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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-03-04, Page 21Boost YOUR HOME TOWN Business Direr MRS. LESLIE HARRIS of the rent review board in London, beside Councillor Lossie Fuller, left, makes a point during the public meeting held February 19 in Exeter. photo by Youngs. G. RANDALL PAUL Administrative Services MAIN ST., LUCAN Phone 227-4584 TimeS-Advecate, March 4, 1 976 Edge • Rent hikes confuse Huron Park residents Art, The rent review legislation, given Royal Ascent December 18, is designed to aid the tennant who's wages have been limited to an eight per cent increase by the federal government, said Mrs. Leslie Harris of the London rent review office to a small crowd of tennants and landlords at a public information meeting held February 19 at Scout Hall in Exeter. Mrs. Harris.said that rents can increase enly eight percent over July 1975 rent for the coming year. Rent increases above the eight per cent have to be passed by a rent review officer after a special hearing. Rents which have increased more than eight per cent since July have to be appealed by the landlord. If the rent increases is less then the eight per cent, and the tennant feels it is unjustified, he can appeal it as well. The deadline for filing appeal applications for rents that have gone up more than the allowed between July and December 31 and from January 1 on was February 29. The London offices of the rent review board stayed open Satur- day and Sunday in anticipation of a rush off appeal applications. The rush came, as they received 190,000 applications from land- lords and 15,000 from tennants. Tennants who are being charg- ed more than the eight per cent may withold the extra portion until it has been given approval. If approval for the extra is given, they will be required to pay. If they have been paying the extra they will be entitled to a rebate of the amount that they have paid. Mrs. Harris urged tennants to save the money that they have been paying until the appeal is held and the final figure settled on so that they are not caught short if the landlord is granted the extra increase. Under the Landlord and Ten- nant Act, tennants can not be evicted for opposing an increase in rent and withholding anything above an eight per cent increase. Under the rent review act, a landlord must give 90 days notice of a rent increase. He also has to give justification for any rent increase. ' The landlord must be present at the hearing on his increases, but does not require the presence of a lawyer. Tennants who do not appear at hearings lose their right to appeal *any decision of the...rent officer. Tennants have 60 days in which to appeal any decision. If a tennant fills out a form protesting an increase in rent, the tennant keeps a copy, one is sent todhe rent review officer and one goes to the landlord. The landlord has 15 days in which to acknowledge receipt of the protest or lose the rent hike. The act does not pertain to rent increases alone, said Mrs. Harr- is. She said that if a landlord does not raise the rent, but adds a charge for parking which was not charged for in 1975, then this is considered a rent increase,- Services previously offered under a lease, such as snow removal or use of a pool, and are discontinued, also constitute a rent increase. Huron Park is a unique community in many ways, and its uniqueness is causing confusion over recent rent hikes and the rent review board. Most of the people in attend- ance at the public meeting Thursday were residents 9f Huron Park. Thursday morning many of the people opened their ffont doors to find rent review forms stapled to them, informing them of a rent increase and that an appeal had been filed for. The basis of the increase, explained Jack Malone, is the increase in costs faced by the Ontario Development Corpor- ation, who own the Park and increased taxes from Stephen Township. ODC owns the homes in Huron Park and leases them out to the tennants, the same way that they lease out their industrial facili- ties to businesses, J. L, Wadall, of ODC in Toronto said that this is the only place in Ontario where the ODC plays the role of landlord. Because ODC is a non-profit organization and is not eligible for grants the community at Huron Park has to be self- sustaining. Jack Malone, manager of ODC said maintaining self sufficiency is where the bulk of the rent increase will go. Tennants in Huron Park, he said, are charged rural tax rates and receive the benefits of urban rates. He said that ODC has to maintain the water supply, which is pumped in from Kirkton; provide street lighting, snow removal and grass cutting in the ,gerptpon r,ea s „a sew4age system,, maintenance of fire hydrants and alarms, twice weekly collection of garbage, hydro maintenance and upgrading and repair of the homes. The increase in the rent is "to offset the expenses of operating" said Mr. Malone, as well as an increase in the mill rate of Stephen Township which the ODC collects as part of the monthly rent as a convenience for the tennants. Crown land itself is not taxable, but tennants on crown lands are subject to all municipal taxes. Huron Park residents are then subject to the same taxes as residents of Credition, or other parts of Stephen Township. ODC has collected the taxes to save the residents the trouble of having to go to Credition to pay the monthly installment, Since the taxes were raised approxi- mately 25 mills this year, and this raise becomes part of "occu- pancy cost" said Mr. Malone, the increase has been reflected in the rent hikes. Mr. Malone said that in many instances where the rents have risen over the allowable eight per cent, it was because of the extra costs entailed by the taxes. The confusion over the rent review appeal applications that were handed out arises from the nature of the form, The form is divided into three parts that show the July rent, the "current rent", or the July rent plus eight per cent and the "proposed rent," or the rent that is being requested in the appeal and the rent that many of the residents have been charged for the past two months. The tennants were upset over the term "current rent" because they had never paid it before. It was explained that it was the rent that they are required to pay under law, and that the proposed rent is not required until approved. • The tax breakdown, which many tennants had not seen before, and the new water rates, which many were unaware of added to the confusion. Usually taxes are added as a basic part of the occupancy cost; but Huron Park's uniqueness makes it otherwise. "You don't write legislation for one situation" said Mr. Malone in reference to the difficulties the -ent review act is causing he and is tennants. Hugh Tom FILSON and ROBSON AUCTIONEERS 20 years' experience of complete sale service Provincially licensed. Conduct sales of any kind, any place. We guarantee you more> To insure success of your sale or appraisal Phone Collect 666-0633 666-1907 MT. 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