TENANTS QUESTION IF ONTARIO’S LANDLORD AND TENANT BOARD TIMELINES ARE IMPROVING
Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) is scheduling hearings faster this year than it did last year, according to estimates shared with CBC Toronto this week. Currently, the LTB estimates that the average application for non-payment of rent is scheduled for a hearing in roughly three months — down from an estimated 10 months in 2023. All other application types take an estimated five to seven months. CBC spoke to members of landlord associations and rental experts who confirmed the...
read moreALBERTA’S REAL ESTATE RESURGENCE: WHY NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO INVEST IN CALGARY AND EDMONTON
As Alberta’s economy roars back to life, its real estate market is catching the attention of investors and homebuyers alike. Calgary and Edmonton are experiencing renewed growth, driven by affordability, job creation, and expanding infrastructure. Compared to high-cost markets like Vancouver and Toronto, Alberta stands out as a haven for those seeking strong returns and liveable prices. For seasoned investors and first-time buyers alike, Alberta’s real estate market offers a compelling mix of...
read moreIT’S’NAIVE’ TO BLAST THE BIG INSTITUTIONS THAT PROVIDE RENTAL HOUSING, SAY DEVELOPERS
In the House of Commons last year, Vancouver East NDP MP Jenny Kwan lambasted the powerful “profiteers” that “financialize” rental housing. The Liberals, and the Conservatives before them, have long encouraged the creation of real estate investment trusts, commonly known as REITs, through which corporations “make a killing,” Kwan said. “Real estate investment trusts enjoy preferential tax treatment, and the seven largest REITs alone have saved a combined $1.5 billion through federal tax...
read moreCONSERVATIVE PARTY WINS SECOND STRAIGHT MAJORITY IN NOVA SCOTIA ELECTION
Nova Scotians have reelected the Progressive Conservative Party with a large majority in a victory for a political platform that includes trying to make home buying easier for some residents. As the final counting of votes occurred Wednesday, members of Premier Tim Houston’s PC Party won outright or were leading in 43 electoral districts. The NDP captured nine seats and the Liberal Party only two. An independent candidate is poised to hold one of the 55 seats in the Nova Scotia...
read moreWEEK OF NOVEMBER 25 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
November 22nd was National Housing Day so it seemed fitting to look back and forward to see where we stand....
read moreWHAT IS YIELDSTAR, THE CONTROVERSIAL PRICING SOFTWARE SOME BLAME FOR RISING RENTS
Canadian officials are concerned about YieldStar, a controversial software that recommends rent prices to landlords that is currently the subject of a government lawsuit in the United States. In October, Canadian federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said the government would launch an investigation into the allegations around price-fixing in the rental market, writing a letter to Competition Bureau commissioner Matthew Boswell. Champagne’s letter...
read moreHOUSING TURNS THE KEY TO CRUCIAL NOVA SCOTIA ELECTION ISSUES
All the parties vying for the votes of Nova Scotians agree on the importance of housing. “Affordability is an issue that permeates all aspects of life for many Nova Scotians right now but we know that housing is the largest driver of that,” NDP Leader Claudia Chender said in an Oct. 31 announcement in Dartmouth. “If people can afford their housing, they can think about how to afford everything else because shelter is the number 1 concern.” In introducing the Liberal platform on Nov. 4, leader...
read moreLIBERALS ANNOUNCE 3% RENT CAP, WITH A CAVEAT
New Brunswick tenants can expect a promised three per cent cap on rent increases effective Feb. 1, but landlords will get some wiggle room, on a case-by-case basis, to help cover the cost of “capital renovations.” On Wednesday, Housing Minister David Hickey introduced amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act and its regulation to create a permanent rent cap but also to establish a process for landlords to seek rent increases above the new threshold. Under the proposed new rules, New...
read moreONTARIO EYES GIVING CREDIT BUREAUS ACCESS TO LTB ORDERS FOR RENTERS WITH HISTORY OF ARREARS
A proposal to make Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) orders accessible to consumer credit bureaus for tenants with a history of rent arrears would make it easier to weed out bad prospective renters, London, Ont., landlords say. Renters’ advocacy groups worry it could hurt low-income tenants who fall behind by damaging their credit scores and unfairly penalize tenants who withheld rent for negligent maintenance or other issues. The Ford government revealed the plan in a media backgrounder...
read moreWEEK OF NOVEMBER 18 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
Owners, managers and business leaders in the province of PEI, which has some of the strictest rent control laws in Canada, is seeing their housing crisis worsen and has now put out a report detailing the issues and how investments priorities are changing the housing industry....
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