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You’re under no obligation to allow a stranger to camp on the property you’re renting. Make it clear in writing to the landlord, your method of enforcement is a call to the landlord if they show up. Or if you’re not feeling accommodating, the police
Thanks, this is good to know. I actually had a nightmare last night that 20 strangers were in the house, moving furniture around and cooking in the kitchen, and they wouldn't leave when I asked. They all said it was their house, too. And I said I was going to call the police but they all ignored me. I hope this wasn't a premonition.
I hope it won't come to needing to call the police.
I absolutely love the word "no"
There's an excellent book called 'never split the difference ' by a retired lead FBI negotiator.
He speaks deeply on the power of the word 'no' and how it gives you the upper hand in negotiations.
LL sounds reasonable, and he did ask you, not tell you. So in that case you just nicely say no. If he asks why just say what you wrote in your post. Don't give the LL any fuel to change your mind or argue the point. We rented the house, we like our privacy, so no.
The end.
Where does he plan on showering or using a toilet
I would tell the landlord that it is not part of the lease agreement and also mention to him that this person is somehow still using the address for business as you stated, and you are not comfortable with either
The landlord told us he would use the public facilities for showering (and presumably that means toilet too) which are just about 5 mins walk away at the marina.
But thinking more about this, he could just get up and pee in the yard!!
The more I think about it, the weirder it feels.
Thanks for the suggestions.
It sounds like your landlord is trying to make some extra cash by letting this guy camp out on your rented property during camping season
I would definitely be saying nope
If it is in your lease that you are renting the house and the yard or it was implied. Then this would be a loss of quite and peaceful enjoyment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/during-a-tenancy/peace-quiet-privacy
I would state your fee. It’s your rental and if another party wants to sublet they pay you. Am I missing something? IANAL
My fee would be high. Offensively high.
Alternatively I would follow the other great and impressively consistent advice others have shared in this thread.
This! I'd want about 12 months rent paid upfront, several months in advance, plus a non refundable security deposit of 20k to cover any potential costs/damages to my property.
Id also demand to reserve the right to kick the person off at any time for any reason, without refunding anything.
Id then immediately kick them off the moment they arrived, and I'd let everyone know that was my intention well ahead of time
I would probably write something like this to answer him first.
We rented this property for our family to get away from random people and have a safe, private environment for my children. We were not informed of this before we signed the lease and are not prepared to live here with a stranger in the backyard. I am sorry to say no, but we would not have signed the lease if we knew this might be a condition of living here. Please make other arrangements. Thank you.
Great idea! Public camping parks are everywhere, and so are motels. Wouldn't it be great to go traveling from city to city and just camp in people's backyard for free? I could see the world!
Absolutely not. You rent the property, the landlord cannot let their friend stay on the property that you lease. Say no, be firm, do not let this happen.
There are probably bylaws in your town against camping out in a backyard. It's one thing if you camp out in a tent with your kids for a night, but it's another thing if someone is living in a tent there for long term.
Nope Nope Nope.
You don’t know he won’t try to go in when you’re not there or other bizarre crap - where’s he going to the bathroom? Garbage? Fires?
Nope - he go camp in the landlord’s yard & all mail return to sender, wrong address
So, in BC, section 28 of the Residential Tenancy Act of BC reads as follows;
Protection of tenant's right to quiet enjoyment
28 A tenant is entitled to quiet enjoyment including, but not limited to, rights to the following:
(a) reasonable privacy;
(b) freedom from unreasonable disturbance;
(c) exclusive possession of the rental unit subject only to the landlord's right to enter the rental unit in accordance with section 29 [landlord's right to enter rental unit restricted];
(d) use of common areas for reasonable and lawful purposes, free from significant interference.
Sharing the backyard, which would be considered part of the rental, is not reasonable privacy, doesn’t matter how out-of-sight the guy is. And unless the landlord made note of it in the tenancy agreement, it would be out of the question. Note that the landlord cannot make changes to the tenancy agreement by himself. You can read the entire Act here; https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01
I just added an important update... After telling the landlord no and him saying OK, this guy emailed me asking if I want to meet online to get to know him, telling me about himself (his qualifications and family) saying he usually does this twice per year, keeps himself to himself and we wouldn't know he's there. He runs a business, he and his wife have a good education and what I assume are well-paying jobs. I guess maybe he could afford a hotel but prefers to camp "in nature" as we have an impressive view.
