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The Honourable Mintu Sandhu, M.L.A.
Minister of Public Service Delivery
Room 343 Legislative Building
450 Broadway
Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8
Dear Minister:
With the 2nd Session of the 43rd Legislature approaching on March 5, I am expressing my support for amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act. It was disappointing to see Bill 26 The Residential Tenancies Amendment Act, to limit above-guideline rent increases, not move forward in the last session. The Manitoba government must keep its promise to protect tenancies and affordable rental housing by passing a strong new Bill in the Spring 2025 legislative session 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.
All tenants, regardless of their legal rent or the age of their rental unit, should be protected from unpredictable and unlimited rent increases and landlords should not be allowed to permanently increase their profit margins under the guise of passing temporary cost increases to tenants.
These actions are rooted in Right to Housing’s Social Housing Action Plan for Manitoba, which was released in October 2023. The plan is based on decades of research and consultation. Its five pillars have been endorsed by more than 90 organizations.
Sincerely,
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