RHB’s forum for rental housing associations to share news, events and industry information
Hot Topics: EOLO announces the launch of Ottawa's new Property Standards Search Tool, and outlines its support for KRPOA's response to landlord licensing in Kingston. pg. 49 HDAA discusses the short-term rental bylaw, as well as updates on the renovictions and safe apartment buildings bylaws. pg. 53 LPMA explains how rent-to-own agreements require a higher level of trust from all parties, and discusses how preventative maintenance reduces landlords' liability. pg. 57 SKLA celebrates its 30th anniversary, announces a grant to develop and deliver a legal education program for rental housing providers, and discusses its advocacy efforts. pg. 61
The Member Associations
Chair’s message Happy New Year to all! The EOLO leadership continues to address solid waste and organic recycling in multi-residential buildings, and to monitor the Vacant Unit Tax, with a view to finding an opportunity to eliminate it or to minimize its negative impacts. A new issue is the City’s up-coming review of its storm water charges. EOLO will seek to put the current fair and positive treatment of multi-unit residential properties on a solid and permanent footing. Below are two articles related to landlord regulation, one in Ottawa and one for Kingston. - John Dickie, Chair, Eastern Ontario Landlord Organization
New Ottawa Property Standards Search Tool Five years ago, the City of Ottawa considered enacting some form of licensing or registration for residential landlords. ACORN and some “progressive” Councillors pushed hard for it. However, EOLO worked very hard to convince the City By-law Policy staff that such regulation was not the optimal way to proceed, and we were successful in avoiding any form of registration and any new system of City fees. The City By-law staff did have certain concerns, but EOLO showed them those concerns could be better addressed by other means. The result was the Rental Housing Property Management By-law. It requires an information letter for new tenants, and specific recordkeeping by landlords, most of which efficient landlords were doing anyway. The City By-law staff are largely satisfied with the knowledge major rental providers have of the requirements and with our industry’s compliance. However, the City is about to roll out the final feature of the new program, which is a searchable database to be known as the Property Standards Search Tool. EOLO sought to persuade the City staff that such a tool was not necessary, but they have insisted on bringing it forward. However, the City staff agreed that several of EOLO’s concerns are legitimate and have designed the new tool with those concerns in mind. One key feature is the database will only record notices of violations, charges, and convictions under relevant by-laws, not tenant complaints that do not result in a notice of violation. EOLO, rental providers, and the City by-law officers know that tenants too often complain
to By-law Services without having informed their landlord of the problem at the property. That generally means the landlord is not at fault because they did not know of the issue and had no chance to address it. In most cases, By-law Services will inform a landlord of all the repair issues informally, and most landlords clear them up quickly. That is efficient for By-law Services, for landlords, and for tenants because it usually gets the repairs done more quickly and with less wasted effort than the notice of violation route. Landlords who do the necessary repairs, in a timely manner through the informal system, will not appear in the Search Tool. Besides pointing out that issue to By-law Services, EOLO also pointed out another issue. To protect tenant privacy, the Search Tool will report on civic building addresses, not identifying specific units within buildings. EOLO pointed out that comparing the results for buildings of three units with buildings of 300 units was potentially unfair. Three violations at a three-unit building probably indicates a much more serious problem than three violations at a 300-unit building. City staff agreed, and has spent time, effort, and money to obtain building information from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) so the Search Tool can put buildings into different size brackets to provide a fair picture. The exact unit count will not be disclosed, but the approximate size will be disclosed, along with a statement of the impact of different building sizes on how to interpret the results. The City By-law staff have agreed to attend the upcoming EOLO Education and Networking Event
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on March 20 to explain the features of the new Search Tool, and take questions about it, property standards enforcement generally, and the Rental Housing Property Management By-law. The EOLO Board looks forward to a lively session, remembering the City staff have listened carefully to the concerns EOLO raised on behalf of landlords, and has addressed most of our concerns.
