Vancouver to Increase Vacancy Tax

December 14, 2020

Citing the apparent success of the Empty Homes Tax in creating more rental housing, Vancouver lawmakers voted to increase the tax in 2021, sending an “even stronger message” to owners of vacant properties. This vacancy tax currently is set at 1.25% of the property’s assessed value. The new amendment raises that figure to 3%. The […]

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Rent Control Comes to Nova Scotia — For Now

December 14, 2020

Nova Scotia’s Housing Minister has announced provincewide temporary emergency measures including a limit on rent increases. That rent cap is retroactive to September 1, 2020. Under the new emergency orders, rent cannot be increased by more than 2% each year. The cap will remain in effect until February 1, 2022 or until the current state […]

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Alarming Rise in Tenant Fraud

November 23, 2020

The rental industry is experiencing a significant rise in fraud activity among applicants, that according to a new fraud analysis from TransUnion Credit Bureau. During the period from March 2020 to August 2020, landlords saw a nearly 30% increase in applicants who failed authentication or were identified as high risk. In August 2020, fraud triggers […]

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Landlords Suffer Setback in Bid to End Eviction Moratorium

November 23, 2020

A federal judge has refused to grant an injunction to a group of landlords who say that the federal government’s temporary eviction freeze violates their constitutional rights and is causing irreparable harm. In a 66-page decision that traverses the intricacies of numerous Latin legal terms and relies in part on a case involving turtle farming, […]

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Californians Reject Rent Control — Again

November 23, 2020

For the second time in two years, California voters defeated a ballot measure that would have paved the way for cities to enact more stringent rent control. In 2018, voters defeated a similar measure. Both propositions lost by a 60% majority. The failure to pass rent control measures comes as something of a surprise in […]

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San Francisco Offers Rent Assistance to Landlords

November 23, 2020

Lawmakers in San Francisco have passed an ordinance to support landlords whose tenants cannot pay rent due to the pandemic. According to a report by the city’s Budget and Legislative Analyst, the eviction moratorium put in place in response to COVID-19 has cost landlords in the city between $81.3 million and $196.2 million. Unemployment, which […]

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10 Simple Ways to Avoid Nightmare Tenants

November 16, 2020

Major property management firms report that tenant fraud — rental applicants who misrepresent qualifications — is a common occurrence. These applicants are the most likely to become nightmare tenants, skipping out on rent, damaging the property, or causing disturbances. Experienced property managers know they need to take steps to deter and detect tenant fraud before […]

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Eviction Ban Highlights Need for Tenant Accountability

November 16, 2020

A retired British Columbia couple in their seventies shared their frustration after their tenants disappeared during the province’s eviction moratorium, leaving the fixed-income landlords with over $4,500 in unpaid rent. To add insult to injury, at least one of the tenants was receiving benefits, but failed to apply any of that money to rent. Now […]

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How to Succeed in Dispute Resolution

November 16, 2020

With pandemic eviction bans coming to an end, it is likely many landlords will be queueing up for dispute resolution, some for the first time. Judging by recent decisions coming out of these tribunals, it is apparent that some landlords are going into dispute resolution unprepared and facing the consequences — waiting all this time […]

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British Columbia Extends Freeze on Rent Increases

November 16, 2020

Landlords in British Columbia will not be allowed to increase rent in December as previously announced by the Province. In March 2020, the Province ordered a freeze on rent increases due to the pandemic. Subsequent emergency orders had slated rent increases to begin December 1, 2020 for landlords who had provided the mandatory three months’ […]

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