Where to find answers to your questions as a renter on P.E.I.

Community Legal Information is presenting workshops across P.E.I. to educate Islanders about their rights and responsibilities as renters.

The workshops are part of a larger project, the Tenant Support Centre, which started last February with support from the provincial government. The project launched a web site in August and started doing presentations in November, with more scheduled this month.

"People want to have the opportunity to ask questions and get those questions answered," said Eliza MacLauchlan, the public legal education and information officer with Community Legal Information.

MacLauchlan said the presentation covers the most common questions CLI gets.

"Things surrounding security deposits are definitely coming up a lot, rent increases," she said.

"Also whenever you have an issue in the home, whether that's a maintenance issue or something along those lines, that's definitely coming up a lot."

There will also be an opportunity for people to ask any questions they might have.

2 sessions this month

In P.E.I.'s low vacancy rate environment, tenants and potential renters can be reluctant to question landlords, MacLauchlan said.

"It is intimidating to discuss [things] with the landlord that has the ability to then evict you from the home. It can be hard to go forward with that," she said.

But she is hopeful that with more information readily available about everyone's rights and responsibilities people will be more likely to play by the rules.

CLI has two presentations scheduled this month, on Jan. 13 in Summerside and in Montague on Jan. 23.

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