Residential Tenancies Act Campaign

Manitoba must pass legislation to protect tenants and keep rental housing affordable

Current Calls to Action

The Problem

Rent increases cause a major loss of affordable rental housing in Manitoba, severely impacting low and moderate-income tenants. This is due to loopholes in the rent control system allowing unreasonable rent increases.

In 2022, the Residential Tenancies Branch permitted an average rent increase of 9.8 percent (an increase of $125 more a month), but documented increases have been as high as 30 percent, 50 percent and 126 percent in recent years. Tenants have no real protections against these increases, which can force them to move – with limited affordable alternatives – or cut back on critical expenses, like food and medicine, to pay rent.

The Solution

Premier Wab Kinew must keep his promise to make life more affordable in Manitoba by passing legislation with the following five key elements:

  • Apply rent regulations to units renting for more than $1,640 monthly;
  • Replace the 20-year rent regulations exemption for buildings first occupied after 2005 with a 5-year exemption;
  • Limit above-guideline rent increases to no more than 9% above the rent increase guideline and no more than 3% a year;
  • Calculate rent increases for capital expenses over a 10 to 25-year amortization period, after which the rent increase should be reversed; and
  • Disallow rent discounts while ensuring renters keep existing discounts.

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5 recommendations.

Background

During the 2023 election, Wab Kinew promised an NDP government would “make life more affordable for renters” and “strengthen rent controls with legislation to protect renters from big rate hikes” if elected. In the fall of 2024, the NDP government introduced Bill 26, The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act, to limit above-guideline rent increases, but the Bill did not pass.

In the lead up to the 2025 Throne Speech The Right to Housing Coalition urged the Premier to renew his commitment. “New rules to stop unfair rent increases and strengthen renters’ rights” was highlighted in the Throne Speech, which outlines what the government plans to achieve in the next legislative session.

The Right to Housing Coalition will continue to call on Premier Kinew to deliver a strong bill in the upcoming legislative session and keep his promise to the one-in-three Manitobans who rent.

Thank you for working with us to protect renters and affordable rental housing!