ATTENTION LANDLORDS / SLUMLORDS: A Renter's Declaration of Independence

From the Community…

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  Posted by Jackie Sun Oct 4, 2009 7:22am PDT

  Here Here...

  Recently I posted this on Kijiji. It took 2 days before it was removed. Within that 2 days, and let me say almost immediately I received tons, and I mean tons of emails. Only 2 were negative..the rest were full of "Kudo's"

  Shame on you Landlords

  I treat my rented apartments or homes as my own. When I move, I leave my old residence in better shape than when I moved in. I make sure that the next family can just I’m a renter. I’m a single mature woman, who for reasons we won’t get into, has found herself never having the opportunity to own her own home.

  Now, that being said, landlords absolutely love me. That is, the brave one’s that took a chance on this nasty smoker.

  When I leave where I am renting it is better than when I moved in, everything is spic and span.

  Unfortunately, the families of the homes that I am move into, more times than not, do not share that same sentiment.

  Here is my beef.

  Yes, I am a smoker, and I love my cat. Good Gosh, shoot me, shoot me now!

  I’m 55 years old. My walls are not yellow, nor does my home smell of cat.

  I have however, entered homes of people that do not smoke, nor own an animal, yet their home is a disgrace. My cat’s litter box smells like a bed of roses compared to the disgusting stench of some weird food that’s been fried in a gallon of rancid oil and has been sitting forever on that counter. Evil crayon scribbling children’s rooms that I’m positive harbor a secret laboratory under their beds.

  Lets say that the walls do get a little “off” color from smoking. Legally, every few years a landlord is suppose to paint, so I can’t see too much harm done there. So, think about that. Does it really matter?

  I have yet to own a cat that has destroyed my home.

  I have had kitty litter spill out time from time onto the floor. Since I sweep and vacuum my floors on a regular basis, the escaping litter barely hits the floor before it is sucked up.

  Now, let me tell you, I have been in homes where I would wager those floor and carpets have not seen a vacuum cleaner nor a mop in months…maybe longer. We won’t mention that I have been in smoke-less and animal-less homes that I can barely see out of the windows.

  I am a smoker; therefore my windows are cleaned regularly and are sparkling.

  I have also been in homes where the children have spilled grape juice on the floor, paint on the rugs, and have put holes in the walls.

  My cat has never done any of those things, in fact if anything he has kept horrible spiders or mice from entering my residence, and should be thanked for this.

  Mice and squirrels can do horrible damage to a home.

  I’m absolutely sick of seeing NO SMOKING NO PETS. Sick to death of it.

  I deserve a nice place to rent, and I deserve the right to smoke if I want, and to have my cat, my boon companion with me. You should be happy to have a tenant such as I.

  Shame on all you people who discriminate against renters by demanding NO SMOKING NO PETS! Before you write such nonsense in your advertisements, take a few moments to meet with the person, or the persons, to get a feel of what they are like. Maybe you should go and visit them in their current home before getting on your high horse and placing all smokers and pet owners into one smoky furry lump. Not so long ago, people smoked anywhere and everywhere, yet life went on. In fact, life went on a little nicer. It’s true, I admit, people are healthier and living longer. It is also true, that I have never seen so many disgruntled, miserable, unhappy yet healthy people living longer, therefore being disgruntled angry and unhappy for a very, very long time.

  And please, before you say that people die from smoking, let’s be realistic and understand that people die for various reasons, including being overweight and miserable. Somehow being sad and miserable yet healthy for 90 years, doesn’t seem appealing, so maybe not such a wonderful thing. I am not condoning smoking, we all know it’s bad for your health, but if you choose to smoke, does that mean you are a horrible person not worthy of a home to live in??

  And just another little observation of mine I’d like to add. There was a time when families and friends would go to a restaurant for an evening. It was a social night out.

  Friends a families would go out, maybe once a week or so for supper, they would talk about the week over dessert, a coffee, maybe a drink, and a cigarette. It was a better time. People were social, they were close, and they enjoyed that time. That has been taken away.

  Now people don’t go out that often, and if they do it’s to wolf a meal down as fast as can be and to get out. Shame.

  Is it just me, or have others noticed that since there is no smoking cigarettes almost anywhere, there’s seems to be more of a drug problem? I actually feel that since smoking has become banned almost everywhere, that it’s become something our youth WANT to do, because as we all know, that if you point something out and say not to do it they will do just the opposite.

  For all of you Landlords and Landladies who insist on adding “NO SMOKING NO PETS”, I ask you to please remember my words in this blog as your cleaning up the mess left behind by “the chosen”, that it takes a responsible person to take on a pet, and chances are they clean more often because of it.

  Shame on you all. If I win the lottery, I will buy a home or two, and I can tell you, my add will say “SMOKERS AND PETS WELCOMED!” because I know..that they are the people who will be even more conscientious about keeping their homes clean.

  After all, a dog doesn’t poop where he sleeps.

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