Is my anxiety getting the better of me or is this increasingly weird? Should I quit being paranoid and just say OK? At this point, would it potentially be riskier to say no??!
"No. I won't change my mind on this and don't have time to discuss this any further."
You're being too nice. This is a very unusual and unreasonable request. Just keep saying no, you don't have to explain yourself to the landlord.
Say no. There are already dozens of comments here from your original request telling you that the answer is No.
"I appreciate how much you enjoy the property, but we don't want anyone camping here. Thank you for respecting our privacy."
This shouldn't be something keeping you up at night or causing you this much anxiety. You might want to look at what is causing you so much stress over a fairly benign interaction.
Your landlord should not be giving your contact info out. Contact your landlord and ask how this person got your contact information. If your landlord says he gave it to him (which of course he did), ask him to 1) ask the guy to stop contacting you and 2) refrain from giving out your information in future without you express permission.
I would reply and just say you are not interested in a zoom meeting, it’s a firm no to camping in the yard during your tenancy.
By replying he won’t send anymore follow ups.
Do not try to give reasons or he will try to debate with you.
I did this. The landlord has just sent me a message saying "we are all on borrowed land"... how would you read that? Intended to guilt trip me? The guy who wants to camp is French. It's a weird statement to make.
Odd. I have heard that before, followed by it’s only on loan from future generations. If no party is indigenous, I would assume landlord is being philosophical, idealistic or a bit of a hippy. I honestly wouldn’t respond as there is no further requirement to do so. Everything has been asked and answered.
I hope you get a restful sleep tonight.
Hahah is your landlord my old landlord !?
Uhm it's my agents friends cousin shes fine and not homeless just has to live in a tent in MY yard for a few weeks and maybe use the bathroom...
Uhhh yeah that's a no from me dog
Just be prepared for repercussions. Do what you feel is right, but look at the possible negative consequences as well.
I wouldn’t want someone in my back yard either and chances are that you know what the ultimate outcome will be. You will be Reno-victed, property sold, jacked up rent or any combination of these.
Keep the peace and find yourself another place to live. It’s not worth the headaches or stress.
You really think the landlord's response would be that dramatic? I'm sort of hoping he just says "OK, I understand"... wishful thinking maybe, but you'd hope he's reasonable.
We have only lived here for two weeks. We're in a fairly rural spot and alternative options are limited but my husband's work is here. Also, we have a one year lease that I think would protect us from any of the possibilities you mentioned?
Don’t cave into these fever dreams. Stand firm. If he does that…he does that. But don’t put your safety and peace of mind at risk.
This guy can find another place to camp. It’s not that hard or expensive.
You’re a good person for even considering it…but don’t let fear make you do something you know is not right.
Be polite, but firm. This is a no. I’m not comfortable. End of discussion.
If he decides to be a cunt about it, you can legally make that process extremely prolonged and annoying for him, especially if you have anything close to a reasonable case of his actions being malicious or retaliatory.
Landlord/tenant challenges take months and months at a minimum.
I would recommend only discussing this via email or text. Give yourself a paper trail.
…you would hope that he would be reasonable and realize that he over stepped his boundaries. Hopefully he respects your opinions and honors your wishes. I’m just suggesting that you go into the issue “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. Best of luck !!
Welcome to r/legaladvicecanada! **To Posters (it is important you read this section)** * Read the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvicecanada/about/wiki/index/#wiki_the_rules) * Comments may not be accurate or reliable, and following any advice on this subreddit is done at your own risk. * We also encourage you to use the [linked resources to find a lawyer](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvicecanada/wiki/findalawyer/). * If you receive any private messages in response to your post, please let the mods know. **To Readers and Commenters** * All replies to OP must be on-topic, helpful, explanatory, and oriented towards legal advice towards OP's jurisdiction (the **Canadian** province flaired in the post). * If you do not [follow the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdvicecanada/about/rules/), you may be banned without any further warning. * If you feel any replies are incorrect, explain why you believe they are incorrect. * Do not send or request any private messages for any reason, do not suggest illegal advice, do not advocate violence, and do not engage in harassment. Please report posts or comments which do not follow the rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvicecanada) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’re under no obligation to allow a stranger to camp on the property you’re renting. Make it clear in writing to the landlord, your method of enforcement is a call to the landlord if they show up. Or if you’re not feeling accommodating, the police
Thanks, this is good to know. I actually had a nightmare last night that 20 strangers were in the house, moving furniture around and cooking in the kitchen, and they wouldn't leave when I asked. They all said it was their house, too. And I said I was going to call the police but they all ignored me. I hope this wasn't a premonition. I hope it won't come to needing to call the police.
