NDP introduces legislation to address health hazards in apartment rentals

HALIFAX - The NDP Caucus will introduce legislation today to ensure tenants have the right to know about health issues in a building before signing a lease, including bedbugs, mould, and other potential hazards.

“No one should be forced to live in an apartment with major health hazards like bedbugs and mould,” said Lisa Roberts, NDP Housing spokesperson. “Tenants should have a right to know if there have been health hazards in a building prior to renting there.”

Marjorie Pemberton moved into an apartment on Herring Cove Road two years ago. Immediately there were major problems ranging from pigeon feces on the balcony to garbage build ups and cockroaches to bedbugs.

“I’ve been living out of garbage bags and rubber totes since June 2018 due to bedbug issues in the apartment building,” said Pemberton. “It’s not right. Had I known about these issues in the building I would have never moved in.”

Many tenants complain about health hazards in their rental units. This legislation would require landlords to report potential health hazards and would create a searchable database for tenants to use prior to renting a unit. This would force negligent landlords to take action and clean up rental units or risk tenants not renting from them.

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