Although he was fast at putting a moratorium on residential evictions amid coronavirus pandemic, Ontario Premier Doug Ford now seeks to pass a legislation piece that will negatively impact renters in Ontario.
Bill 184, which is otherwise known as the Protecting Tenants and Strengthening Community Housing Act 2020, has been the major topic recently talked about by residential renters, with many residents worrying about what the proposed changes in the Residential Tenancies Act will offer them if it is successfully passed.
Though the legislation offers some advantages for tenants like the landlord giving compensation or another living situation if a lease to move in themselves is terminated, it also has features that are not good news for renters that are trying to cope with an outrageously pricey rental market along with coronavirus pandemic.
In spite of its name, the bill will change the way and manner by which tenants could defend themselves during an eviction hearing. Also, the bill will amend the rule that requires landlords to offer 90 days notice before rent is increased and see to the instant eviction of renters who default on one installment of rent arrears repayment plan.
It is not the only time recently that the Premier and his cabinet have introduced a movement that would make life worse for renters. Many people, including other parties leaders have said that apart from the issues of the legislation, the fact that the country is in the middle of a pandemic and economic recession translates to the fact that this is not appropriate time to pass new eviction laws.
While talking about the subject via a video, University-Rosedale MPP Jessica Bell said: “COVID-19 is the worst health crisis we have experienced in over 100 years, yet today Doug Ford moved forward with Bill 184, which will make it easier for landlords to illegally raise rent and easier for them to evict us.
“This is is going to make corporate landlords even richer, and it’s going to make life even more expensive for renters in our city. We need real protections from evictions so that those of us who can’t afford to pay rent during the pandemic get to keep our homes.”
Also, the proposed bill came at a time when the Landlord of the province and Tenant Board is encountering heavy backlogs and delays owing to lesser adjudicators and other issues that are internal.
Furthermore, another layer of concern is added by landlord-tenant tensions that pre-exists in cities like Toronto.
This piece of legislature scaled through its second reading at Queen’s Park recently. By implication, the piece only has one phase to pass through before becoming law.
