Researchers at the University of British Columbia have recommended best practices for protecting tenants and upholding housing rights, based on analyzing existing protections in all of Canada’s provinces and three territories. Their evidence-based recommendations deserve support because, as the report notes “The frequency of evictions and the lack of comprehensive tenant protections have far-reaching social consequences. Evictions disrupt lives, increase homelessness, worsen health outcomes, and deepen housing insecurity.”
In the 12 categories of protections studied, Ontario’s laws and procedures were praised in five areas and ranked low in two—weak rent controls and short notice for eviction for non-payment of rent. The Ford government proposed scrapping one of those five strengths, automatic renewal of leases. Due to public outcry, the government backed off, for now.
Among the dozen recommendations:
- Apply rent caps (rent controls) to all units, and base them on objective inflation indices. In contrast, in most provinces except P.E.I. and, to an extent, Manitoba, landlords today can raise rents by any amount when units are vacated. That should end. The report also recommends faster development approvals and zoning reform to allow higher density to encourage new rental construction. Hamilton has approved such zoning reforms and is planning more; it ranked last among 23 large municipalities in Canada in the most recent housing industry survey of approval times.
- Require minimum notice periods, especially for no-fault evictions or for evictions of tenants to enable the landlord or his or her relatives to move in, to give tenants adequate, predictable time to prepare to find a suitable home and prepare to move. Any notice must state clear lawful grounds for eviction, backed by sworn affidavits, with tenants given adequate time to review and dispute the evidence.
- Ensure access to legal counsel so tenants can contest eviction notices. Ensure reasonable time for tenants to get that advice and to respond.
- Require landlords to provide financial compensation and/or relocation assistance to tenants facing no-fault evictions, such as for landlord’s use, sale or major renovations. A Hamilton bylaw does this for renovations.
- Require tribunal adjudicators and other decision-makers to consider alternatives to eviction such as payment plans or behavioral conditions. Tenants have been threatened with eviction for being only pennies short on rent payments.
- Set national standards for best practices.
You can read the report here: https://bsh.ubc.ca/recommendations-for-strengthening-canadian-renters-security-of-tenure/