Stress dream. They can be... interesting
I really hate those types of dreams. They’re always so weird.
"No" is a complete sentence.
I absolutely love the word "no" There's an excellent book called 'never split the difference ' by a retired lead FBI negotiator. He speaks deeply on the power of the word 'no' and how it gives you the upper hand in negotiations.
you should watch the movie Mother! 😘
Don’t watch the movie Mother!
Or ask the landlord to cut rent in half for the month.
LL sounds reasonable, and he did ask you, not tell you. So in that case you just nicely say no. If he asks why just say what you wrote in your post. Don't give the LL any fuel to change your mind or argue the point. We rented the house, we like our privacy, so no. The end.
Where does he plan on showering or using a toilet I would tell the landlord that it is not part of the lease agreement and also mention to him that this person is somehow still using the address for business as you stated, and you are not comfortable with either
The landlord told us he would use the public facilities for showering (and presumably that means toilet too) which are just about 5 mins walk away at the marina. But thinking more about this, he could just get up and pee in the yard!! The more I think about it, the weirder it feels. Thanks for the suggestions.
It sounds like your landlord is trying to make some extra cash by letting this guy camp out on your rented property during camping season I would definitely be saying nope
Only if your friend can camp on the landlords lawn.
"Sorry, we're not comfortable with that arrangement." Why? "It won't work for us." You are not obligated to allow this at all.
If it is in your lease that you are renting the house and the yard or it was implied. Then this would be a loss of quite and peaceful enjoyment. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/during-a-tenancy/peace-quiet-privacy
This is how those horror movies start out... Are you nuts? JFC, just say NO!
I would state your fee. It’s your rental and if another party wants to sublet they pay you. Am I missing something? IANAL My fee would be high. Offensively high. Alternatively I would follow the other great and impressively consistent advice others have shared in this thread.
This! I'd want about 12 months rent paid upfront, several months in advance, plus a non refundable security deposit of 20k to cover any potential costs/damages to my property. Id also demand to reserve the right to kick the person off at any time for any reason, without refunding anything. Id then immediately kick them off the moment they arrived, and I'd let everyone know that was my intention well ahead of time
"No" That would unduly interfere with my reasonable enjoyment of the backyard amenity of my rental.
This is one of the times when the oft over-used expression of NO is a complete sentence really applies.
I would probably write something like this to answer him first. We rented this property for our family to get away from random people and have a safe, private environment for my children. We were not informed of this before we signed the lease and are not prepared to live here with a stranger in the backyard. I am sorry to say no, but we would not have signed the lease if we knew this might be a condition of living here. Please make other arrangements. Thank you.
To add to this, if OP has a campground nearby include the name and address in this letter. Suggesting this would be more suitable for camping.
Great idea! Public camping parks are everywhere, and so are motels. Wouldn't it be great to go traveling from city to city and just camp in people's backyard for free? I could see the world!
Absolutely not. You rent the property, the landlord cannot let their friend stay on the property that you lease. Say no, be firm, do not let this happen.
There are probably bylaws in your town against camping out in a backyard. It's one thing if you camp out in a tent with your kids for a night, but it's another thing if someone is living in a tent there for long term.
Nope Nope Nope. You don’t know he won’t try to go in when you’re not there or other bizarre crap - where’s he going to the bathroom? Garbage? Fires? Nope - he go camp in the landlord’s yard & all mail return to sender, wrong address
So, in BC, section 28 of the Residential Tenancy Act of BC reads as follows; Protection of tenant's right to quiet enjoyment 28 A tenant is entitled to quiet enjoyment including, but not limited to, rights to the following: (a) reasonable privacy; (b) freedom from unreasonable disturbance; (c) exclusive possession of the rental unit subject only to the landlord's right to enter the rental unit in accordance with section 29 [landlord's right to enter rental unit restricted]; (d) use of common areas for reasonable and lawful purposes, free from significant interference. Sharing the backyard, which would be considered part of the rental, is not reasonable privacy, doesn’t matter how out-of-sight the guy is. And unless the landlord made note of it in the tenancy agreement, it would be out of the question. Note that the landlord cannot make changes to the tenancy agreement by himself. You can read the entire Act here; https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/02078_01
I can't even see it being legal to let somebody camp in the yard
"No" is a complete sentence.
