Our landlord tried to double the rent to $900 for a house that had chicks coming out of the floor – now we live in a trailer
Tenants living in nightmarish accommodation surrounded by chicken carcasses accuse their landlord of trying to double the rent.
Additionally, the couple had grown tired of having no running water or electricity on their garbage-strewn property and were now living in a trailer.
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Kurt and Holly Doerfling told CBC News they rented a log cabin in Ibex Valley after moving to the Yukon last summer.
But for the couple, who had originally agreed to pay $400 a month for the wooden cabin, the house turned out to be a real haunted house.
“There were dead chicks on the floor rotting and we had to scrape them out,” Kurt claimed.
Their home had no running water, no adequate insulation, no working access to a toilet and not even electricity, the Doerflings said.
The broadcaster published photos of the property showing unsightly piles of rubbish inside and outside the cabin.
The couple claimed to have cleaned up the mess themselves.
Kurt claimed that the landlord tried to increase the rent by more than double after he was informed that he would have to go on welfare during the winter.
Holly said they were told the amount would increase from $400 to $900, even though “you don’t get a lot of money on welfare.”
She accused the landlord of greed, adding: “I guess he just saw it as a way to make extra money.”
Michael Kolaritsch, who owns the cabin the Doerflings were renting, told CBC News he had “nothing to hide.”
“If they are on welfare, they have to pay more because of all the problems they cause. And if you go to the social welfare office, they know about it too,” he added in April.
The US Sun could not reach Kolaritsch for further comment.
According to the Yukon Landlord and Tenant Handbook, landlords and tenants must jointly inspect the condition of the rental premises at the beginning and end of the tenancy.
All rental units must meet minimum standards and, among other things, be in good condition.
What rights does a homeowner have in the Yukon?
Landlords in Yukon can:
- Request that the fuel tank be filled when the tenant moves out
- There is an additional administrative fee of up to $25 for returning a tenant’s check.
- Removal or restriction of a non-essential service, provided that landlord and tenant agree on a compensation amount
- Enter a tenant’s rental unit after properly notifying the tenant in writing of the date, time and reason for entry.
Source: Yukon’s Handbook for Landlords and Tenants of Residential Properties
“The landlord shall leave the yard of the residential property in a clean condition, free from trash, debris, holes, excavations and other items and conditions that could reasonably be expected to pose a health, fire or safety hazard,” it states.
However, the Dörflings did not have a written rental agreement with the landlord.
The couple eventually moved from the cabin into a trailer.
The Yukon Residential Tenancies Office told the broadcaster that landlords are legally allowed to rent out log cabins without running water – even if they do not have running water or plumbing.
The accommodation’s drinking water and toilet facilities must continue to comply with local health and safety standards.
Starting May 15, 2024, landlords in Yukon can increase rent by up to 4.9%.
“Landlords are not allowed to increase the rent in the first year after concluding a new lease with a tenant,” the office’s website states.
Tenants in Yukon can contact the Human Rights Commission if they believe they have been discriminated against.
The US Sun has asked the rental office for further comment.
The couple’s dispute over a lazy chicken owner comes as the family has spoken out about the harrowing ordeal after their dream home quickly proved uninhabitable.