EOLO supports KRPOA in fighting landlord licensing As noted above, five years ago the City of Ottawa considered enacting some form of licensing or registration for residential landlords. Four years ago, the City of Kingston did too. At that time, Kingston City Council rejected the proposal because they did not like the effect a licensing program would have in increasing market rents. However, there has been considerable change-over among the Councillors. Kingston City Council is again considering a landlord licensing or registration program, this time potentially beginning with a pilot project in two of Kingston’s 12 wards, applying to buildings with one, two or three residential rental units. EOLO is working with the Kingston Rental Property Owners Association (KRPOA), FRPO, and CFAA to oppose such a program. Two major EOLO members own significant portfolios in Kingston, and numerous smaller EOLO members own investments there. EOLO is also concerned about the precedent Kingston’s adoption of a program could create. Here are some of the points KRPOA is making to oppose landlord licensing in Kingston.
The nature of the current housing crisis There is broad agreement that there is a housing crisis across Canada. Housing supply, especially rental housing supply, has not kept up with the growth of housing demand. The main housing problems are lack of supply and affordability. Renters (or homeowners) are said to be in core housing need if their housing needs major repairs, is overcrowded, or costs them more than 30 per cent of their income (and adequate, suitable, and affordable housing is not available in the city in which they live). The need for repairs is a problem much less widespread than affordability. See Figure 1, which provides the most recent figures available.
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Figure 1: Core housing need by reason
Renter CHN by reason - Kingston 2016 5,400
560 di ng
rs rr ep ai ajo
on e an th e
M o
Ne ed sm
on ty ril i ab rd fo
940
re as on
ly
950
Ov er cr ow
6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0
Af
Of the 7,855 tenant households in core housing need in Kingston in 2016, 69 per cent suffered from only lack of affordability, while another 12 per cent suffered from lack of affordability and one of the other two problems. Only 12 per cent of those in core housing need suffered only from a lack of major repairs. They made up only 4.3 per cent of all tenants, or one out of 25. (In contrast, lack of affordability adversely affected one out of every four tenants.) A similar pattern applies in Ottawa.
Therefore, policy makers should be wary of solving the limited problem (the need for repairs) at the cost of worsening the predominant problem (affordability). The KRPOA submission argues that a licensing or registration program would have the effect of worsening affordability.
The impact of increased costs for landlords There is a common misconception that most of the rent flows directly into a landlord’s pockets as net income. However, that is far from correct. In fact, only a relatively small portion of most rents ends up as return on investment. See Figure 2. Figure 2: Where a dollar of rent goes among small landlords property taxes Property taxes
$0.08
Electricity, electricity, heat & & water water
$0.11
$0.09
Insurance, insurance, day-to-day repairs & other repairs & other operating operating costs
$0.18
costs
Financing payments financing payments
$0.38
major repairs repairs & Major & modernization modernization
$0.16
Return on owner's owner's return on investment investment
Any municipal fees for landlord licensing or regulation will inevitably increase landlord costs. Whether or not licensing or registration fees are imposed, the work involved to comply with landlord licensing or regulation will inevitably increase landlord costs and/or the negatives of rental operation. So will any requirement to provide inspection reports or certificates of compliance.
The landlord licensing programs in force in North Bay, Oshawa, and London result in costs of hundreds of dollars per year for each rental unit. KRPOA has estimated that a similar program could easily cost 2 cents out of every dollar of rent. That would initially reduce the return on investment of a small Kingston rental property by 25 per cent! (Two cents doesn’t sound like much, but a decrease in the return from 8 cents to 6 cents per dollar of rent is 25 per cent.) However, the impact would not stop there. Such a reduction in the return on rental properties would inevitably reduce rental supply from what it would otherwise be, and that would raise rents.
