Landlords fear losing rights as housing advocates demand immediate action from rental task force

Tenant advocates and landlords agree a task force is necessary to address the rental housing in Vancouver.

But while the Vancouver Tenants' Union wants immediate action on some of the most pressing issues facing those who rent, B.C.'s umbrella organization for landlords fears an erosion of property rights. 

The B.C. government announced the new task force earlier this week.

Led by Vancouver-West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, it will consult with both tenants and landlords on ways to modernize the province's tenancy laws.

Derrick O'Keefe, a member of Vancouver Tenants' Union, says the task force is long overdue.

"We are taking this in good faith and hope that the government is doing this to be able to implement the actions that have long been necessary," he told Gloria Macarenko, the guest host of CBC's The Early Edition. 

That action, O'Keefe said, will hopefully be a series of legislation changes to overhaul the Residential Tenancy Act, particularly regarding renovictions.

"We need to disincentivize landlords getting tenants out so they can bring a new tenant in at a much higher rent," he said.

"Sometimes governments have inquiries or task forces to delay doing things so we would like to see immediate action and a bill on renovictions right away."

Look at broader issues

David Hutniak, the CEO of Landlord B.C., said he's enthusiastic about the process.

"The opportunity here is to look at the broader issue not just in the context of the [Residential Tenancy Act] but look at what are all the factors that have gotten us to where we are at," he said.

When it comes to renovictions, Hutniak agreed it is a problem that needs to be addressed — but not by taking away landlords' property rights.

"We do not endorse or support landlords that are deliberately taking advantage of the situation," he said.

"But by the same token, owners of these buildings do have property rights and we want them to continue to invest in these properties."

Upgrades, such as repairing an older building or improving seismic safety, are sometimes necessary and it's not always economically feasible to see investment in a building without a rent increase, he said.

"At the end of the day, [renovations] needs to be done responsibility but the right to do it needs to continue to exist," he said. "If you want to positively influence behaviour, you don't keep using a stick. You need to employ some carrot."

O'Keefe disagreed and argued legislative change is needed to regulate the industry.

"Tenants can't afford carrots right now, we need immediate relief," he said.

The task force will make recommendations in the fall.

With files from The Early Edition.