By Keith Doucette
The Nova Scotia authorities desires to increase its 5 per cent cap on lease will increase one other two years, however the province gained’t create an enforcement unit to bolster its tenancy guidelines and laws.
Service Nova Scotia Minister Colton LeBlanc stated laws tabled Friday would prolong the cap — set to run out Dec. 31, 2025 — to the tip of 2027. The 5 per cent ceiling, he stated, balances the wants of landlords and tenants, each of whom are going through elevated prices.
“We nonetheless strongly consider that the reply to the rental market challenges is extra housing … however within the meantime we’ve got to guard Nova Scotians,” the minister stated.
Regardless of latest calls from landlords and tenants for a rental compliance and enforcement unit, LeBlanc stated there are enough protections beneath present guidelines and laws.
In 2022, Halifax-based Davis Pier Consulting was employed by the province to check Ontario’s enforcement system, however the authorities by no means launched its findings publicly. The CBC reported in August 2023 that the report had beneficial the same unit for Nova Scotia.
LeBlanc stated the federal government thinks such a system would sluggish the present dispute decision course of, the place the wait time for a listening to is at most six weeks. “It could be bringing extra paperwork and extra pink tape at a time after we want much less pink tape,” he stated. “It wouldn’t obtain what tenant and landlord organizations have stated it could obtain.”
Each opposition events had been scathing of their evaluation of the federal government’s newest strikes.
NDP Chief Claudia Chender referred to as the present lease cap “basically ineffective,” saying it does little to assist people who find themselves struggling to maintain up with the price of dwelling. The invoice, she stated, does nothing to deal with an issue with fixed-term leases, which she stated are getting used as a loophole by massive company landlords to get across the lease cap by boosting rents which can be charged to new tenants.
“We’re heading into extra housing insecurity within the face of the housing disaster that we’re already in,” Chender stated. “The brand new residences which can be coming on-line are terribly costly. They’re out of attain for anybody who will probably be impacted by any of the insurance policies introduced immediately.”
Liberal housing critic Braedon Clark expressed disappointment that an enforcement unit won’t be created.
“I’m coping with a constituent who had a small fireplace of their unit 13 months in the past and they’re nonetheless not again in (their condo) and there’s no timeline for once they can return in,” Clark stated.
In the meantime, the federal government additionally proposed adjustments to the Residential Tenancies Act that will enable landlords to situation eviction notices after three days of unpaid lease as a substitute of 15 days, whereas tenants could be prohibited from subletting items for greater than they’re at the moment paying.
As nicely, the invoice proposes clearer circumstances for landlords to finish a tenancy, reminiscent of legal behaviour, disturbing fellow tenants, repeated late rental funds and extraordinary harm to a unit.
“These adjustments gained’t simply profit landlords, they are going to assist different tenants and neighbours too,” stated LeBlanc.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Sept. 6, 2024.
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Final modified: September 7, 2024