Conclusion KRPOA argues that landlord licensing or registration would inevitably worsen rental housing affordability, which is a much more widespread problem than the need for repairs. EOLO agrees. Landlord licensing can also easily lead to unnecessary enforcement, often including a need to end tenancies to perform major repairs. This would negatively affect specific tenants in the lowest quality rental homes, who are often the worst off of all tenants. EOLO agrees. KRPOA submits that landlord licensing or registration is a net negative for the overall wellbeing of tenants. Besides that, there are more effective and less costly ways to achieve the City’s goals, with fewer negative consequences to tenants, landlords, and ratepayers. KRPOA urges Kingston City Council to reject rental licensing and registration. When this went to print, it appeared that the next key decision by Kingston City Council would take place on January 24.
BECOME AN EOLO MEMBER NOW! EOLO invites Ottawa area landlords to join the organization. Have your interests and concerns heard, and benefit from EOLO’s support. As an EOLO member, you will be able to: • Receive prompt emails of relevant City rule changes •
Attend two networking receptions a year
•
Attend two free education events a year
•
Receive all 6 annual issues of RHB Magazine with current developments, City and provincial funding programs, and landlord-tenant laws.
To apply for membership, go to www.eolo.ca, download the membership application form and send it to us at the contact info on that website.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The HDAA sends our best wishes to everyone for the new year and hopes everyone has a restful holiday season. This past year has gone by quickly but has brought about a lot of change in the City of Hamilton. We were very happy to be able to have our regular schedule of events, including our first Trade Show and Golf Tournament since the pandemic, which were a great success. That excitement has been overshadowed by the many bylaws the City of Hamilton has been introducing that are directly aimed at the rental industry. We may see a new renovictions bylaw, short-term rental bylaw, adequate temperature bylaw, and safe apartment bylaw to name just a few. The association will have our work cut out for us in the new year, which will also see the end of the licensing pilot project that we suspect the City will try to bring in citywide. -
Arun Pathak, President, HDAA
Short-term rental bylaw After a short pause due to “a council shift in priorities,” which included developing another bylaw to stop renovictions, Hamilton’s short-term bylaw will come into effect on January 1, 2024 with licence applications starting in December. The bylaw will require all short-term rentals to be in the principal residence of the homeowner, although it will allow a homeowner to rent out a laneway residence or secondary dwelling unit and there will be no limitation on how many days a year someone can rent out space. Stays will be limited to short stays of no more than 28 consecutive nights. For those wishing to apply for a licence, the cost for an entire dwelling will be $875.81. A licence for a partial dwelling will cost $213.81 and renewals for each will cost less. Commercial operators or corporations won’t be permitted to run short-term rentals. If they violate the bylaw, fines will be about $500 but may be increased to a maximum of $100,000. According to data from the City, there were 1,250 active short-term listings in Hamilton last November with about 80 per cent being entire homes or apartments. Of the short-term listings identified, about half were owned by those trying to supplement their income or mortgage while the other half were corporations who are argued to commodify the market. The intention of the bylaw is to get more rental supply on the market and discourage people from buying properties for short-term rentals and commodifying the marketplace. As we have argued in the past with any new legislation, the more a municipality legislates the rental market, the less attractive it will be for investors to invest in that municipality. On top of this, all these efforts are funded
directly by taxpayers who may not see any positive change and instead will see a waste of resources. The priority should be to encourage more investment in the rental market while also providing City housing for those of lower income. Resources should be spent on providing brick and mortar housing for those who need it or alternatively providing rent supplements to tenants to assist with affording accommodation and not on legislation that only hinders rental supply.
