Changes to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act will be proclaimed on Aug. 1 and will offer new protection for renters, while reducing paperwork and red tape for landlords, Tourism, Culture, Heritage, Sport and Consumer Protection Minister Ron Lemieux announced, last week.
“We consulted landlords and tenants on this bill to ensure fairness and transparency, and I feel confident these changes address long-standing grievances from both sides,” said Minister Lemieux.
The minister noted under the new rules, tenants must be compensated for moving costs and higher rental fees when landlords carry out renovations that create major inconvenience and are intended to drive tenants out.
In addition, the annual rent increase guideline must now be linked to the Consumer Price Index for Manitoba and must fall within the Bank of Canada’s inflation-control target range.
The changes coming into effect Aug. 1 will also allow landlords to end tenancies in response to unlawful activity if it affects the security and well-being of other tenants or causes damages.
There are also changes to the appeals process so landlords can act faster on rulings where tenants have not paid their rent.
“Renters deserve to feel safe in their homes,” said Minister Lemieux.
“That’s why we’ve introduced changes that will make it easier for landlords to evict tenants who break the law and put other tenants at risk.”
Landlords will also be allowed to charge a higher pet damage deposit for new tenants to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their buildings.
Regulatory changes coming into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, will strengthen requirements for exemptions from rent regulation due to renovations and limit how often landlords can apply for those exemptions. The changes will also spread the cost of some improvements over a longer period, which could result in smaller rent increases.
Votes show tenant, renter support
Manitoba released new landlord-tenant rules on Friday and the public has already voiced their opinion.
On Friday’s Winnipeg Free Press website the daily poll shows voters are in support of easier evictions for law-breaking tenants.
The poll question read as follows: Which of Manitoba’s new landlord-tenant rules are you looking forward to most?
In first place as of Friday morning, with 709 votes and 33 per cent of the vote, was easier evictions of law-breaking tenants.
Next largest group was the don’t rent, don’t care respondents, at 24 per cent.
The next two options were tied with 15 per cent of the vote each. These were rent increases in line with the Consumer Price Index and Inflation (311 votes) and higher pet deposits to encourage more landlords to allow pets (326 votes).
In last place with 13 per cent (267 votes) was compensation for tenants forced to move after renovations.
