting fake ones with fake scores. And only from the best companies.

And At Fair Prices

Join Our Community Association And Run Credit Checks For Only $10/Check

It’s a Deal That Can’t Be Beat!  All For A One Time Fee! 

Become A Professional Landlord And You Can Succeed.

So many experienced and successful landlords are part of our community. And we have so many small landlords who are “in the trenches” and working hard to succeed and creating great rental homes, with great service, and renting to their 5 star clients/tenants.

Yes, you can succeed! Learn from long term landlord successful experts and use the best credit check companies in Canada at very lost costs!

We’ve helped so many small landlords other groups even copied our name! 

Real Saskatchewan Landlords Association Asks: Did Your Tenants Pay May 1st Rent?

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Saskatchewan Landlords And Tenants Working Together in 2018

We Invite Saskatchewan Tenants To Join Us In An Important Conversation On How To Improve the Rental Industry

Experienced and successful Saskatchewan landlords know one of the keys to success is to find good paying tenants. While many people think all landlords are rich the reality is very different. We face real struggles to run our rental businesses and aren’t huge corporations with millions of dollars in the bank. We need to cover our mortgages and pay our bills and we know renting to a good tenant is vital. This is why we take tenant screening so seriously.

We also know good tenants are looking for good landlords. The reality is while there are lots of amazing landlords around there are also some who aren’t educated on their landlord rights and responsibilities. There are both good and bad landlords and good and bad tenants.

Good Saskatchewan landlords are looking to rent to good tenants and good Saskatchewan tenants want to rent from good landlords. So how about this? Let’s all work together as positive forces of good and improve the Saskatchewan rental industry!

Instead Of Confrontation & Blaming We Want Cooperation And Communication

We are inviting good Saskatchewan tenants to join us in the following ways:

Share Your Stories and Opinions With Us

Share your experiences renting in Saskatchewan and you can help other tenants, landlords and educate people and play a role in improving the Saskatchewan rental industry.

Become A Tenant Community Leader for the Saskatchewan Tenant Forum

We are looking for 5 experienced Saskatchewan tenants to help run our Tenant forum and make it as helpful as possible for other Saskatchewan tenants to learn from.  As Tenant Community Leader who will be able to invite other verified tenants to join our forum to help educate the community. The goal is to create a sophisticated place for tenants to chat with each other.

Provide Us With Your Ideas for Policy Changes

Do you think some things need to change in Manitoba? We invite you to share your policy ideas with us.

Saskatchewan Landlords and Tenants in our Saskatchewan Rental Community

Let’s work together in 2018 for our mutual success. Let’s improve the rental industry and play a role in forming new policies. We invite tenants to join our community. If you are interested please email us at tenantexperiences@groupmail.com by January 15, 2018. Make sure you let us know about you and your renting experience and how you want to help (please note only those accepted with receive a reply).

New Rules For Saskatchewan Landlords

saskatchewan landlords no weed marijuana cannabis

Smart & Helpful New Rules Are Coming To Help Landlords Protect Our Rental Properties

Is surprising but many people are not aware that soon it will be legal to buy and smoke marijuana in Canada. Yes it’s true.  The Liberal government is going to legalize cannabis (or weed or marijuana) in the summer of 2018. While many people are against it, the feds are going to go through with it and make it legal to buy and smoke marijuana.

Landlords Are Worried

Many landlords across Canada are worried about how this will impact their rental property businesses. Experienced landlords know we already have so many challenges to face. This is why we screen our tenants carefully to make sure we find the great tenants out there. We always make sure we run a landlord credit check to verify who we are renting to.

The problem is if weed is “legal” what can we do?

We all know that allowing renters to smoke week in our rentals could be a disaster. And if they are allowed to bring in plants and grow weed in our rentals we face even more potential disasters.

The whole legalization situation could easily lead to many small landlords going bankrupt or selling and leaving the rental industry for good. It truly is a potential nightmare and we need to make sure our voices are heard!

As one BC landlord wrote in at the Canada Landlords site:

“The people who I thought were a nice couple told me they worked from home. Only later did I find out their work was using my rental as a place to sell marijuana to people in the area.

An Alberta landlord shared her story of a renter who turned her property into a grow op.  When they finally left the costs to get the smell and mold out of the rental cost her tens of thousands of dollars…far more the rent the renters paid to her.

An Ontario landlord about how even smoking tobacco cigarettes is a big problem there and when people can smoke weed it could lead to even more challenges. She wrote in:

“There will be a huge problem in multi-unit rental properties when marijuana is made legal. After all, even dealing with normal tobacco cigarettes has led to huge fights between my tenants. It will be a DISASTER when people can smoke stinky and dangerous weed. It will really hurt good tenants who have kids and something must be done!”

