X The tenant interview process » Landlords should be required to reveal select information Morgan Hannah Life & Style Editor remember walking up the stairs of my potential new home and being enamoured by the wrought-iron chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the main foyer. It was huge! And I had never had a chandelier in any place that I'd lived before. What I failed to miss though, were the cobwebs strung between the fancy swirls and hoops of metal and inside every lemon-frosted lightbulb cover—much like the rest of the place, the chandelier was a clever trick to make you look past the shoddy truth. Those brief moments of awe aside, the biggest lie that came with moving into my new place was when the landlord told me the neighbours were nice and quiet people. I’ve been living in a home split into three suites for a little over six months now and have had to deal with terrible people. I thought I had moved away from some terrible neighbours when I left my apartment in New West, but somehow my partner and I manage to always be really unlucky when finding a place to call home. And what’s worse is that we're all in quarantine now, so there really is no escape from these people either. Day in and day out, my neighbours allow their six-year-old child to scream bloody murder for hours! And when my Ox partner or I try to confront them about this disturbance of our peace with a simple knock on the divider that separates their third of the house from ours, the wife screams profanities back at us. The husband is no better—he’s not home most of the time. When he is, he'll shrug his shoulders and say “kids these days...” They sound like characters from a movie, but they're real! According to the BC Government, “tenants have a right to peace, quiet and privacy in their homes—a right that comes from the common law principle of quiet enjoyment.” This means that we have the right to reasonable privacy and freedom from unreasonable disturbances. Unfortunately, according to my partner and my unresponsive landlord, the noises that the child downstairs produces on a daily basis are considered within reason—they’re just unreasonable to me. My options at this point are limited, seeing as how we have signed a lease stating that we will live here until November 2020, and should we break that contract, we will be forfeiting our damage deposit as well as be held potentially liable for a couple months of rent should the landlords have difficulty finding a replacement tenant. All of this being said, it is my opinion that landlords must be required to provide truthful, relevant information about current tenants sharing the space that is up for rent when Have an idea for a story? M opinions@theotherpress.ca asked by potential new renters. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada website states that one’s personal information should only be obtained, used, and revealed for legitimate purposes, with their knowledge and often with their consent. Their personal information also needs to be stored, shared, and discarded of in a way that ensures it is confidential and secure. I see no breech in this right of privacy by sharing information such as how many people live in the shared spaces, what schedules they keep, whether they have children or pets, and whether there have been any noise complaints against them. This is all information that landlords collect when renting out spaces and it should be made available to anyone who is seriously interested in renting, regardless of whether that drives potential renters away or not. Like any other service, an interview between landlord, current tenants, and new tenants should be made available— that way everyone involved is happier with the decisions they're making and less disputes will arise in the future from sneaky tactics or hasty decision making. There’s always a possibility that one member of the equation will deny ¢ When good ideas do nothing e The tenant interview process ¢ Why you shouldn’t take mixed romantic signals as a ‘no’ ..and more Illustration by Morgan Hannah the interview process, and that’s okay! However, if the interview process was made a commonplace practice when renting, like it is when buying, then those who refuse the process would stand out as red flags to potential renters looking for specific circumstances. Right off the bat, they'd know to keep searching. It’s as simple as everyone involved being honest and thorough, as well as making sure the information of others doesn’t land in the wrong hands; in fact, through the interview process, more seedy renters will be weeded out and exposed. An additional benefit to maintaining peaceful and respectful neighbourhoods everywhere. Why you shouldn’ t take mixed romantic Signals as a ‘no’ » Don't hold others to a higher standard than your own Sonam Kaloti Arts Editor hen I saw a tweet reading, “Do yourself a favor and take mixed signals as a no,” it immediately rubbed me the wrong way. However, when I saw the multitude of retweets, likes, and comments the tweet got, I knew there was something inherently wrong. I know most people agreeing with this statement are pushing the concept of “self love and respect” rather than what the tweet means at face value, however, there is such a blatant, selfish undertone to the initial phrase that makes the self-love mask seem so superficial. The consensus appears to be that mixed signals equal commitment issues— or that the person in question doesn’t reciprocate the romantic feelings. This can be the case, sure, but who is anyone to assume exactly what’s going through someone else’s head? If you're being dragged on for months without getting an answer, sure, cut your losses. But why blame the other person for you not being able to control your own attachment and feelings (which is nobody’s responsibility but your own!) Also, interpreting mixed feelings from your romantic prospect as inherently negatively isn’t accurate. It doesn’t mean the other person would have given a “no” answer once they were ready. You taking their mixed feelings immediately as a “no” isn’t a reflection of who they are, it’s a reflection of yourself and an inability to understand that all people do not instantly know what they want (especially when it comes to matters of the heart). If you believe that mixed signals are a definite no, then take this as an opportunity to look inside yourself and ask if you always know what you want. If not— then why hold others to a higher standard? There could be countless reasons as to why someone isn’t reciprocating your feelings, and the worst thing to do is to take their mixed signals as a no and move on straight away. It closes the opportunity for them to come together with you and potentially form a great partnership. Many need one to be patient for them (which is, after all, one of the greatest qualities for both partners to share in a relationship). Life is long—if someone you really like needs a bit longer to figure themselves and their wants out, you should allow them that freedom. That does not mean put you should put your life on hold, and it definitely doesn’t mean you should exhaust your energy trying to win them over. They likely already know who you are and why youre great. Instead, give them some space and focus on improving yourself (including exploring why you feel the need to run away if youre not presented with what you desire at first wish). Illustration by Sonam Kaloti If you're feeling especially adventurous, I highly recommend giving the other person an open and non-judgemental place to air out their insecurities about why they feel hesitant to move forward with you. If they don’t have to fear you moving on due to their indecisiveness, I’m certain you two may be able to have a great conversation that will help both of you come to a greater understanding of each other and will ultimately bring you closer regardless.