Legislation tabled Tuesday (April 2) promises to protect B.C. renters against rent hikes when their families are growing, or when their landlords want to use units for themselves. But the legislation also promises to give landlords certainty.

含羞草研究社淚 have heard concerns from renters that there were insufficient protections to protect renters and (from) landlords that there insufficient protections to protect landlords,含羞草研究社� Premier David Eby said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 why this bill includes elements that addresses both concerns.含羞草研究社�

If B.C. wants to encourage the construction of rental housing, it means finding a balance between landlords and tenants, Eby said.

About one-third of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 two million households rent with B.C.含羞草研究社檚 rents among the highest in the country.

Perhaps the anchor point of the legislation is the story of a Vancouver woman who has been paying $600 more in rent after giving birth. The bill means landlords cannot raise rents if the tenants add minors, assuming the rental agreement varies with the number of occupants.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the bill also tries to protect renters 含羞草研究社� especially seniors on fixed incomes 含羞草研究社� whom landlords are targeting, pointing to comments last year from out-going seniors advocate Isobel Mackenzie, who had warned off growing homelessness among seniors.

含羞草研究社�(It)含羞草研究社檚 a real concern that we are seeing more seniors evicted from long-term tenancy, who are trying to get in the market and finding only very expensive units available for them and many of them are finding themselves in a very precarious housing situation,含羞草研究社� Kahlon said. It is not interest of society for these individuals to show up in homeless shelters, he added

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The bill specifically bans evictions from personal use in purpose-built rental buildings with more than five units.

含羞草研究社淲e believe that the personal use (provision) does not make sense for those types of professionally run buildings,含羞草研究社� Kahlon said.

Spencer Chandra Herbert, MLA for Vancouver-West End and premier含羞草研究社檚 liaison for renters, said such evictions may involve landlords claiming units for their children.

含羞草研究社�(There) were no kids moving into that building,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚t was just a ruse to try and force good long-term tenants out (and) to jack up rates.含羞草研究社�

The bill also tries to discourage personal use by extending the personal occupancy period to 12 months from six months.

Landlords will also be required to generate a web-posted notice when they evict tenants for personal use.

含羞草研究社淭his change will help educate landlords on the required conditions for the personal use evictions while providing a standardized process for serving notice,含羞草研究社� Kahlon said.

This process will also allow the Residential Tenancy Branch to track personal use evictions and will aid in eviction disputes if they arise, he added.

含羞草研究社淟andlords need certainty that issues with problematic tenants can be resolved quickly,含羞草研究社� he said.

Wait times at the RTB have gone down by almost 54 per cent since Nov. 2022 thanks to additional staff, service improvements and investments, according to government.

Kahlon added that bill also includes a tool that would make it easier for tenants and landlords to recover outstanding payments from each other. Safety and health concerns would also be addressed more quickly, Kahlon said.

含羞草研究社淪o the issues that landlords have raised, we are addressing,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淭he issues that tenants are raising, we are addressing. In the end, we are addressing both ends of the spectrum.含羞草研究社�

Elements of the bill come into effect in phases.

The prohibition on personal occupancy evictions in purpose-built rental buildings with five or more units has come into effect on Tuesday following the bill含羞草研究社檚 tabling, for example. Other aspects such as prohibiting rent increases for additional occupants who are minors and the prohibition against frivolous notices to end tenancies come into effect following royal assent.

BC United含羞草研究社檚 Peter Milobar, shadow finance minister, praised aspects of the legislation such as the prohibition on rent increases when families grow, but the devil will be in the detail. While people deserve better protection, it is also the case that landlords are also facing higher costs and that the RTB needs to speed up its processes.

BC Greens Leader Sonia Furstenau said her party welcomed the limit on no-fault evictions among other changes.

含羞草研究社淏.C. continues to be the eviction capital of Canada, and the B.C. Greens will continue to advocate for vacancy control, a tangible solution to protect renters in B.C. that would bring stability to our out-of-control rental market, protect affordable rental housing and better limit no-fault evictions,含羞草研究社� she said.

Black Press Media has reached out to the Canada Landlords Association, as well as the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre for comment.