Renter Lease Condition 'Experiment' - "I have a friend in our office who is looking to rent. He commented how “fishy, desperate, and deceitful” most of the landlords he had spoken to seem to be. He didn’t trust any of them. I told him to try my experiment..."

“I have a friend in our office who is looking to rent for his family as he just moved here from BC, and he was commenting the other day how “fishy, desperate, and deceitful” most of the landlords of the numerous vacant properties he had spoken to seem to be. He didn’t trust any of them to be frank and he felt that he was getting set up as the renter “in situ” to increase the listing value and prospect of selling the property he was looking at moving into. As he asked my advise a few weeks ago about his concerns, I told him to try my experiment:
Tell your prospective landlord that you “will” sign a long term lease (12+ months) on one proviso that will be written into the contract.
If the property is listed, or the ownership changes hands for any reason, the lease becomes null and void and you can exit the property without penalty and after 30 days notice upon becoming aware of either the listing, or the transfer of ownership, and that they are legally obligated to advise you of same when it occurs.
No one agreed to it, a couple of them had the blood rush out of their faces after repeatedly telling him they were not going to list the place during his interviews (so why would this condition matter then…..right ?) and one confessed the place was getting listed as soon as she put someone in it. He has decided to rent a purpose built luxury condo rental from a national property managment company instead……someone that I used to rent from.”
- Carioca Canuck at VREAA 27 May 2012 9:54pm