Real Estate

Tenant groups express outrage after B.C. government says apartment dwellers must fork over all unpaid rent

by Charlie Smith on July 17th, 2020 at 7:38 AM
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      Premier John Horgan has come to the rescue of B.C. landlords.

      That's how tenant groups are characterizing the provincial government's decision to end the ban on evictions for nonpayment of rent on September 1 and to allow landlords to collect all unpaid rent owed.

      Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selina Robinson, on the other hand, described the province's plan as a "measured approach to tenancy rules".

      “These changes will build on the extension of our Temporary Rent Supplement (TRS) program and give renters until next summer to gradually pay back any unpaid rent to help them maintain their housing, while also continuing the ban on rent increases until December,” she said.

      Under the province's plan, a tenant owing $2,000 would be expected to split the amount in monthly installments of $200 per month, starting on October 2020 and continuing until July 2021.

      The announcement came as B.C.'s unemployment rate stands at 13 percent.

      The Vancouver Tenants Union claimed that the province's approach "paves the way for mass evictions this fall".

      “In a pandemic, even one infection caused by evictions is too many," VTU steering committee member Mazdak Gharibnavaz said. "We should fully expect a second wave to hit our province this fall as the ban is being lifted; now is not the time to play with the safety of tenants.

      "Not only does today’s decision not make sense for our public health, it’s an economic disaster for vulnerable tenants.”

      The Victoria Tenant Action Group accused the provincial government of delaying rent-debt evictions to enable landlords to squeeze more money out of renters.

      "The province says it is freezing conventional rent increases (-2%) until year's end," VTAC tweeted. "But by making tenants lock into covid debt repayment plans to keep their homes, it is just imposing even higher monthly rent increases for many BC residents."

      Landlord B.C., which represents many landlords, had wanted the government to boost a temporary monthly rent subsidy from $500 to $1,000—and perhaps up to $1,500 in Metro Vancouver, where rents are higher.

      The organization's executive director, David Hutniak, told News 1130 that the province's plan is "not the perfect solution", but it's not an "unreasonable accommodation" to tenants and landlords.

      Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Selena Robinson says the province has struck the right balance between protecting the interests of landlords and offering tenants a way to pay off their rent debts.

      According to the provincial government, 85 percent of tenants paid their rent in full during the pandemic, whereas 12 percent made partial payments. Only three percent of tenants made no payments.

      West End tenant Brendan Ladner questioned why the province isn't helping the relatively small percentage of renters who were unable to pay full rent.

      "How can @bcndp stand up and say: our landlord industry shall be made whole, while most other industries are still suffering?" Ladner tweeted.

      In another tweet, Ladner described the government's move as a major fail.

      Some of the hardest hit have been people who earn their livelihoods in the hospitality, restaurant, and food-services industries, including Ladner, who shared his personal story as a renter with the Straight in May.

      Younger tech workers in Vancouver have also felt the economic sting of the pandemic. That's prompted fears that the city could face a brain drain to jurisdictions with lower housing costs.

      One of the city's more influential tech-industry players is Boris Mann, cofounder and CEO of Fission.

      He weighed in over Twitter by saying landlords should have to bear half the cost of rent debt.

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