FOI shows limited rent control appeals in land-lease communities

HALIFAX -- A new Freedom of Information request shows that in land-lease communities, where rent control has been in place since 2010, landlords have rarely appealed the annual allowable increase set by government. From 2016 - 2021 there was only a single landlord application each year to go beyond the capped rent.

“We can see from this information that rent control works,” said NDP Housing spokesperson Suzy Hansen. “Rent control in this situation means the people in these communities have reasonable increases that they can expect each year. At the same time, landlords are still able to get exceptions when the Rental Tenancies Board finds there’s a justifiable reason and a need. Everyone who rents in Nova Scotia should have this stability.”

The allowable increase under land-lease community rent control was 1.7 per cent in 2020 and 1.9 per cent in 2021. Last month the Conservative government in Nova Scotia was forced to extend the temporary 2 per cent rent cap for 2 more years.

“While the temporary rent control that was won this fall is a significant move in the right direction, what we really need is permanent rent control for everyone who rents,” said NDP Leader Gary Burrill. “With a permanent system, both tenants and landlords would know what to expect and have a system of appeal should there be a clear need to increase rent beyond the set limit. This is exactly how it works in land-lease communities today.”

The NSNDP has tabled the Rental Fairness and Affordability Act. It would make rent control permanent on all rental properties in Nova Scotia and includes provisions for landlords to apply for increases beyond the cap when deemed necessary by the Residential Tenancies Board.

-30-