As BC COVID-19 vaccine passport is developed and applied for download, and efforts are made to continue opening up safely and curb the spread of the fourth wave of the epidemic, the provincial government once again announced a new change.
Just now, the British Columbia provincial government officially announced - In 2022, the rent freeze policy implemented during the epidemic in this province is about to end!
Simply put, many Chinese landlords can increase their rent!
While announcing this decision, the provincial government also stated that based on inflation levels, the maximum allowable rent increase in 2022 will be set at 1.5%, and will take effect from January 1, 2022!
The government also reminds all landlords who plan to increase rents. If they are going to increase, they must notify tenants in an appropriate and formal way three months in advance!
Note that ending the rent increase ban does not apply to commercial rentals, non-profit housing, co-ops and some assisted living facilities.
BC's rent freeze policy was announced at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak in order to deal with large-scale business closures and unemployment. During this period, the government extended the policy to the end of 2021.
Under the housing subsidy policy during the epidemic, all landlords are not allowed to increase rents, let alone evict tenants. Some rogue tenants are also taking advantage of these government policies to make unreasonable troubles. Some people have money and do not pay rent, which has caused many The landlord had a headache.
Since the COVID-19 epidemic, the Canadian economy has been completely shut down. Millions of people have lost their jobs. Many of them are also landlords. Their sources of income have been reduced. It’s okay if the rent can’t be increased. Tenants have no money and can’t make payments. Mortgage bills are coming every day. The month comes on time, and I can’t tell you the pain.
As soon as the rent freeze policy ended, many Chinese landlords were extremely happy: they could finally increase the rent!
Of course, not everyone thinks so.
The Vancouver Tenants Union believes that now is not the most suitable time to thaw.
"The most important thing is, we are still in the new crown pandemic, and many tenants are still facing financial difficulties. The provincial government's public health policies are constantly changing, and people's income is still not very stable."
In fact , trade union has been calling on the government not to temporarily unfreeze rent increases until the COVID-19 epidemic is truly over, especially now that the Delta variant of the virus is accelerating its spread.
"The epidemic is still going on. As schools reopen, we don't know where the epidemic will break out in the next second. To what extent the number of infections and hospitalizations in the province will increase. These will be ongoing concerns."
When talking about rent Problems will arise, and conflicts between landlords and tenants will arise, and this policy has indeed helped thousands of tenants during the first three waves of the epidemic.
Although the vaccination rate of the new crown vaccine in British Columbia is currently increasing and vaccine passports will take effect next week, it is also an indisputable fact that the number of newly confirmed cases, hospitalizations and severe illness is slowly rising.
It is still unclear whether the government will end the ban on rent increases as planned and whether it will go smoothly or whether it will arouse more doubts.
But for now, the end of the price increase ban is always a good thing for many Chinese landlords.