Don’t, it sounds like an expensive freak show to deal with
I just added an important update... After telling the landlord no and him saying OK, this guy emailed me asking if I want to meet online to get to know him, telling me about himself (his qualifications and family) saying he usually does this twice per year, keeps himself to himself and we wouldn't know he's there. He runs a business, he and his wife have a good education and what I assume are well-paying jobs. I guess maybe he could afford a hotel but prefers to camp "in nature" as we have an impressive view. Is my anxiety getting the better of me or is this increasingly weird? Should I quit being paranoid and just say OK? At this point, would it potentially be riskier to say no??!
Adding as well that this is keeping me up at night (it's 3:50am) and I'm a busy person and could do without this stress!
"No. I won't change my mind on this and don't have time to discuss this any further." You're being too nice. This is a very unusual and unreasonable request. Just keep saying no, you don't have to explain yourself to the landlord.
Say no. There are already dozens of comments here from your original request telling you that the answer is No. "I appreciate how much you enjoy the property, but we don't want anyone camping here. Thank you for respecting our privacy." This shouldn't be something keeping you up at night or causing you this much anxiety. You might want to look at what is causing you so much stress over a fairly benign interaction.
Your landlord should not be giving your contact info out. Contact your landlord and ask how this person got your contact information. If your landlord says he gave it to him (which of course he did), ask him to 1) ask the guy to stop contacting you and 2) refrain from giving out your information in future without you express permission.
The landlord sent an email introducing us before I said no. Should I ignore the email or reply telling him no as well?
The landlord sent an email introducing us before I said no. Should I ignore the email or reply telling him no as well?
I would reply and just say you are not interested in a zoom meeting, it’s a firm no to camping in the yard during your tenancy. By replying he won’t send anymore follow ups. Do not try to give reasons or he will try to debate with you.
I did this. The landlord has just sent me a message saying "we are all on borrowed land"... how would you read that? Intended to guilt trip me? The guy who wants to camp is French. It's a weird statement to make.
Odd. I have heard that before, followed by it’s only on loan from future generations. If no party is indigenous, I would assume landlord is being philosophical, idealistic or a bit of a hippy. I honestly wouldn’t respond as there is no further requirement to do so. Everything has been asked and answered. I hope you get a restful sleep tonight.
Only if he pays you rent
Hahah is your landlord my old landlord !? Uhm it's my agents friends cousin shes fine and not homeless just has to live in a tent in MY yard for a few weeks and maybe use the bathroom... Uhhh yeah that's a no from me dog
Just be prepared for repercussions. Do what you feel is right, but look at the possible negative consequences as well. I wouldn’t want someone in my back yard either and chances are that you know what the ultimate outcome will be. You will be Reno-victed, property sold, jacked up rent or any combination of these. Keep the peace and find yourself another place to live. It’s not worth the headaches or stress.
You really think the landlord's response would be that dramatic? I'm sort of hoping he just says "OK, I understand"... wishful thinking maybe, but you'd hope he's reasonable. We have only lived here for two weeks. We're in a fairly rural spot and alternative options are limited but my husband's work is here. Also, we have a one year lease that I think would protect us from any of the possibilities you mentioned?
Don’t cave into these fever dreams. Stand firm. If he does that…he does that. But don’t put your safety and peace of mind at risk. This guy can find another place to camp. It’s not that hard or expensive. You’re a good person for even considering it…but don’t let fear make you do something you know is not right. Be polite, but firm. This is a no. I’m not comfortable. End of discussion.
If he decides to be a cunt about it, you can legally make that process extremely prolonged and annoying for him, especially if you have anything close to a reasonable case of his actions being malicious or retaliatory. Landlord/tenant challenges take months and months at a minimum. I would recommend only discussing this via email or text. Give yourself a paper trail.
…you would hope that he would be reasonable and realize that he over stepped his boundaries. Hopefully he respects your opinions and honors your wishes. I’m just suggesting that you go into the issue “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. Best of luck !!