Why Canadian landlord groups say push to strike down pet bans is ‘unfair’ – National
Inasmuch as the petition is in progress to finish pet restrictions In the area of rental housing, some organizations representing landlords in Canada are warning against the cancellation of such clauses in the federal bill. tenants The declaration of rights could create conflicts.
Last month, Humane Canada launched a parliamentary petition calling on the House of Commons to include a specific provision for tenants with pets in the proposed bill of rights, asking that “no pets” clauses be struck down “so that tenants with pets are no longer excluded from rental housing.”
Cameron Choquette, CEO of the Saskatchewan Landlord Association, said in an interview with Global News that landlords recognize that pets are increasing in the rental space and can be important to people, but they said there needs to be flexibility to rental accommodation suppliers.
“If the buildings currently have tenants with allergies or it’s a small building, this flexibility would allow a rental housing provider to have a pet-free building or a pet-free clause in their rental agreement,” he said.
He notes that factors such as tenants’ allergies or the potential damage a pet could cause could explain why landlords don’t want pets.
Kevin Russell, executive director of the Investment Property Owners Association of Nova Scotia (IPOANS), said in a statement that tenants want the choice of pet-free buildings for their own safety and have “as much right to have a pet-free home as those who do.”
He said scrapping ‘no pets’ clauses nationwide would be an “unfair” move by the government.
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“Banning pet-free buildings would worsen the housing crisis by increasing conflict between tenants who own pets and those who don’t,” he said. “Unfortunately, rental housing providers would find themselves caught in the middle of such conflicts.”
He added that increasing the supply of rental housing is the best way to provide rental housing for pet owners.
The rules regarding pets in rental properties are fairly consistent across Canada, stating that landlords can choose not to allow an animal in their property, with a few exceptions, such as service animals.
The situation is different in Ontario, however.
According to Oduraa Legal Services, a landlord can choose not to rent to someone because they have a pet, but once a rental agreement is signed, a tenant can move in with their pet and cannot be evicted.
However, the law also allows for the removal of the animal if it causes a serious allergic reaction, damage to the unit or unreasonable noise.
There are some exceptions to the Ontario rule regarding condominiums where a ban on pets is permitted if it is provided for in the condominium’s governing documents.
“Whether you are renting or owning, you need to understand before you move in that you are choosing to be part of a community that is self-governing and has the ability to make decisions that are tailored to its needs, including when it comes to pets,” the Condominium Authority of Ontario told Global News in a statement.
Having such clauses overturned has been “incredibly frustrating” for landlords, but Kevin Costain, a board member of Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO), said it’s not always known, so some SOLO members only find out after trying to impose such a restriction.
“It’s just a conflict environment,” he said.
When it comes to having an animal on a property, he said people need to find a balance.
“It’s about balancing that idea of having a companion and having a pet with you in a property and balancing that with the responsibility of having a pet,” he said.
Costain and Choquette said it could be difficult to overturn “no pets” clauses nationwide and that while consistency is a good thing, a “one-size-fits-all approach” is not the right answer.
“Pets can absolutely be allowed in rental properties, but there are also buildings that, for one reason or another, don’t require pets,” Choquette said.
— with information from Saba Aziz of Global News
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
