Vancouver mayor backs proposed changes for renters
Posted November 12, 2015 5:17 pm.
Last Updated November 12, 2015 10:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The City of Vancouver is floating a list of changes to the residential tenancy act meant to address some of the unforseen problems renters are facing, but some feel the adjustments would tip the scales too far in renters’ favour.
“With more than half of Vancouver households renting and vacancy rates at record lows, it can be extremely challenging for Vancouver renters out there,” says Mayor Gregor Robertson.
A city committee on renters’ rights wants to see limits on rent increases when a tenant’s fixed-term lease ends.
“There is a rental housing crisis in this city, and with renters making up half of Vancouver’s households the time to take action is now,” says Alvin Singh, Chair of the Renters’ Advisory Committee. “Our report is the latest in a long line of recommendations to improve the situation of renters here and across BC and now it’s up to the province to take action. The ball is in their court.”
The committee found some landlords use the end of a fixed-term lease to increase the cost of rent. That is leaving many tenants with rents they can no longer afford. The motion also suggests waiving dispute resolution fees for low income tenants.
“We seem to be moving towards a kind of squatters rights mentality that we’ve seen in other cities and it doesn’t create a particularly good environment for owners or renters,” says NPA Councillor George Affleck.
He’s worried this will prevent investors from building much needed affordable rental housing here. “Basically, if you extend the rent controls forever, you are creating an ongoing rent control system and that really does, I believe, discourage investment in real estate,” adds Affleck.
Some of the recommendations include:
- Waiving dispute resolution fees for low-income tenants
- Providing translation for dispute resolution hearings
- Creating a mandatory minimum penalty on landlords who break the law when evicting tenants
- Limiting rent increases when fixed-term tenancies end
- Increasing from 2 to 3 months the notice required for a tenant to leave a property due to renovations
