Article contentArticle content Brad Trivers, the MLA for Rustico-Emerald, speaks on Aug. 28 about proposed changes to P.E.I. tenancy laws he plans to introduce this fall. He was joined by Thamara Paparoni DeVries, a landlord and realtor, and June Ellis, the executive director of the Residential Rental Association of P.E.I. Photo by Stu Neatby /The GuardianArticle contentBrad Trivers, the MLA for Rustico-Emerald, speaks on Aug. 28 about proposed changes to P.E.I. tenancy laws he plans to introduce this fall. He was joined by Thamara Paparoni DeVries, a landlord and realtor, and June Ellis, the executive director of the Residential Rental Association of P.E.I. Stu NeatbyArticle contentEviction enforcementArticle contentTrivers is also proposing the establishment of an office of residential tenancy services, as well as separate independent offices that can assist both tenants and landlords in making tenancy appeals before IRAC.Article content“It’s a perceived conflict of interest between IRAC, which is the appeal body, and the rental office that is within IRAC, that has the same reporting structure,” Trivers said.Article contentTrivers’ changes would also allow for fines for tenants who cause significant damage to units, as well as the garnishment of wages as an enforcement measure for payment orders.Article contentArticle contentHe proposed the option of an emergency hearing, to be held within 48 hours, in cases involving property damage, threats to safety or breaches of a lease.Article contentThamara Paparoni DeVries said the current laws made it difficult for her to evict tenants who recently caused tens of thousands of dollars in property damages.Article contentDeVries said she initially believed she was renting the home to two students. She says she ended up having 10 parents, two children, two dogs and 12 cats living in the home, which she says breached the lease agreement.Article content“There was no reason that it took five months for me to evict them,” DeVries said.Article content“So, if we could just shorten the hearing times as well as the processing time, I would have been able to evict them much sooner and I wouldn’t have $90,000 in damages.”Article contentTrivers is also proposing a change that would require tenants to vacate their rented homes for up to three hours during real estate showings.Article contentArticle contentAnother proposal is that tenancy laws should encourage more pet-friendly apartments by allowing pet damage deposits, over and above damage deposits.Article contentArticle content Thamara Paparoni DeVries speaks alongside MLA Brad Trivers, left, and June Ellis, executive director of the Residential Rental Association of P.E.I. DeVries said the province’s tenancy system made it difficult to enforce an eviction order, resulting in thousands of dollars of damages to her property. Photo by Stu Neatby /The GuardianArticle contentThamara Paparoni DeVries, centre, speaks alongside MLA Brad Trivers, left, and June Ellis, executive director of the Residential Rental Association of P.E.I. DeVries said the province’s tenancy system made it difficult to enforce an eviction order, resulting in thousands of dollars of damages to her property. Stu NeatbyArticle contentTenantsArticle contentRyan MacRae, a member of P.E.I. Fight for Affordable Housing, said he was dismayed to see Trivers, a former minister of housing, advocating increased rents to tenants.Article contentHe said allowing higher rent increases for vacant apartments would put an end to rent control in P.E.I.Article content“We are one of two provinces in the country that has that. And every other housing advocacy group, any housing scholar – people looking and monitoring rent prices – will tell you that vacancy control is the number one most effective tool to maintain housing affordability,” MacRae said.
Backbench P.E.I. MLA, landlords aiming for tenancy law changes