Update on renovictions bylaw and safe apartment buildings bylaw Hamilton’s renoviction bylaw, called the Renovation Licence and Relocation Listing bylaw, which would be the first of its kind in Ontario, will be going to council in January for its final verdict. It has now been deferred twice, providing more time for evaluation and enhanced tenant protections as well as allowing the City to seek legal advice and look at a list of budget items to create an inspection program. One challenge facing the City is making sure to create legally defensible rules for landlords while protecting tenants from eviction through renovation. The City acknowledges the bylaw is problematic since the legality could be challenged in accordance with provincial laws, particularly if the City denies issuance of such a licence to a landlord. As was the case with the New Westminster bylaw, the new bylaw would open the City to a legal challenge as the jurisdiction for these concerns lies with the provincial government. If the bylaw comes into effect, landlords looking to evict tenants to complete renovations would
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have to first get a licence from the Cty. To get the licence, a landlord would need to provide proof from a professional engineer that the renovations are so extensive, tenants must leave their units for the work to be done. It may also include provisions requiring landlords to provide accommodations to their tenants while renovations are taking place. The HDAA will be fighting against the issuance of such a bylaw. Not only do we believe this should be in the hands of the provincial government, but the provincial government has already put in place ample protections against bad faith evictions that are very positive for tenants. The City should not be meddling in provincial matters and should be using its resources to build brick and mortar housing for those in need. The other bylaw expected to be back in front of council in January is the Safe Apartment Buildings bylaw, which will be similar to the initiatives in Toronto and Mississauga that call on inspectors to inspect and license landlords to ensure property standards are being met. This bylaw is not expected to be adopted until after the 2024 budget and would likely not start until 2025, as the City will need time to inspect all buildings, approximating about 50,000 households, which could take several years. The City has already given final approval for a safe apartment buildings bylaw and now it is pending the budget review in January. The general intention of the bylaw is to encourage landlords to maintain their properties so renovictions aren’t necessary in the long term. The bylaw will be mirrored after Toronto’s RentSafe program, which began in 2017, and would require landlords to register their building with the City and have plans in place for pest and waste management, cleaning, repairs, electrical maintenance, and vital service disruption, including power outages and water shutoffs. Properties would be subject to regular City inspections and be scored on how well the building is maintained.
Past events
November 8, 2023 – Dinner Meeting
The HDAA held our last dinner meeting of the year on November 8 and it was an eventful evening. We wished Arun a happy retirement as he officially stepped down as president of the association. We truly thank Arun for his many years (close to two decades) with the association and the impact he has made within the association and the rental industry as a whole. We are happy that he will be staying on as past president to guide our new president as he transitions into the role. At the dinner meeting, we were excited to officially announce our new president, Daniel Chin. Daniel is the owner of Chin Capital, Chin Properties, and Chin Property Advisors Brokerage, and a successful and active housing provider in Hamilton. We are very happy to have Daniel join us as the new president of the association and are looking forward to this new era for the association and are excited for what the future holds. For the presentation portion of the evening, Daniel provided our membership with an update on the many new bylaws the City of Hamilton has been introducing, which includes the new renovictions bylaw, short-term rental bylaw, adequate temperature bylaw, and safe apartment bylaw. He also provided a quick update on the licensing pilot project. We are expecting that there will be a new update from the City soon; however, the last update proved to be less than favourable with extremely low application numbers. The HDAA was then joined by Norm Schleehahn, Director of Economic Development with Invest Hamilton, to discuss economic updates in Hamilton and provide information on the latest developments in the City. A positive for the City is that it sits in the middle of Canada’s most densely populated and economically advanced region and has all the amenities that makes it ideal for businesses and workforces to locate and grow. With a growing population, reaching just under 600,000 residents, it is also at the centre of a catchment area of more than 4.8 million people extending from Toronto to Niagara and up to Kitchener and