Smart and Helpful Changes in the Saskatchewan

According to a report by CTV news there have been some changes to the Residential Tenancies Act that will help landlords deal with marijuana and other issues. It’s really great news as under the amendment a landlord may establish and enforce rules prohibiting the possession, use, selling or distribution of cannabis; or the growing of cannabis plants.

Saskatchewan Leads the Way in Protecting Small Landlords and Good Tenants!

This Saskatchewan landlords need to appreciate the smart and helpful changes in our province. Not only are these important changes going to help landlords, they will also help good renters. The balance between the rights of landlords and the rights of tenants is still maintained and this will actually help good tenants who want the landlord to be able to protect them from other tenants in multi-unit buildings.

When Will These Important Changes To  Protect Good Landlords And Tenants Happen?

It looks like they will happen in the spring of 2018, which is before the feds give us “legal marijuana”. We want Saskatchewan landlords to let other small landlords across Canada what they think about these changes and share their experiences with our nation-wide community.  Please write in to landlordtenantsolutions@groupmail.com and make YOUR VOICE HEARD.

How Can Saskatchewan Landlords Succeed in 2018?

Saskatchewan landlords success 2016 tenant screening credit checks

Be a Pro-Active Landlord To Rent to Great Tenants (and Avoid Renters Who Manipulate the System!)

The story from Serial squatter strikes again in Regina, stiffing another landlord was one every Saskatchewan landlord fears and hopes never happens to them. It was a story of a tenant who knows how to “manipulate the system” in order to rip off small residential landlords. You know, small family landlords like you.

The renter was actually a squatter who moved in and then refused to pay rent. He used the legal system to rip off 4 different residential landlords over a period of two years.

CBC Investigation

After the CBC did an investigation of this serial squatter who refused to pay rent he moved out and quickly rented another property from a Regina landlord.

How Can Renters Avoid Paying Rent?

Tricky renters know how to manipulate the system. This is how it worked for this bad tenant:

1. Landlord didn’t do proper checks and rented to this tenant

2. Once in the rental property he refused to pay rent

3. The landlord who didn’t get rent gave the tenant an eviction notice

4. Tenant appeals the eviction notice to the Saskatchewan Office of Residential Tenancies

5. Renter loses the Appeal

6. Renter then appeals to the Court of Queen’s Bench

7. Renter loses this appeal (yet actually wins by delaying the eviction)

8. Renter goes to the Court of Appeal

9. Renter is denied

10 He finally moves out…without paying rent

Do you see how the system is easy to use to delay paying rent? If you rent to type of tenant you are vulnerable to the same type of tactics to avoid paying you a cent of rent!

These types of tenants exist and not only in Saskatchewan. Alberta landlords often face bad tenants who cost them thousands of dollars. The system is often abused by trick renters to rip off Ontario landlords.

And with prices so high (and their mortgage so high) BC landlords know renting to one bad person can destroy their finances.

How Can I Protect Myself From Bad Tenants?

While some groups want the government to do everything, successful and experienced landlords know you must rely on yourself.

Screen your tenants carefully, including a credit check, before renting to them. A credit check will not only show you their credit score, it will show you past addresses so you can go talk to former landlords to get the REAL STORY.

Even after this renter ripped off four landlords, he quickly found another. Do not be the next victim of a serial bad tenant.

Saskatchewan landlords success in 2018

We are real landlords and not bureaucrats taking a salary to “represent” you. Even if they copy our name and are worried about keeping their jobs.

Join us and start running credit checks to protect yourself, your family, your rental property and your wallet. Rent to good tenants and avoid the professional renters who manipulate the system.

Join our growing network of landlords across Canada who are working together for success. 

Are More Investors Getting Ready to Invest in Saskatoon?

Saskatchewan landlords Canada landlordsThe city has already seen a lot of capital from other parts of the country come to Saskatoon and invest in rental property.

Is this just the beginning?

There could be a huge surge in investment as news gets out about rising rents in the city.

A report by the CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) shows that rents for a typical 2-bedroom rental rose from around $600 per month in 2006 to over $1000 per month now.

This type of rent increase surely upsets local tenants.

On the other hand, it will certainly lure investors in other areas where rents are flat, such as what Manitoba landlords face.

House Prices Are Also Rising

It’s not just rents that are rising.

In a survey by Royal-LePage average prices have risen:

1. 2 story house

A typical 2 story house has risen in price to $393,500 which is a 2.5% increase already this year.

