The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch has announced that several new rule changes passed last year will go into effect March 1.
One such change clarifies when tenants can object to a rent increase which is at or under the established guideline. Beginning March 1, 2013, tenants who wish to object to an increase at or below the guideline must provide a reason for the objection. According to the Tenancies Branch, those reasons include:
The landlord is not maintaining the rental unit;
The landlord has reduced or withdrawn service or facility;
The landlord is not meeting any other obligation under the lease or RTA; or,
The tenant believes the landlord’s costs have not increased.
Tenants will no longer be liable for late fees on rent so long as the delay was outside of their control, as in the case of an unannounced mail delivery disruption.
A number of rule changes apply to landlords who are performing extensive renovations.
Several forms have been updated for use beginning March 1, 2013. These include the Notice of Rent Increase (Form 1A); Notice to New Tenant (Form 2), and several termination forms, including Notice of Termination by Landlord (for cause other than non-payment of rent) — Form 10, and Forms 11A, 11B, and 11C.
For a complete list of changes and updated forms, please visit http://www.gov.mb.ca/cca/rtb/whats_new.html
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Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.
