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Maple Ridge trying to ease life for renters

Developers may have to help those in transition
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House prices keep climbing and so do rents. (THE NEWS/files)

Maple Ridge council is trying to ease the housing crisis with a new tenant relocation policy that requires developers to help existing tenants when they want to demolish a “purpose-built” rental apartment building.

Council, Tuesday, looks at the policy that will ask developers to give tenants two months’ notice and two months rent if they’re kicking them out in order to put up a new building.

If the new building is a rental, those tenants will be given first chance at the new units at a 10-per-cent discount below the average rents in the city.

If tenants are already paying high rates, they’ll still be able to get first chance at renting the new units.

Developers must also come up with three other alternative rental locations, of comparable units and cost in the city, for each tenant that will be displaced, with pets and accessibility also considered.

The new policy will only be mandatory to properties where a new property use is sought and requires a rezoning process. It doesn’t apply to renovictions, where buildings are just renovated after tenants have been evicted, then re-occupied at higher rents. That is because the use doesn’t change.

Coun. Craig Speirs, though, wants the policy to apply to cases of renoviction.

“People’s lives get disrupted in ways that are just horrible.”

He’s also suggesting that a committee representing renters be formed to advise council.

So far, in the last 10 years, (2007 to 2017) only 56 old apartments have been demolished for redevelopment or lost to fire. However, those in turn, have been replaced by 3,180 new, and more expensive, apartments and condos.

Council is also looking at tweaking its modular home relocation policy and applying the rental relocation policy to anyone who’s renting a modular home or house trailer.

Brent Elliott, manager of community planning, said Maple Ridge is facing the double squeeze of rising rent charges and a declining vacancy rate.

In 2015, the vacancy rate in Maple Ridge stood at 0.8 per cent, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. It dropped to 0.6 per cent in 2016, then 0.5 per cent in 2017.

“This is about a market that’s already constrained for renters,” Elliott said.

He added that some of the policies are already required by the Residential Tenancy Act, such as requiring two months’ notice, although the act requires only one month’s free rent before eviction.

But the city policy requires two months free rent and two months of notice.