Balfour Properties

Danielle. Thanks for the review. Janice no longer works with Balfour Properties. We do have a no pet policy upon signing leases.

I really feel yucky writing one-​star reviews. Especially when I wish they could be zero-​star reviews. But when a potential landlord, who came highly recommended by friends who were tenants (based on the rapid response to repair calls), starts out with bald-​faced lies in the first telephone conversation, that is what we call A Red Flag. If they lie that easily about initial inquiries in a phone call, then they will also lie about Things That Do Matter later on.
I phoned the Balfour office to inquire about renting from a specific property, and Janice informed me that there are no pets allowed according to the leases in the building, and without giving me even a moment to respond, she segued into a whole song-​and-​dance routine about not being able to make an exception for me because then the other people in the building would see my pets and feel unhappy because no one else in the building was allowed to have any pets, blah blah blah.
Except that I have actually seen the pets who live in this particular building, and I said so. I asked Janice if those people in that building who have pets had a different lease, and was told «No, they have the same lease. Fine, we will consider your application with pets.» A total (and remorseless) admission of dishonesty!
The irony is that, in BC, landlords have absolute power and discretion when it comes to accepting pets or not. There was NO actual reason for Janice to lie. She could have simply said, «The lease does not allow pets in the building» and when I said «Well, I have seen pets who live there, do they have a different lease?» — she could have said «Yes, they are grandfathered in by their previous leases but we don’t accept any new pets.» And I would have thanked her for her time, that would have been the end of the conversation, and I would not be posting this review.
No thanks, Balfour. There are enough hazards about renting in Vancouver without adding in a landlord that is already known to be dishonest and remorseless. It’s called pathological lying, and it’s definitely NOT on my wish-​list for potential landlords.
In summary, I am not saying that these landlords will lie to you or treat you badly if you rent from them. I’m just saying that if you do, and they do, you will already have known to expect it, because I warned you. A leopard doesn’t change its spots just because you signed a lease with it! Good luck :)