PEC asking province to combat “renovictions”

Prince Edward County Council is sending a request to the province asking the government to take further steps to address “renovictions” and other bad-faith evictions.

Councillor Kate MacNaughton brought the resolution forward at Committee of the Whole.

She says while there are legitimate times landlords require tenants to move for renovations or other reasons, there are many who take advantage.

“Where people say, I’m going to do a renovation, you’re going to have to leave. And then those tenants have to move on and the unit might not get renovated.  It simply might go to a new tenant that’s going to pay twice as much. Because that’s what the market will bear.”

MacNaughton says she’s received numerous messages about renovictions occuring in the County including one this past week in Hallowell.

“The province has done a little bit. They’ve doubled fines for people who use unscrupulous practices. There’s more that the province could do though. And that could be through education campaigns, it could be, you know, it would be up to the province to figure that out. But anything that is possible should be done for our community.”

Councillor MacNaughton says her resolution was triggered by one made by Bracebridge council.