Local landlords take issue with proposed rental registration bylaw
Rick Kostiuk choked up while standing at a podium in city council chambers Monday – feeling as though part of his livelihood is being unfairly scrutinized by a contentious proposed bylaw that affects landlords in the city.
The Residential Rental Property Registration (RRPR) Bylaw would see all landlords obligated to officially register their properties with the city. It would also enable inspectors, either with consent of the landlord or occupant, or under a warrant, to enter rental properties and uphold provincial legislation and city bylaws. That could include national codes, fire prevention bylaw and the maintenance and occupancy of property and nuisance abatement bylaw.
“I would never put somebody in a rental property that I wouldn’t want to live in there myself – it truly does break my heart to see these things,” Kostiuk said.
He said he feels the bylaw unfairly targets landlords who uphold a higher standard than others.