BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is in response to a story titled 'Enforcement against absentee landlords in east end could have 'significant benefits' published Oct. 18, and a subsequent letter titled 'LETTER: Property manager calls city's proposed licensing rules an 'assault' on small landlords' published Oct. 19.
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My wife and I own some rental properties in the Barrie and Innisfil area.
This is definitely an assault on good landlords.
I don’t consider myself an absentee landlord as I personally mow all of the lawns bi-weekly. I also pay for weed control services every year. Last year, I spent $15,000 on exterior improvements at one of my properties.
Ironically, one of my rentals is in the area in question. It’s also one of the best-looking houses in the area.
All of my rents are well below market rates, too, as I have some longer-term tenants. Some years I don’t even do rent increases as I like my tenants.
However, this cost will have to be passed on to my tenants.
Sean Thompson
Innisfil
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