DOUG FORD ANNOUNCES HYDRO RATE RELIEF
Ontario is temporarily slashing hydro rates for families, farmers and small businesses amid the COVID-19 crisis. Premier Doug Ford, alongside Energy Minister Greg Rickford, announced Tuesday that the province will lower rates for at least six weeks to offset higher consumption as more people work from home or remain in self-isolation. “We know this is a challenging time for all Ontarians who are doing the right thing by staying home. We realize this means people are using more electricity...
read moreTORONTO ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO HELP LOW-INCOME RENTERS
Low-income renters in the city’s public housing system may soon catch a break. On Tuesday, Toronto mayor John Tory announced plans by the Toronto Community Housing Corp. (TCHC) to work with renters to ensure they’ll be able to keep their homes during the coronavirus outbreak. “These are extraordinary times and we know there are some people who need extraordinary help,” said Tory in a statement. “Toronto Community Housing is showing leadership and working with tenants who have suddenly lost...
read moreSUPPORTING RENTERS, LANDLORDS DURING COVID-19
To support people and prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Province is introducing a new temporary rental supplement, halting evictions and freezing rents, among other actions. The new rental supplement will help households by offering up to $500 a month towards their rent, building on federal and provincial financial supports already announced for British Columbians facing financial hardship. “With lost jobs and lost wages due to COVID-19, many tenants are worried they can’t make the rent....
read moreCOVID-19 “CERB” PROGRAM MAY RESOLVE “RENT REPAYMENT” ISSUES
Yesterday, the federal government introduced the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) which is intended to quickly direct income support payments to Canadians whose income has been lost or severely reduced because of COVID-19. The government claims that Canadians who qualify for the program can now expect payments of up to $2000.00 within weeks and the payments should continue for four months. This means that many of the rent defaults landlords may experience on their April rent rolls...
read moreRENTAL MANAGEMENT BUSINESSES CAN STAY OPEN IN ONTARIO
On March 23, the Ontario Government announced the mandatory shutdown of workplaces not deemed to be essential. Rental management has been deemed to be essential. Therefore, rental management businesses are legally allowed to continue their operations and keep their offices open for their employees. However, that does NOT mean they should conduct business as was usual before Covid-19. ALL businesses should minimize in-person contact as much as possible, including operating by telephone or over...
read moreRENT FREEZES, EVICTION DEFERRALS NEEDED AMID CORONAVIRUS FALLOUT: EXPERTS
Nearly half of Canadian renters live paycheque to paycheque — and the novel coronavirus pandemic is bound to strain their finances more, according to a report released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives on Monday. Nearly 3.4 million Canadian households that rent earn income via employment or self-employment, according to Statistics Canada data from 2016. The CCPA report found that 46 per cent — or 1.6 million households — of those Canadians have savings to last them one month or...
read moreRESIDENTIAL TENANTS, LANDLORDS FACE DILEMMA AS RENT COMES DUE ON APRIL 1
As the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic ripples across Canada, another wave may crest within the week as rent comes due for residential tenants. April 1 is a pressing deadline for tenants and landlords alike as the novel coronavirus keeps people at home and closes businesses, leaving tens of thousands of Canadians out of work. “It reminds me of a ‘Mission: Impossible’ movie, where tick, tick, tick, the time is ticking down and someone has to try to save the day before...
read moreONTARIO RTA REFORMS GIVE RELIEF TO BOTH LANDLORDS AND TENANTS
The long awaited changes to the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) were introduced in the Ontario Legislature on March 12 as Bill 184. In Bill 184, the provincial government is seeking to provide some relief to both landlords and tenants. However, anyone who expected a major overhaul of the RTA to make it more landlord-friendly will be sorely disappointed. The big fix everyone needs is for the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to eliminate its delays in processing applications. Over the last two...
read moreHOUSING TASK FORCE TO MAKE MORE THAN 40 RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL
KINGSTON — After more than a year’s work, the report from the mayor’s task force on housing is to recommend more than 40 ways the city can help increase the availability and affordability of housing. The report from the 12-member task force, announced by Mayor Bryan Paterson during his inaugural council address in December 2018, is to present its report to city council on Tuesday. The task force was set up and instructed to find “evidence-informed and action-oriented observations” and assemble...
read moreCANADA’S HOUSING REGULATIONS IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTRIES
Around the world there are almost no limits to legislators’ creativity in protecting renters and potential home buyers from soaring prices. The world’s most populous countries, India and China, don’t allow any non-resident foreign nationals to buy their real estate. The city of Berlin just moved to protect 1.5 million tenants by freezing most rents for five years. The Netherlands is cutting back on sudden reno-victions by making sure 70 per cent of an apartment building’s tenants agree before...
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