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Waterloo. This means Hamilton is not only well connected but also has access to a vast talent pool, which makes it a great place for businesses to invest. This interest to invest was clearly seen in a new record this year in annual construction value. Surpassing its 2021 record, Hamilton set a new record for highest annual construction value of over $2 billion. Industrial and commercial investment has also broken new records with a 53 per cent increase over the previous threeyear average to $645 million. Over the past few years, Hamilton has seen large investments by corporations including UPS, Continental, IKEA, Stryker, L3Harris, and Amazon. In 2023 alone, an additional 2.1 million square feet of business space was built. It is no wonder why Hamilton has been named one of Canada’s best investment locations by Site Selection Magazine. Including more than 2.8 million square feet of business space under development, Hamilton will also see a few transformational projects, which include expansions to GO Transit rail access, the Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT), a significant renovation to FirstOntario Centre to create an entertainment precinct, a film studio district at West Harbour, and the ever anticipated Pier 8 Development, which should see an addition of 1,300 residential units in Hamilton. There will also be a large redevelopment of industrial lands with
800 acres recently acquired by Slate from Stelco, with the intention of redeveloping the site into a world-class industrial park with the capacity to support 23,000 jobs in the GTHA. Lastly, in an effort to reduce its carbon input by approximately 3 million tonnes per year, Dofasco will be undergoing a decarbonization process that will be the equivalent of taking more than one million cars off the road. On the housing front, the Hamilton downtown core will also see a transformation within the next decade with nearly 10,000 residential units under construction or in planning. It is safe to say that although the rental market sphere has been taking some hits, Hamilton has been making strides in its industrial and commercial investment. This is great news for Hamilton residents, not only in terms of economic prosperity but also in hopefully keeping our property taxes from increasing even more.
Upcoming events
January 10, 2024 – Dinner Meeting The HDAA will be holding our first dinner meeting of the new year on January 10. We are excited to be joined by Tony Irwin from FRPO, who will be discussing the latest updates in provincial legislation. We will also be joined by a fellow member to discuss his experience with property standards and winning a precedent-setting case.
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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Celebrating community values As we approach the holiday season, let’s reflect on the values that bind us together and celebrate unity, kindness, and the spirit of giving. Remember those who are less fortunate and extend a hand to impact our communities positively. We have achieved many constructive outcomes as an organization and I want to thank the board and committee members for their hard work. Looking ahead, we have some great events planned for 2024. On January 9, our first members meeting of the new year will focus on fire safety, security, and tackling Richie Anand homelessness. On February 13, Jay Stanford of the City of London will discuss the new green bin program at the Lunch and Learn event. On behalf of LPMA, I wish you a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year. I’m looking forward to continuing our journey together in the spirit of shared goals and shared successes. Warmest wishes,
- Richie Anand, President, LPMA
RENT-TO-OWN AGREEMENTS REQUIRE A HIGHER LEVEL OF TRUST FROM LANDLORDS, TENANTS With housing prices rising faster than wages, the dream of home ownership is slipping away from many young Canadians. That’s where Rent. Save. Own. comes in, a program launched by Drewlo Holdings and its building arm, The Ironstone Building Company. Jerry Drennan, chief operating officer for Drewlo Holdings, said tenants in good standing who rent from Drewlo can earn a $350 credit for every month they rent. A maximum of $10,000 is then put toward the purchase of a new home or townhome from Ironstone anywhere in London. Tenants start building credit and equity immediately. “The $10,000 discount on the purchase of a new home is significant for them,” Drennan said. “If they were renting anywhere else, they’re not getting that credit. That much of their rent every month is going toward that purchase.” Drennan acknowledges that Drewlo and Ironstone are in an ideal position to guide tenants to home ownership through renting. A report by Nanos Research, released in October, showed that most residents of London and
St. Thomas have positive impressions of rent-toown housing as a solution to the housing crisis and would consider a rent-toown agreement. Adam Miller, chair of the London and St. Thomas Association of Adam Miller Realtors (LSTAR), which commissioned the report, said it shows that area residents are concerned about housing affordability. Since 2021, home prices have increased substantially and rents have also risen due to the demand and competition among tenants. Miller said he wasn’t surprised that residents feel positively about rent-to-own agreements since they offer a path to home ownership. Previously, rent-to-own was a “whisper campaign”. “Not a lot of people were doing it and I don’t know if the impressions of rent-to-own were very positive at any point, as well, before now.”
