Province still looking into enforcement agency for rental disputes: Houston
The province is still considering how to enforce rules for landlords and tenants.
Premier Tim Houston says the province is still considering the best way to go about implementing an enforcement agency for the Residential Tenancies Act.
“The discussions around the enforcement arm, those are ongoing discussions that we continue to look at what’s the best way to do it,” he told reporters after a cabinet meeting Thursday.
Landlords who violate the law can make it tough if you are looking for or living in an apartment. But without an agency that enforces the rules, all a tenant can do is apply to the Residential Tenancies Program, which deals with disputes.
However, Houston said the housing crisis will be solved by building more housing, which is what his government is focused on.
To improve housing, he said his government is trying to make crown land available for projects, along with spending on the MOST Program (More Opportunity for Skilled Trades and Occupations Tax Refund). The program returns to the provincial tax collected on the first $50,000 made by eligible trades workers under 30.
B.C. has a program that looks into violations of the tenancy act to prevent them from happening. …[Continue Reading]