Province’s COVID-19 freeze comes to an end, landlords can now raise rents

North Bay -

The provincial COVID-19 rent freeze expired on Jan.1. This means landlords can increase rent they charge tenants by a maximum of 1.2 per cent.

The low-income advocacy group, LIPI (Low Income People Involvement of Nipissing) is relieved the increase isn’t higher.

"There was some relief that it was only a 1.2 percent increase because throughout this whole two-year pandemic, landlords and housing providers didn’t get any assistance," said LIPI executive director Lana Mitchell.

Every year, rent increases are based on the Consumer Price Index, except last year when Ontario froze the hike for the vast majority of tenants due to the pandemic.

"So when you think about a $1,000 rent it’s being increased by 1.2 per cent. You’re looking at $12 a month. That’s pretty small," said Near North Landlords Association president Tricia Marshall.

"Everything is going up. That’s just the way reality is. The minimum wage has gone up. That’s a good step in the right direction."

The 1.2 per cent is the maximum a landlord can increase a tenant’s rent during a year without the approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board. The increase in 2020 was set at 2.2 per cent.

Both parties call it a lose-lose situation, since landlords have their own expenses to take care of and for some people on low income, rent cost means they might have to choose between groceries or a roof over their heads.

"$12 here or $25 there and adding in groceries does add up so I think that cumulative will add up and that will be the challenging part," said Mitchell.

Meanwhile, Marshall said until the provincial government makes changes to the shelter allowance’ policy in the Ontario Disability Support Program, rent increases year-after-year will continue.

"Ones that are on ODSP, or OW, those are the ones living far beyond what shelter costs. So essentially the government and all of us need to stand up and say 'Start putting a shelter increase to accommodate them.'"

The rent increase guideline applies to most rented apartments, condos, houses, care homes and mobile homes.