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Before entering into a rent-to-own-agreement, landlords and tenants should obtain the right type of advice from a lawyer, realtor, and mortgage broker, said Tyler Hortie, a real estate lawyer based in Kitchener-Waterloo. It’s also best for landlords to move ahead only with an established tenant who already has a track record of paying their bills and looking after the property. “I think there is definitely a place for rent-to-own in the market and if it helps people buy the home that they’re in, then it’s a great opportunity, but it has to be done carefully,” Hortie said.
Tyler Hortie
He compares Drewlo’s rent-to-own arrangement to a customer loyalty program that nurtures the relationship between landlords and tenants. “I think it’s an admirable program and it does help renters to own, but it’s different from what I would consider a more traditional rent-to-own model,” Hortie said. In a traditional model, the tenant (buyer) and the landlord (seller) enter into a standard lease, which is subject to the Residential Tenancies Act, and an Option to Purchase Agreement or an Agreement of Purchase and Sale, or both. The tenant then moves into the home and makes payments for a fixed period of time, according to the terms and conditions the vendor specifies. For example, tenants might pay $1,600 for rent and $400 as the monthly contribution toward the down payment on closing for a total of $2,000 a month. The title to the property is only transferred to the tenant-purchaser if they meet all of their obligations under all of the agreements they have signed. The agreement might specify that the tenant could purchase the home for a fixed price at a date in the future, which could be months or years from the start of the tenant’s occupancy. There is an expectation that, by the end of the lease, the tenant will have saved enough for the down payment, qualify for a mortgage, or be able to borrow because their credit has improved. The owner then transfers the title if the tenant fulfils their part of the agreement, typically by taking out a mortgage in their name, Hortie said. The tenant could also pay the full purchase price before the end of the two-year leasing period. While there should be some capacity for understanding, there should also be an ability to end the relationship if it’s not working out. “It’s not a lease and it’s not a purchase, it’s both,” Hortie said. Rent-to-own arrangements can be risky for tenants. If the value of the property decreased, the tenant could forfeit their down payment to get out of the deal or buy a house that is no longer worth the price they’ve agreed to pay. Landlords also assume some risk by locking in the price and foregoing the opportunity for a larger return. However, landlords often benefit if the tenant misses payments or can’t close the deal as the money paid toward the down payment is often forfeited to the landlord. “In this case, it’s a relationship that culminates in a transaction if everybody gets along. There has to be a higher level of trust and engagement, and that’s where it can be tricky,” Hortie said.
PREVENTATIVE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE KEEPS TENANTS SAFE, REDUCES LANDLORDS’ LIABILITY Most landlords understand the importance of having a system in place for checking the equipment and machinery in their buildings. Not only does a system keep buildings running smoothly and
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residents safe, but it also lowers a landlord’s liability.
check, especially as it can take up to an hour for equipment and materials to cool off.
Property manager Tracy Norman and fire investigator James Hind will focus on preventative property maintenance, as well as safety and compliance issues, at the January 9 LPMA members meeting. The talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session to address landlords’ specific circumstances.
“If there’s nobody watching that, that’s when you can lose a whole house as opposed to potentially having smoke damage or no damage at all,” Norman said. “A trust but verify program is really, really critical for all key contractors."
Creating a routine
Norman recommends that landlords create a compliance program with a series of checklists and a regular schedule. With proper training, staff can identify potential hazards and take steps to mitigate them.
If landlords are performing checks only when they think of them, they’re not testing their systems at regular intervals. For example, staff should look over mechanical rooms in a larger complex daily. That prevents problems such as boilers not generating enough heat or keeping the water temperature within a normal range.
“Compliance, to me, means ensuring we have systems in place to be checking all of our life safety programs and systems,” said Norman, who is director of property management at Old Oak Properties.
