With the provincial election just around the corner, Vision Vancouver is calling on Vancouverites to pressure their MLAs into addressing renters’ rights.

Launching a new webpage yesterday bearing the hashtag #StandUpForRenters, Vision offers a search function to look up an individual’s local MLA by postcode, and provides a suggested email to send to that representative.

The email is split into three sections: “stop unfair evictions”, “go after bad landlords”, and “make life easier for renters”.

Vision’s set text highlights the common complaint of “renovictions”—when tenants are evicted so renovations can take place on a suite—and the practice of setting fixed-term lease agreements. The email suggests that renters should have a “first right of refusal” to return to their suite at the same rent after it has been renovated, and that the fixed-term lease loophole—an excuse that allows landlords to increase a person’s rent with no restrictions at the end of their agreement—should be closed.

The email also suggests that MLAs put pressure on the provincial government to instigate penalties for landlords who deliberately break the rules of the Tenancy Act, and that renters be given a designated notice period for when renovations are scheduled to happen in their suite.

The initiative follows a speech given by Mayor Gregor Roberston on March 1, in which he told reporters that his government recognizes the implications of the tight housing market for local residents, and outlined what the city is doing to help.

Robertson recently announced that Vision will take a new approach to dealing with the rental crisis by rolling out a revamped housing plan this year. His initiatives include increasing the housing stock by encouraging developers to introduce less expensive housing into pricey west-side neighbourhoods, and offering up a considerable portion of the city’s own land for affordable housing.

The #StandUpForRenters webpage can be accessed here.

Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter @KateWilsonSays