Sudbury MPP concerned rent control still at risk, despite cancelled consultations
CBC
Sudbury MPP Jamie West says he worries rent controls in Ontario could be at risk, despite a recent decision from the provincial government to back down from consultations on month-to-month lease renewals.
Last week Premier Doug Ford’s government introduced Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act. The omnibus housing bill included proposed consultations to reconsider lease expiry rules so that “could allow landlords to control who occupies their unit and for how long.”
Currently, when a tenant’s lease expires they automatically switch to month-to-month lease renewals as long as they continue their monthly payments and follow the terms of the original lease agreement.
The Ford government’s proposal to consult on the month-to-month renewals got pushback from housing advocates across Ontario.
Ontario’s Minister of Housing Rob Flack posted on social media that the government would no longer proceed with consultations “on potential changes to Ontario’s tenancy lease framework.”
But West said he’s concerned the provincial government could make changes to that framework regardless.
“Not having any legislation specifically saying we're not going to do this makes me nervous because maybe it cools the temperature in the room and people think, 'Oh, we're safe,’” he said.
“And then the bill passes anyway and the committee they ‘forget’.... to actually move that part of the bill out of it."
West said the changes would make it easier for landlords to evict vulnerable tenants or increase their rents.
Sherry Jordan, the owner of the Jordan Group Property Management in Sudbury, said month-to-month lease renewals make it harder for landlords to evict problematic tenants.
"If you had a personality conflict or some way that they did things that you didn't like, there's no recourse on that,” she said.
“So the tenants would continue on a month-to-month basis once it expires. And like I said, unless you have a solid reason you cannot get them out."
Jordan said landlords can apply to the Landlord Tenant Board in those cases, but the process can take several months before there’s a resolution.
She added that giving landlords more flexibility to choose their tenants after their lease ends would open up more rental properties.
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