News Release Archive
BUSINESS/CONSUMER SERVICES--RENT PROTECTION FOR MOBILE HOME PARKS ----------------------------------------------------------------- The Nova Scotia government is serving notice to mobile home park landlords that, from today on, excessive rent increases will be subject to roll-back under new legislation proposed for 1997, Business and Consumer Service Minister Sandy Jolly announced today. "Since rent control was ended in 1993, there have been incidences of substantial rent increases without a corresponding improvement in service to the tenant. These situations are unacceptable," Ms. Jolly said. "We will be proposing legislation next year that will include rent protection for mobile home park tenants and it will be retroactive to today, Dec. 20. Retroactivity will mean that any notice of rent increase announced from today on will be subject to roll back once the legislation is proclaimed. "If I were sending out a notice of rent increase today, I would be very careful to ensure that it is an increase that can be justified down the road. Otherwise, I would have to repay a lot of money back to the tenant." The minister stressed that this is not a rent freeze or a return to rent control, as rent increases will be permitted and there is no ceiling being placed on increases. The minister said a new Residential Tenancies Act will propose that where there is disagreement between landlords and tenants over a proposed increase, either side can request that the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) resolve the dispute. If mediation, or other means do not resolve the dispute, a residential tenancies officer may make decisions concerning the rent increase. These decisions may then be appealed to the RTB. "Tenants in mobile home parks are in a very unique position," Ms. Jolly said in explaining why government was moving to protect them. "They own the building in which they live, but not the land on which it sits. Relocating the home can cost up to $5,000, so many tenants in mobile home parks put up with large rent increase because the alternative is even more expensive." Ms. Jolly said regulations will establish the criteria to be applied for determining a justifiable rent increase. Criteria will include changes in operating costs, renovations, repairs and other factors. Over the next five months, department staff will meet with landlord and tenant groups to discuss the shaping of new legislation next year to replace the Residential Tenancies Act. There are approximately 10,000 mobile home owners renting space in parks across Nova Scotia. The majority of them are in the Halifax Regional Municipality. -30- Contact: Barb Jones-Gordon 902-424-5079 trp Dec. 20, 1996 - 9:56 a.m.