Petition calls for reversal of new rental rules due to ‘economic burden’ on landlords in Brampton
Published January 9, 2024 at 4:57 pm
The city’s new landlord licensing program is a little more than a week old but some residents are already urging Brampton to backtrack on the changes, calling the new rules an “economic burden.”
Brampton’s Residential Rental Licensing Pilot project just launched on Jan. 1, bringing in new requirements and regulations for property owners in Wards 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 who want to rent out units.
The two-year pilot program was introduced to crack down on the city’s estimated 30,000 illegal suites and brings in an annual fee for landlords who wish to rent out a property with four or fewer units.
But some residents are already pushing back against the regulations and have launched a petition asking the city to reverse the new rules, saying the added costs are an “economic burden” and could lead to fewer rentals available in Brampton.
“For landlords, this translates into an annual recurring cost ranging from $1,500 to $2,000 per additional or second dwelling unit,” the petition reads in part.
“We wish to draw attention to the fact that such an economic burden may lead to a reconsideration by landlords in renting out their basements, exacerbating the existing housing crisis in Brampton.”
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Licensing under the Residential Rental Licensing (RLL) program will cost $300 annually with fees waived for the first three months of the pilot. The price of a licence will be discounted to $150 between April 1 and June 30 and go up to $300 on July 1.
There’s no question the new rules bring additional costs and regulations for landlords. The city said it expects to recover some $550,000 in fees over the two-year pilot project, but won’t be a money making exercise as there will still be a $925,000 shortfall once the pilot wraps up.
But Mayor Patrick Brown says the added regulations will give the city more enforcement options when dealing with problem landlords as the city has received thousands of complaints ranging from property standards concerns to illegal suites.
Landlords caught renting out property without a licence will be fined $600 for the first offence, $900 for the second and $1,200 for every following infraction. There are also $250 fines for offences like failing to provide adequate waste containers or violating the city’s grass and weed cutting bylaw.
The program will be evaluated over the course of the two-year pilot and could be renewed and expanded once it wraps up.
For more information on Brampton’s new residential rental licensing program or to register your property visit www.Brampton.ca/RRL.
The petition was launched on Tuesday and by 4:30 p.m. it had received 254 signatures.
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