2. Condo

A standard condo is up by almost 1.5% so far in 2014.  The average price is now $265,000.

Investors From All Over Canada Have Their Eyes on Saskatoon

Most Canada landlords are facing very high prices to enter the rental property market or buy more properties.

Relatively low prices, rising rents, and rising prices means there could be some big changes in our rental market in 2014.

Saskatoon Landlords: Fake Landlord Arrested

Saskatoon landlords fake landlord arrested

Good News for Good Saskatchewan Landlord And Good Tenants As Kijiji ‘Fake Landord” Arrested (And Going to Jail!)

It was a while ago but this story form 2013 needs re-telling.

The CTV news report was welcome news to Saskatoon landlords and landlords all over Saskatchewan.

Good landlords know one of the secrets to finding good tenants is trust. 

We don’t mean you should instantly trust your potential tenants.

As we wrote about previously Saskatchewan landlords need to do proper tenant screening, including tenant credit checks, before you rent to somebody. 

Let’s View Things From a Tenant’s Perspective

Most of us have been tenants before at some points in our lives. 

Maybe you were a student studying in another city in the province.

Or you studied in another province and dealt with British Columbia landlords. 

You might have worked in Alberta and rented there.

Or you were originally from Ontario before coming to our province and rented from an Ontario landlord. 

Whatever the case you wanted a good place to move into and a good landlord.

The Kijiji Scam

Tenants Chelsey Streifel and Jill Sherley both were looking for a nice apartment to rent in Saskatoon.

They went to Kijiji and saw a nice place for an affordable rent.

The ‘landlord’ met them. He seemed like a decent guy.

When these prospective tenants met with him he introduced himself as landlord Jason Hartlen and showed them the unit.

Both Streifel and Sherley saw the place (at different times, not together) and wanted the place.

Both of them signed a lease and paid a desposit of $1,100.

They weren’t the only ones.

Black Mold

Everyone who paid a deposit and wanted to move in were told they couldn’t because of problems with black mold in the unit.

Streifel and the others who paid went to the property to see what was going on.

They were shocked to be met by the real landlord who said she was the real owner and recommended Streifel go to the police.

Fake Landlord Found and Charged

A man who scammed dozens of victims by posting fake apartment rental ads on Kijiji will serve an 18-month jail sentence.

Here some of the news reports:

Jason Allen Hartlen pled guilty in Saskatoon provincial court to defrauding 60 victims in Saskatoon, Calgary and Vancouver of a total $80,000.

He was arrested in May after posting an ad on Kijiji about an apartment for rent. He met with multiple prospective renters and took $1,100 deposits from them before disappearing with the money.

Tenant Screening Saskatchewan: Credit Checks and Criminal Checks For Tenants

 Nov. 3rd 2013

Tenant Screening Saskatchewan Tenant Credit Checks Tenant Criminal Checks

Saskatchewan Landlords Protect Your Rental Business With Tenant Credit Checks & Tenants Criminal Checks

We’ve written before how our growing economy is helping landlords in Saskatchewan.

A growing economy means more jobs and more people moving to our province.

The means lots of hard-working people are going to need a place to rent.

This is a great opportunity for people to become residential landlords, rent out your property and make monthly cash-flow and profits.

Opportunity, and Challenges

It also means some challenges for landlords.

Most tenants will be quiet, respectful of you and your rental property, and pay the rent.

There are also tenants out there who won’t.

Just in the past couple of months we saw a tenant stay two years without paying the rent and making a nightmare situation for his landlady.

Doesn’t this only happens in Alberta, maybe BC, and in Ontario?

No. While those provinces have their share of bad tenants who do things like not paying the rent or leaving damages behind, we also have bad tenants here.

As the rental market grows and more tenants from other provinces arrive Saskatchewan landlords need to be prepared.

The Way To Make Sure You Rent To Good Tenants

The secret to finding good tenants and avoiding the bad ones is to screen your potential tenants carefully.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says landlords “should thoroughly research a prospective tenant before making a final decision.”

Make sure you know who you are renting to before you hand over the key.

Anyone can tell you they are the best tenant in the world. Talk is cheap.

1. Tenant Credit Checks

A tenant credit will reveal your potential tenants financial history. It will include information on whether they pay their bills on time and if they are someone you can trust paying rent on time.

2. Tenant Criminal Checks.

A tenant criminal check is self-explanatory. With so many tenants coming from out of provinces, it’s important you learn if they have any criminal behaviour in their past.

How Can I Do A Tenant Credit Check and a Tenant Criminal Check?

