Tenancies enforcement unit urgently needed in Nova Scotia

HALIFAX – More than a year after the NSNDP called on the provincial government to release its report on residential tenancies enforcement, Nova Scotians are still waiting on an enforcement unit to ensure fairness within the system.

Since May of last year, the Houston government has been sitting on a consultant’s report recommending that Nova Scotia create a residential tenancies enforcement unit, similar to ones in Ontario and British Columbia.

Without an enforcement unit, there are no meaningful repercussions for those who violate the Residential Tenancies Act. Both renters and landlords in Nova Scotia have been calling for an enforcement unit for years.

“So many Nova Scotians are scared to report unsafe living conditions or illegal rent hikes because they’re afraid of losing their home. We need a residential tenancies enforcement unit to ensure that repeat offenders face consequences if they continually break the Residential Tenancies Act,” said NSNDP leader Claudia Chender. “I introduced legislation to create a residential tenancies enforcement unit last fall, but the Houston government continues to drag its feet on this important issue. Nova Scotians continue to struggle with the rising cost of housing and worry about being able to stay in the homes they are able to afford. They deserve to know what exactly is in the consultant’s report.”

The Dalhousie Legal Aid Clinic is experiencing a surge in demand of renters seeking legal advice about residential tenancies. Community legal worker Sydnee Blum said having a residential tenancies enforcement unit would reduce the burden on legal aid clinics and other service providers.

“There’s clearly a public desire for an enforcement unit, and we think it’s a no-brainer to put something like this in place,” said Blum. “It will help weed out bad actors, and frankly, the province knows this. They hired consultants to come back with a report that explicitly recommended they set up an enforcement unit, and for over a year now, there’s been no action on that. The only reason that we don’t have an enforcement unit already is a lack of political will.”

The Nova Scotia NDP has introduced legislation to limit renovictions, support tenants with alternative housing when renovations are needed, and levy stiff penalties when the Residential Tenancies Act is contravened.

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