The Richmond Public Library is hosting a sold-out event by a speaker promising to teach landlords how to charge higher rents on their properties.

The Realtor leading the workshop says the goal is to show landlords how to increase their properties' value so they can collect above-market rents.

The event, originally titled "The Secret to Charging Above Market Value Rents," is now being called "Adding Value to Your Rental Property."

The original title raised some alarms for the library, which asked that the event's name be changed.

It's part of a series of workshops on real estate for Mandarin speakers led by Vancouver Realtor Alina He.

The title was changed after the library contacted He. According to a statement from library spokesperson Stephanie Vokey, there was concern that the title was "not appropriate or in keeping with the library's mission and commitment to support our diverse community."

The original description asked participants, "Do you want to know how the real estate investors think outside of the box to maximize the rents and have tenants lining up to stay at their place?"

A cached version of the Richmond library website shows the original title for the real estate workshop on Sept. 28, 2019. (CBC News)

Vokey says the title and description of the event were changed to more clearly describe the content of the workshop, where she says participants will learn "tips about cost-effective ways to market their rental properties to attract the tenants they are seeking and to create positive landlord-tenant relationships."

He, who is giving the workshop, says it will focus on helping landlords market their vacant units to the appropriate tenants including tips for writing ads and staging apartments for photos.

But she says a second part of the workshop is focused on adding more value to rentals and "delivering more value to the public."

"I'm not just saying that they should charge higher rent for their properties," she said in an interview. "It's also based on the tenant, if the tenant is willing to pay more for their living environment."

The Realtor says that added value could be anything from high-end renovations to offering a cleaning service.

She acknowledges that in the midst of a housing crisis in the Lower Mainland, tenants are struggling to find affordable options. However, He says her advice is a "win-win situation" for landlords and tenants willing to pay a little more.

"It's kind of like a hotel. You pay more for the Four Seasons, but you pay less in the motel."

The workshop is being hosted Saturday afternoon at the Richmond Public Library's main branch.