Rental housing licensing is a proactive, effective and efficient way that local governments can ensure buildings are maintained in a state of good repair. Such programs shift the onus off renters from having to make a complaint in order for their homes to be well maintained. Under this model, landlords must obtain rental housing licenses that are subject to building evaluations and regular health and safety inspections to demonstrate compliance with municipal property standards.
The rise and sheer volume of no-fault evictions are symptomatic of an increasingly financialized housing market. While there are instances when landlords might legitimately need to repossess their rental property to sell it, move in, or undertake necessary renovations, no-fault evictions are often profit-driven, particularly in Ontario, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia.
Canada’s housing and homelessness crisis has greatly impacted renters – in particular those living on lower incomes – resulting in an increase in the number of renters in core housing need, meaning that their housing is unaffordable, in need of major repairs, and/or overcrowded. For the majority of renters, affordability is the primary challenge. The loss of affordable housing options and government retreat from the development and regulation of affordable housing has resulted in an increase in homelessness and housing insecurity across the country.