Norman suggests that landlords record their results in a calendar. Even small landlords who check their equipment once a month should ensure that testing is done within the same few days every month.
On a building walk-through, staff should enter electrical rooms and boiler rooms, and know what to be aware of. Visual cues include fraying of wires and black marks on equipment, which indicate that a sparking situation has been or could be occurring — the prelude to a fire.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be inspected semi-annually as a best practice, Norman noted. Landlords also need to give proper notice to tenants that they will be entering their units.
Prioritizing compliance
Trust but verify Landlords need a list of trusted contractors, such as a plumber, electrician, HVAC specialist, and fire safety expert. That way, they can demonstrate to their insurance company that their systems are independently checked by professionals, which helps to reduce their liability, Norman said. Landlords should periodically accompany a contractor and validate their work. For example, if a contractor is patching a leak and then welding, the landlord should ensure that the contractor is using arc protection and is doing a fire safety
Norman said the information she will be covering is often lost when landlords bring in a new team, lose staff or have customer service issues that take priority. However, compliance and building maintenance need to be prioritized to avoid customer service issues stemming from an injury to a tenant, property damage or liability problems. “It really needs to be a harmonization of the two (building maintenance and compliance) and that’s where this can serve as a refresher for all landlords,” Norman added.
London Property Management Association (LPMA) is a non-profit organization, located in London, Ontario, Canada, that provides information and education to landlords. LPMA represents the interests of both large and small property owners. The association has more than 400 landlord members representing approximately 35,000 rental units. Membership is open to landlords and property management professionals who own or manage one or more residential rental units.
Sign up online or call Tina Potter. Ph: 519-672-6999 Web: www.LPMA.ca
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CEO’S MESSAGE The fourth quarter of 2023 has been a busy time for the Association and for Saskatchewan’s rental housing industry. We’ve been hard at work planning for several upcoming events and advocating for our members on a variety of issues. We finished off 2023 by advocating for members across the province. In Saskatoon, the Association has been involved in housing summits strategizing with stakeholders and the City of Saskatoon about the housing accelerator fund. We have also been advocating for changes to zoning bylaws and exploring open option parking. In North Battleford, we were able to advocate for members concerned with emergency service costs to property owners. When members call, we answer.
Cameron Choquette, CEO
After a successful annual conference and events in 2023, we are looking forward to expanding our offering in 2024 while celebrating the Association’s 30th anniversary. In conversations with several members, I’ve heard that there continues to be strong rental housing demand, even in these cold winter months, which is traditionally a slower time. With sustained immigration and increasing costs of home ownership, I’m sure we will continue to see strong demand as we approach spring and summer. It’s a great time to be a rental housing provider and a great time to be a tenant because Saskatchewan remains the most affordable province to rent a home! Thank you to our members for their continued support of the Association and the work we do. It’s a pleasure to serve such an important and dynamic industry in our province.
- Cameron Choquette, CEO
Events at a glance Association celebrates 30 years This is an extra special year for the Saskatchewan Landlord Association as we celebrate our 30th anniversary. In 1994, we were incorporated as SKLA to provide a voice for landlords and property managers on the issue of damage deposits. In 1998, we changed our name to the Saskatchewan Rental Housing Industry Association to reflect our membership more accurately at the time. Seventeen years later in 2015, our Board of Directors decided to return to our roots as the Saskatchewan Landlord Association. In 2019, the Board hired its first ever full-time Executive Officer, Cameron Choquette, and moved the office to downtown Saskatoon. Today, the SKLA is implementing the last of our first strategic plan launched in 2020 from our Saskatoon office. It will be an exciting and actionpacked year as we reflect and look back on 30 years of supporting and growing the industry in Saskatchewan and look forward to implementing a new strategic plan for growth into the future.
The Saskatchewan Landlord Association celebrates 30 years of supporting and growing the rental housing industry in the province.