The Saskatchewan Landlords Association offers access to inexpensive credit checks and criminal checks for landlords. See our membership options.

Protect yourself, your family, and your rental property with good tenant screening including tenant credit checks and tenant criminal checks.

Smoke Detectors and Fire Safety

October 5, 2013

smoke detector

Should The Government Require Landlords To Install Proper Smoke Detectors for Deaf Renters?

We’ve reported on the importance of ensuring Saskatchewan landlords have working smoke detectors before.

A recent story shows that you might need to buy special equipment if your tenants have different needs

Tenant Made It Out Alive, Barely

Bernard Rachinski rented a room in the Riversdale neighbourhood of Saskatoon.

He was awoken this summer to a flicking doorbell light in the early morning. He saw the light but couldn’t hear it because he is deaf.

Richinski got up and strolled downstairs to see who was ringing the doorbell. As he went down the stairs he smelled a lot of smoke. The smoke quickly got thicker and thicker and he managed to see what was causing it: in the doorway there was a raging fire. The flames cause the doorbell to short which led to the blinking that woke him up and alerted him to the danger.

The entire doorway was ablaze. According to Rachinski “it was so hot the flames were leaping.”

He managed to open a window and find safety outside the house. He believes if he hadn’t gotten out then he might not have made it.

How Did The Fire Start?

Three firefighters were hospitalized after battling the blaze, two for heat exhaustion and another for light smoke inhalation.

Investigators from Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services and Saskatoon Police have determined that the fire was set deliberately. Richinski believes it may have started by someone throwing something in the front door of the house.

Smoke Detectors Designed for the Deaf

Rachinski’s intertrepeter is a friend named Nairn Gilles. Gilles is a job couch with Saskatchewan Deaf and Heard of Hearing Services (SDHHS).

Gillis states that Rachinski’s close call never should have even happened because the landlord should have set up proper smoke detectors for deaf renters.

Gilles says the government demands landlords install regular smoke detectors for hearing people. The law should be changed to also require landlords to install smoke detectors for renters who are deaf. 

Costs

A normal smoke detectors costs anywhere between $10 to $30. Smoke detectors that have strobe lights or shakes the bed as a warning are more expensive.

We look at this way. If the landlord had installed a special smoke detector Rachinski would have likely been aware of the fire and been able to get help and not only save himself from a dangerous situation, but have saved the rental property from destruction.

Investing in your tenants’ safety and protecting your rental property is the smart thing to do.

To discuss this and other landlord and tenant issues go to the Canada Landlords Forum.

Regina Rooming House Bylaw – Where Do You Stand?

August 25, 2013

Regina bylaw rooming house

According to a report at ckom.com there is a big debate over changing the rooming house bylaw in Regina.

Population is on the rise in Regina and some say we even have a ‘housing crisis.’ It’s true more and more people are coming to find work.

The City of Regina offered 3 possible options to change a 21-year-old bylaw. This old bylaw saw landlords of rooming homes threatened with large fines and even jail time.

Almost 125 people attended a meeting at the Knox Metropolitan-United Church to share their views on how the altered bylaw should look.

Currently, rooming houses are defined as “a building that is the primary residence of the owner and in which rooming units are provided by the owner, for permanent occupancy and compensation, to persons not related by blood, marriage, or adoption to the owner.”

Although enforcement of this bylaw has typically been low, in May, the City sent letters out to many rooming house landlords stating that they could face large fines or even jail time if they didn’t force out their tenants or move out themselves.

Shortly after, Mayor Michael Fougere announced that they would not be enforcing the bylaw pending a review conducted by the city.

But the debate on how the new bylaw should look has been hotly contested. On May 9th, the Whitmore Park Community Association held a meeting to discuss the bylaw. Many in attendance expressed frustration with rooming houses, claiming they eat up parking space, are unsafe and bring down property values due to excessive parties and garbage.

But for those on the other side of the issue, offering rental space helps to alleviate the housing crisis and allows for affordable housing for both the landlord and the tenants they rent to

 Deputy manager of community planning Jason Carlston and a team of city officials offered three basic options that could help to clarify the bylaw and hopefully ease tensions. Each was based on research done on how five other municipalities—Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, London and Ottawa—handle the rooming houses.

#1  Less regulation

#2  Limit the number of boarders allowed in a rooming house which would also call for a   required amount of parking stalls

#3  Stricter regulations

It’s a passionate subject and the debate hasn’t let us know.  Let’s see how this works out. It’s great that a real debate is going on in our province over these types of issues. In other provinces like Ontario there’s little debate and only constant attacks on residential landlords.

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