HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1986-12-10, Page 12Al2 — THE HURON EXPOSITOR, DECEMBER 10. 1986
ANOIHER S11EPT1bARDASSU1ED HOUSING FOR ONTARIO
What Ontarids new
Rent Review System means
to tenants and landlords.
The Ontario Government has passed the Residential Rent
Regulation Act, creating a new system of rent review
This legislation is based upon an agreement reached
by a special committee of tenants and landlords on how to
improve the rent review system in Ontario.
The basis of the new legislation: to increase
protection for tenants and to encourage the construction
of new rental housing•
The major features of the Residential
Rent Regulation Act arc:
• The extension of rent review to
• cover all private rental units in
Ontario.
• The creation of a streamlined rent review
process, designed to be accessible, quicker and
ensure consistency.
• The establishment of a flexible (tent Review
Guideline, adjusted annually to reflect changes
in inflation.
• The creation of an Ontario -wide limit ltrt/is/,y/
to record the maximum legal rent for every
rental unit in the province.
• :l ftesit/pnliirl Rental •ti'Mtadurds Muni to
ensure the proper maintenance of all rental
properties in Ontario.
in summary, the new Act provides full
protection for tenants, while at the slime time
encouraging the construction of new rental
housing.
Streamlined, simplified
rent review process
The new rent review process is designed to
he fast, friendly and efficient. Now, disputes
over rent increases eaur he settled within a.
9() -day period.
Through a network of 21 local Rent
Review Offices tenants and landlords will have
the opportunity to work together with a Hen/
Rrt�i��tr 4(h1' nistrnlor.
This Administrator may auTange meetings
between tenants and landlords, help there in
obtaining and completing any necessn)• docu-
ments, and generally, he available to provide
free assistance on any aspect of the rent review
process
As well. each Rent Review Office will be
providing an on-going program of seminars and
workshops. These will he designed specifically
to educate tenants and landlords about all parts
of Rent Review.
Extension of Rent Review
in the past. only those rental units built
prior to 1976 were protected by rent
review.
77w new .system:
• All private rental units in Ontario are
.protected by rent review whether they
were built prior to 1976 or afterwards.
Rent Review Guideline
1. nder the previous system, a fixed guide-
line could not rdwnys reflect chau►ging
economic conditions.
77w new s7islctn:
• A flexible Rent Review (Iui(leline is
adjusted annually and is based on the
change in cost (If maintaining (1 typical
well-run rental building.
• The (guideline calculates the average
change in costs oyer the precedinv
three-\ ern'•pt•rinc 0 protecting tenants;
from the effects o1 sudden jumps in
inflation.
NOTE: 1" Guideline is in effect
retroactive from .tiny 1st. 19'I5 to Ik'4'• 31st,
1986. The 1 iuideline for 1987 w ill he
tu)nounced within all days.
Bent Review Appeals. II' a tenturt or a land-
lord is dissatisfied with the decision reached by
the .\clniinis1I lI1or an appeal cam he made to a
new Rent Review 1ietu•ings Board.
\o lees will he charged for appeals.
The filing of an application for rent review al
a local office will set in motion a simplifiers
p11WeS5.
'i'tu' Rent Itcvicly .\clminisuutnr, using
clean' and concise rules, w 111 n\ersee the process
from beginning to 'end.
A most significant stri'armlining lisped for
both parties is that landlords will he allow ed a
fixed amount for operating costs. The result; the
elimination of lengthy disputes between tenants
and landlords over operating rusts.
'lir ensure easy access to Administrators,
all 21 Rent Review Offices in the province will
he open at hours convenient to the public.
The Rent Registry
Maintenance Standards
In the past, rents could still go up even
though huil(ling maintenance went dow 0
77,1 iii',i• sgs/ '»w
• .\ I(esi(lentiul Rental Stand:trcls Board
w ill estathlish fair standards 10 ensure
proper maintenance of rental units
throughout Ontario.
• Failure to meet these stanclau•ds nap
1.e-:1111 in either suspension nr forfeiture
of rent 1m'reases.
Full information available
The new 1esnh'111 id Rent Regulation .\et mikes
major changes in the law affecting' both tenants
and landlords across the province.
'11u• implementation of these measures w ill
begin immediateb. and will be completed by
February 2. 1987.
If fou «(arid like entre detailed informa-
tion, please complete and return this coupon.
1 'nder the previous system, it was not
easy for n tenant to check whether the
rent for their unit w ars legal.
77w ►aro' sttstew.
• A computerized Rent Registry will
record the maximum legal rent which
can be charged for every rental unit in
the province. This information will he
updated annually according to rent
increases set by the new guideline.
• landlords of buildings containing more
than six rental units will fife first, with
landlords of small buildings filing later.
• Those Imullords required to register
first will file with the Registry the rent
that was actually charged for every
rental unit on July 1. 11185.
• Most landlords will only Is' required to
register one time.
• infor•ntation from the Registry comput-
ers will be free of change and available
to everyone by toll-free telephone.
Ontario
MINIS'I'RZY OF HOUSING
I(l;\ i' Itl;\ 11.1\' 1►1\'lSl(N
1,1'li
777 BAY ti1'Kl;l'I'
TORONTO, ( )' f.\Rl( ►
\l a; 2I•::)
Send 1114' a copy 0f the Wild(' 10
4 )ntar'io s new Rent I(e' n' %
L
Ministry
of
Housing
Hon. Alvin Curling, Minister
Send today for your guide to Ontario's new Rent Review System.
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