Couple talks about bad experiences with renting in Ibex Valley in Yukon

Two residents of Yukon’s Ibex Valley share their experiences renting a home in the area. They say it was uninhabitable and their landlord unfairly tried to raise the rent.

Kurt Doerfling and his wife, Holly Doerfling, moved to the Yukon last summer, thinking they had found a bargain near the Old Alaska Highway in Ibex Valley, where they were able to rent a cabin for just $400.

When they moved in, a surprise awaited them.

“There were dead chicks on the ground, rotting, and we had to scrape them out,” Kurt told CBC News.

Kurt Doerfling says this was the condition of the cabin when the couple moved in last summer. (Kurt Doerfling)

He says the hut had no running water, no proper insulation, no working toilet access or electricity.

He provided CBC News with photos of the property, showing trash strewn throughout the property and buildings.

The Doerflings say they cleaned up the place at their own expense.

The Doerflings say that when they moved in, there was garbage all over the property. (Kurt Doerfling)

The Yukon Residential Tenancies Office confirmed that it is the responsibility of landlords to ensure that rental units meet minimum rental standards.

Karyn Leslie, director of the Yukon Residential Tenancies Office, said rental standards in Yukon allow the rental of dry cabins that do not have running water or plumbing.

“But even then, they contain specific requirements regarding the provision of adequate drinking water and toilet facilities that meet health and safety standards,” Leslie said.

Rent increase

Kurt Doerfling says that he almost received social assistance last winter, but his landlord then asked for a rent increase.

“Our rent doubled, from $400 to $900 – and you don’t get much welfare,” Holly said. “He (the landlord) probably saw it as a way to make extra money.”

This was the condition of the toilet when the couple moved in. (Kurt Doerfling)

Rent control in Yukon currently limits rent increases to five percent per year.

In an email exchange with CBC News, the Yukon Residential Tenancies Office confirmed that only certain housing associations are exempt from these rules. For example, the Yukon Housing Corporation’s income-based rental program is exempt.

For rentals through the private market, the Yukon’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act applies.

CBC News contacted Micheal Kolaritsch, the owner of the cabin the Doerflings were renting, who insisted his actions were in line with local housing laws.

“I have nothing to hide, sir,” said Kolaritsch.

“If they receive welfare, they have to pay more because they cause so many problems. And if you contact the social welfare office, they will also know about it.”

The Doerflings, who did not have a written rental agreement, moved out of the property at the beginning of April and now live in a trailer.

The Yukon Residential Tenancies Office advises tenants to contact the Human Rights Commission if they believe landlords are discriminating against them on welfare.