'Give your heads a shake': Your comments on IRAC's maximum rent increase
'Just another reason for my list of "Why not to move back to P.E.I."'
Earlier this week, P.E.I.'s Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission (IRAC) announced its maximum allowable residential rent increases for 2019.
These increases include a 2 per cent jump for oil-heated premises, 1.75 per cent for electrically-heated, 1.5 per cent for unheated and 1.5 per cent for mobile home sites. For tenants, this marks the largest allowable residential rent increase since 2013.
And many Islanders weren't happy about it — some of you weighed in on CBC Prince Edward Island's Facebook page in response to Tuesday's story.
Here's what you had to say.
(Please note that usernames are not necessarily the names of commenters. Some comments have been altered to correct spelling and to conform to CBC style.)
'Give your heads a shake'
Many commenters were frustrated with the maximum allowable residential rent increases, particularly while the capital faces a housing crunch.
Mackenzie Ross said, "I find it funny how the P.E.I. government has this campaign to bring Islanders back to P.E.I., all the while we have an extremely low vacancy rental rate and now IRAC approved a rental price increase."
"Give your heads a shake. What is there to come back to?"
Others agreed with Ross, upset at the idea of a rent increase while the province simultaneously recruits Islanders to come home.
"They live in a fantasy world if they think this is manageable for regular people," said Giselle M. Gonzalez.
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Rebekah Hodder said, "great way to entice people back to the Island. Just another reason for my list of 'Why not to move back to P.E.I."
Jesse-Comrade Levi added, "the government launched huge campaign to get young Islanders to comeback but making it impossible with rent prices."
'Landlords are business people'
Some commenters empathized with landlords and tenants across the province.
"It get that it sucks for renters," said Dale Dickieson.
"But at the same time landlords are business people. If the business of renting is not profitable for the owner, why would they do it? It's no different from any other business."
There were times I didn't pass the annual rent increase on to them.— Philip Andrew
Andrew Morris said rent increases on P.E.I. aren't that different in context to other provinces. He said "unfortunately, this is on par, or actually even less of an increase, than other provinces have been getting."
"This issue is not something specific to P.E.I. It's definitely an issue, but I hate when people act as if rent is magically cheaper everywhere else. It's actually quite a bit more. Even when you factor in income."
In responding to others on the comment thread, Philip Andrew said he owned an apartment building in the past and has decided on not increasing a tenant's rent before.
"Luckily I had no one leave owing me rent. I know there are good tenants and bad ones. There were times I didn't pass the annual rent increase on to them," he said.
Jack Aitken said if IRAC doesn't approve an increase, the housing situation "is only gonna get worse."
"I know I need to increase rent or sell my apartment cause I can't afford the upkeep," he said.
Melissa DeJong said she was a landlord in the past and "will never do it again."
"Landlords make diddly squat after mortgage and maintenance costs. It takes 25 years to show a profit on a rental place."