HALIFAX – Nearly three-quarters of Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) residents want regional council to limit year-over-year property tax increases even if it means cutting services and programs, according to a new survey sponsored by Rental Housing Providers Nova Scotia (RHPNS).

HALIFAX – More than 600 people have signed up to a campaign opposing Halifax’s proposed 10.9% property tax increase.

HALIFAX – Municipally owned Halifax Water has slammed the door on a compromise solution to bring down its 36.6% rate application going forward to the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board.

A summer campaign opposing Halifax Water’s massive rate hike proposal has attracted more than 2,300 supporters and counting.

A new public campaign called Stop the Water Hike has been launched to mobilize Halifax Regional Municipality residents to oppose Halifax Water’s proposed 36.6% rate hike.

Rental Housing Providers Nova Scotia is urging the Houston government to clean up a conflict of interest at the new Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board (NSRAB).

There is a misconception that limiting rent increases somehow improves access to housing and makes what housing is available more affordable. In fact, the opposite is true. Simply put, rent control makes owning rental housing unsustainable for many family managed operators.

HALIFAX – NDP Leader Claudia Chender claims in last Thursday’s
televised debate that rents in Nova Scotia have gone up 70% are
false.

HALIFAX – NDP Leader Claudia Chender claims in last Thursday’s televised debate that rents in Nova Scotia have gone up 70% are false.

Anybody who provides or lives in rental housing has a responsibility to follow the law, said Kevin Russell, Executive Director of Rental Housing Providers-Nova Scotia (RHPNS).

Before rent control was introduced in 2020, Nova Scotia experienced lower rent increases than Canadian jurisdictions like Ontario and BC that had rent control. Since rent control was introduced in Nova Scotia, rents have skyrocketed on newly built units, driving up the overall rental costs.

HALIFAX – Nova Scotia renters will continue to pay more with the Nova Scotia government’s decision to extend rent control through the end of 2027.

The Investment Property Owners Association (IPOANS) is supporting an appeal of a recent Small Claims Court decision that rolls back property rights.

Federal capital gains tax changes put housing for 3,000 Nova Scotia households at risk.

The Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS) noted that the province’s housing crisis has become worse thanks to bad government policy decisions like rent control, taxes and lack of enforcement for residential tenancies.

A new survey of rental housing providers by the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS) is highlighting the importance of keeping fixed term leases.

Fixed term leases vital to providing emergency housing for unhoused.

Halifax Regional Municipality’s proposed 9.7% tax increase will add costs to delivering housing and make the city’s housing crisis worse.

The majority of fixed term leases go to first-time renters accessing rental housing in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia government’s new province-wide Home Sharing Program raises significant concerns and could create a whole new series of additional problems as the province faces the affordable housing crisis.

It is not surprising that more of our most vulnerable people are having trouble finding a place to live in Nova Scotia.

The Nova Scotia government’s rent cap is the number one reason property owners are selling their rental units.

Nova Scotia’s chronic failure to fix its residential tenancies system is forcing out another small rental housing provider.

Lack of government action on compliance and enforcement makes housing crisis worse.

Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS) Executive Director Kevin Russell noted the failure of the NDP’s rent control policies adopted by the previous Liberal government and extended under the current PC government.

The Nova Scotia government’s new province-wide Home Sharing Program raises significant concerns and could create a whole new series of additional problems as the province faces the affordable housing crisis.

The actual number of approved renovictions in Nova Scotia is actually very low, according to the Nova Scotia government’s own data.

The Nova Scotia government’s rent cap is the number one reason property owners are selling their rental units.

Link to resource: 5 major Canadian housing REITs launch ForAffordable.ca

Topics: Media Releases

Today’s cost of living announcement by Premier Tim Houston continues to ignore small rental housing providers who are struggling with the double-whammy of a 2% rent cap and skyrocketing energy costs.

Despite Halifax Regional Municipality staff telling Mayor Mike Savage, “We haven’t spoken with landlords recently,” Halifax Regional Council overwhelmingly rejected holding a public hearing on its proposed $1.2 million landlord registry.

Halifax Regional Municipality’s proposed landlord registry will do nothing to solve the housing crisis and further punishes rental housing providers who must be part of the solution.

Halifax Regional Municipality’s proposed landlord registry will do nothing to solve the housing crisis and further punishes rental housing providers who must be part of the solution.

Today’s cost of living announcement by Premier Tim Houston continues to ignore small rental housing providers who are struggling with the double-whammy of a 2% rent cap and skyrocketing energy costs.

The Supreme Court of Canada has given developers and property owners a major victory, making it easier for them to sue governments over regulations that remove all reasonable uses of their lands.

A bill to set rental increases for 2023 at zero per cent across the province passed in the P.E.I. Legislature on Wednesday.

Meaghan Morrison is worried about the future of affordable housing in Sydney, N.S., after finding out the social welfare agency that owns her apartment building is selling the property.

In the face of a federal government plan to re-examine the tax treatment of real estate investment trusts (REITs), and economic conditions which make it increasingly challenging to build affordable housing in major urban markets, five of Canada’s largest residential owners/operators have launched ForAffordable.ca.

New Brunswick is not extending the rent cap it brought in this year to protect tenants against soaring increases.

City staff are recommending an eight per cent increase for residential and commercial property taxes for next year.

In his final appearance before council after announcing his resignation in the spring, Halifax’s outgoing Chief Administrative Officer Jacques Dubé delivered a warning to elected officials about the tough choices they’ll have to make in the not too distant future.

An amendment to the Residential Tenancy Act would not extend the cap past the end of the year.

The Saturday Huddle is a weekly column that features opinion, analysis, and reflections on Huddle stories, podcasts, and business news in the region. Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter based in Halifax.

The subject of home heating costs has ignited across Canada as winter creeps around the corner, and the federal carbon tax soon to take effect in various provinces. It’s also an issue top of mind for Halifax landlords.

Halifax councillors send budget back to staff with goal of 4% instead of 8% increase to the average property tax bill.

Halifax Regional Municipality’s proposed 8% tax hike for its upcoming budget will make the city’s housing crisis worse, said Kevin Russell, Executive Director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia.

Halifax Regional Municipality’s proposed 8% tax hike for its upcoming budget will make the city’s housing crisis worse, said Kevin Russell, Executive Director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia.

With massive power rate increases looming and oil and gas prices going through the roof as winter approaches, smaller rental housing providers need emergency financial help from the government to stay open.