She was a business owner and though her very private situation happened, it's not the case of everyone ** Perhaps she's taking things too far with a new Reading of a Bill to Parliament that just seemed to "slip by"
Landlords, as if things weren't tough already, read the Bill that somehow got under the radar: Bill 112, Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Tenants' Rights), 2010
HTML Version
Here's the PDF
On September 16th: Cheri held a press conference at Queen’s Park calling for better tenants rights. Cheri is taking action on the bed bug issue by tabling a Private Member’s Bill calling for landlord licensing. On the panel were Kenn Hale from Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO), Edward Lantz from Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and Carolyn Peters, a rental agent who was told that she had to show apartments that were known to be infested with bedbugs. The Bill also calls for real rent control, extending protection to more tenants and improving access to justice for tenants.
Is the same woman that said in a National Post Interview back in May:
"We're politicians, we're important. We make these laws for other people, who aren't so important." *source below
An outspoken critic of The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) and the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), Cheri has called for more affordable housing and action. Thankfully, she also calls for making amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act. Here are some of the following:
214.1 (1) No landlord shall enter into a tenancy agreement with respect to a rental unit in a residential complex containing six or more rental units on or after the day section 22 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Tenants’ Rights), 2010 comes into force unless the landlord has obtained a licence in accordance with this Part and the regulations.
(2) No landlord shall renew a tenancy agreement with respect to a rental unit in a residential complex containing six or more rental units that was entered into before the day section 22 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act (Tenants’ Rights), 2010 comes into force unless the landlord has obtained a licence in accordance with this Part and the regulations.
Now, I agree bedbugs have become a problem (and I would also say because certain things have been banned so we're not able to eliminate them). So be advised they're also stipulating that they will not renew your license:
5) The Board shall not issue a licence to a landlord who, at the time of application, (a) has not complied with one or more of the terms set out in a work order given to the landlord under section 225 if the time period for compliance with the terms of the work order has expired; (b) has not complied with one or more of the terms and conditions of an order served on the landlord under section 15.2 of the Building Code Act, 1992 if the time period for compliance with the terms and conditions of the order has expired; or (c) is party to a tenancy agreement with respect to a rental unit that is, in the opinion of the Board and subject to the regulations, infested with bedbugs, cockroaches or other vermin, regardless of whether the presence of such vermin is the subject of an order under this or any other Act, if the landlord has not, in the opinion of the Board and subject to the regulations, made sufficient attempts to eliminate the vermin from the rental unit.Refusal to issue licence (
5) Subject to the regulations, if the Board intends to refuse to issue a licence to a landlord under subsection
(6), the Board shall give notice to the landlord of its intention to refuse and the landlord shall have an opportunity to make submissions to the Board.Renewal of licence
(7) A licence issued under this Part expires two years after the date of issue.
TO BREAK IT DOWN, HERE'S THE EXPLANATORY NOTE THEY PROVIDE:
The Bill makes several amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, including the following:
1. The Bill increases the time limit for most tenant and some landlord applications to the Landlord and Tenant Board from one to two years.
2. The Bill requires a landlord who terminates a tenancy for personal use to compensate the tenant and expands the circumstances in which a landlord is required to compensate a tenant if the landlord terminates a tenancy for the purpose of demolition or conversion to non-residential use.
3. The Bill prohibits a landlord from increasing the rent charged to a new tenant by more than the guideline and abolishes landlord applications to the Board for above guideline rent increases where there has been a significant increase in the cost of utilities.
4. The Bill requires that the Board dismiss an application from a landlord who has been given a work order under section 225 of the Act or an order under section 15.2 of the Building Code Act, 1992 and has not completed the items in the work order or the order.
5. The Bill requires a landlord to obtain a licence with respect to a rental unit in a residential complex containing six or more rental units in order to enter into a tenancy agreement or renew an existing tenancy agreement.
I agree there are some irresponsible Landlords out there but there are quite a few of us that are VERY responsible. To bring in rent control when costs to Landlords are already inundate with high costs would not bring in affordable housing and would do the total opposite if we have to spend more. We have the implementation of HST, rising taxes, assessments, utilities, etc
To Contact Your Local MPP, click here:
National Post Quote Source:
* http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2010/05/20/new-bicycling-law.aspx
** humble beginnings source: http://www.upwithwomen.com/Cheri.htm
Thanks for viewing! As always, have a great day and remember to "Empower yourself and inspire change in others"
1 comment:
I find it interesting that Mr. Hale worked against tenants when the landlord was an NDP minister http://www.torontotenantsassociations.ca/ndp-akande.html
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