May 15, 2013

MANITOBA TAKING ACTION THAT WOULD FURTHER PROTECT TENANTS, REDUCE RED TAPE FOR LANDLORDS: MINISTER

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Growing Economy, Tight Rental Housing Market Signals Need for Changes: Rondeau

Legislation was introduced today that would improve the rent regulation system and better protect tenants by focusing on creating greater safety and stability for renters while reducing paperwork and red tape for landlords, Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs Minister Jim Rondeau has announced.
“Manitoba’s growing economy and strong housing market, along with low interest rates, are motivating landlords to reinvest and upgrade their buildings.  These proposed changes will enable landlords to continue investing in their property while helping ensure tenants are treated fairly,” said Rondeau.  “We’re also giving landlords new powers to evict tenants who break the law, such as drug dealers, because illegal activity can create an unsafe living environment for tenants and real problems for landlords.”
Bill 40 would make changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to include:

• allowing landlords to end a tenancy in response to unlawful activity if it affects the security and well-being of other tenants or causes damage;
• requiring landlords to compensate tenants for moving costs, as well as for the expense of higher rent, when landlords have purposefully created an undesirable living environment during renovations to displace a tenant;
• providing for more transparency in setting the annual rent increase guideline, such as a prescribed formula or linking the increase to the Consumer Price Index;
• reforming the appeals process to allow for more expedient implementation of rulings where tenants have not paid their rent; and
• allowing landlords to charge a higher pet damage deposit for new tenants, to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their buildings.

The province also announced its intention to move forward with regulatory changes that would strengthen requirements for exemptions from rent regulation due to renovations and limit how often landlords can apply for those exemptions.  Rondeau said the government will also be revisiting the amount landlords are allowed to charge in extra rent to pay for renovations to spread the cost of less essential improvements over a longer period, with a focus on reducing rent increases.
The changes would be in addition to new housing supports in Budget 2013 including a new affordable rental housing construction tax credit, an increase of $6.3 million to RentAid shelter benefits for tenants and a commitment to build 1,000 new social and affordable housing units over the next three years, Rondeau said.

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