Mississauga – Celebration Square 10 am – 6 pm, 300 City Centre Drive
MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 28, 2023 /CNW/ – Small landlords, who typically own few properties are forced by the Ontario Government to provide significant financial support to tenants who are unable or unwilling to pay rent. Delays to obtain a hearing from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) can take up to a year. During this delay the Government has effectively taken control of private property and impeded the ability of small housing providers to generate revenue or protect their property from extensive damage. While large corporations with thousands of units have the funds to manage, the impact on small landlords can be financially devastating. They are forced to get a second job, work extra hours, secure more loans (debt) or rely on family members for financial assistance to support tenants.
The government’s apathy and unequal treatment of small landlords came to light in 2020 during the moratorium eviction ban. Tenants who experienced financial hardship were financially supported. In contrast, small landlords were forced to cover all financial obligations and none of the financial support given to tenants was mandated to be shared with small housing providers.
It has been three years post-pandemic, and with ongoing and prolonged LTB delays, the average eviction cost per small landlord is upward 50,000 dollars. The struggles of small landlords are ignored by the Government. We urge them to listen to the concerns of small landlords so we can work together to ensure fair treatment for all parties and an adequate rental housing supply.
The unfair treatment of small landlords has made its way to the Superior Court of Justice and a class action claim was filed on December 2022 by Marshall Law. It claims among many things that through regulation of private property, the Government has in effect expropriated property. This is known as constructive taking or de facto expropriation. This occurs when a government or any authority takes over control or ownership of private property, or interferes with the use of private property, in a way that effectively deprives the owner of their property rights.
SOLO is calling on all small housing providers to demand compensation.
SOLO is a federally registered non-profit volunteer coalition of 7,000+ independent housing providers in Ontario.
SOURCE Small Ownership Landlords Ontario Inc.
For further information: Small Ownership Landlords Ontario Inc, SoloOntario.ca, 647-792-4951 / solo@solo.ca
The complete press release is on the Canada Newswire platform