Association receives $70,000 grant The Association is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $70,000 from the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan to develop and deliver a legal education program for rental housing providers in Saskatchewan. “This program will improve Saskatchewan’s rental housing industry by educating rental housing providers on their legal rights, responsibilities, and industry best practices,” said Association CEO, Cameron Choquette.
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Saskatchewan’s rental housing providers own and manage more than 85,000 rental housing units, providing housing for more than 30 per cent of people in the province. The online program will be available for everyone – mom and pop operators, real estate investors, and large property managers. It will include multiple modules that cover topics like tenancy agreements, security deposits, rent increases, and much more. The program’s development will be guided by an advisory group composed of subject matter experts, Association members, and tenants. It is expected to be launched in early 2025 and will use existing information from the Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan. It will also integrate legal precedents and important operational information on the legal rights and responsibilities of rental housing providers. “On behalf of our members, I want to thank the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan for their support of this important work that will undoubtedly make a difference for both providers and renters,” concluded Sheena Keslick, Association Board Chair.
The Saskatchewan Landlord Association has received a grant from the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan to design and implement a legal training course for members.
Lunch n’ Learns in Regina and Saskatoon We hosted two Lunch n’ Learns in December in both Regina and Saskatoon. The events focused on “All Things ORT Applications and Hearings.” Participants received a live demonstration of the Office of Residential Tenancies online portal, had the ability to network with peers, and ate a great lunch.
Advocacy Since our inception, advocating for landlord rights has been one of our top priorities. This remains true today and is a key impact area within our strategic plan. As an Association, we are the voice of our members and work hard on their behalf for balanced and fair legislation and policies that impact our industry. Some of our key advocacy activities are described below.
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North Battleford City Council In November, our members in North Battleford shared concerns that the City planned to bring in a bylaw that would charge property owners for emergency services. Our CEO appeared before North Battleford City Council with the message to enforce the bylaws on the books, amend the proposed bylaw to increase transparency and accountability, and clearly communicate expectations of property owners and enforce the bylaw only after communication and teamwork. When our members call, we answer. A few weeks later in December, the Association’s recommendations for additional clarity on the cost recovery bylaw were adopted by the City of North Battleford. A full procedure will be presented in January 2024, and includes a minimum of six calls before use of the bylaw, 30-day warning letters, and a monitoring mechanism. Advocacy works.
SKLA CEO Cameron Choquette appears before Saskatoon City Council to support open option parking.
Successful annual conference
SKLA CEO Cameron Choquette appears in North Battleford to advocate on behalf of our members.
Saskatoon City Council In December, Saskatoon City Council moved forward with the exploration of open option parking. This has the potential to reduce construction costs, increase land usage, and build more housing. Our CEO Cameron Choquette appeared before council to speak in favour of the decision.
In October, SKLA hosted our second annual inperson conference since the pandemic, and we are thrilled with how it turned out. Members were able hear from best-selling author Janna Dutton, engage with guest speakers and interesting sessions, and network with industry vendors from across the country. We are already in the preliminary stages of planning for yet another fantastic event happening October 2024 in Saskatoon.
Looking ahead to 2024 The Association has a lot on the go! Our team is developing a limited legal service, increasing the offering of products for members, planning events in Regina and Saskatoon, and will be relocating offices to better support our members in-house. We encourage readers to follow and engage with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay connected and up-to-date with the Association.
As the voice of landlords in Saskatchewan, we deliver knowledge, promote best practices, and advocate for a healthy and resilient rental housing industry. We are the leading community of industry professionals who are proud to provide safe, high-quality rental homes for the people of Saskatchewan. We work to ensure Saskatchewan’s rental housing industry meets the needs of renters, owners, and managers. Our team is dedicating to serving our members in any way that we can. Cameron Choquette, Chief Executive Officer #17-102 Cope Cr, Saskatoon, SK S7T 0X2 eo@skla.ca
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