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TENANTS living in nightmarish accommodation amid chicken corpses have accused their landlord of trying to double their rent.
The couple also got so fed up with the lack of running water or power at the garbage-strewn property that they now live in a trailer.
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Kurt and Holly Doerfling told CBC News that after moving to the Yukon last summer, they rented a cabin home in the Ibex Valley.
But, it turned out to be something of a house of horrors for the pair, who initially agreed to pay $400 per month for the timber cabin.
“There were dead baby chicks in the floor that were rotting and we had to scrape them up,” claimed Kurt.
Their home didn’t offer any running water, proper insulation, functional toilet access, or even power, the Doerflings said.
The broadcaster published photos of the property, which show unsightly piles of garbage inside and outside the cabin.
The couple claimed to have cleaned the mess up themselves.
Kurt alleged that after the landlord was told he was about to go on social assistance during winter, he tried to more than double their rental cost.
Holly said they were told it would spike from $400 to $900, although “you don’t get a lot of money on social assistance.”
She accused the landlord of being greedy, adding, “He kind of just saw it as a way to make extra money, I guess.”
Micheal Kolaritsch, who owns the cabin the Doerflings were renting, told CBC News he had “nothing to hide.”
“If they’re on welfare, they have to pay more because of all the problems they cause, and if you contact the welfare office, they’re aware of that as well,” he added in April.
The U.S. Sun was unable to reach Kolaritsch for further comment.
According to Yukon’s residential landlord and tenant handbook, a landlord and tenant must inspect the condition of the rental premises together, at the start and end of the tenancy.
There were dead baby chicks in the floor that were rotting and we had to scrape them up.
Kurt Doerfling, CBC News
All rental units must comply with minimum standards, including being in a good condition.
“The landlord must provide the yard of the residential property in a condition that is clean and free from rubbish, debris, holes, excavations and other objects and conditions that would reasonably be expected to create a health, fire or safety hazard,” it states.
However, the Doerflings did not have a written rental agreement with the landlord.
The couple ended up moving out of the cabin, and into a trailer.
What are a homeowner’s rights in Yukon?
Landlords in Yukon can:
- Ask for the fuel tank to be filled when the tenant vacates
- Charge an additional administrative fee up to a maximum of $25 for the return of a tenant’s cheque
- Eliminate or restrict a non-essential service as long as the landlord and tenant agree to an amount for compensation
- Enter a tenant’s rental unit after giving proper written notice stating the date, time and reason for the entry
Source: Yukon’s residential landlord and tenant handbook
Yukon Residential Tenancies Office told the broadcaster that landlords are legally allowed to rent out dry cabins – even if they have neither running water nor plumbing.
But the property’s drinking water and toilet facilities must still meet local health and safety standards.
As of May 15, 2024, landlords in the Yukon can increase rent by up to 4.9%.
“Landlords cannot increase rent for the first year after entering into a new tenancy agreement with a tenant,” the office’s website says.
Tenants in Yukon can approach the Human Rights Commission if they believe they have been discriminated against.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the tenancies office for further comment.
