🚀 go-pugleaf

Here is another piece of literature from the Federation of Metro {Toronto}
Tenants' Associations {FMTA}:

                       THREATS  TO  RENT  CONTROLS
     --------------------------------------------------------------------

  Area     What do we have now?  What will we have?    What can tenants do?
           The current system    The Harris govern-    Ask your MPP some
           has its faults, but   ment threatens to     questions
           it gives tenants      remove rent controls
           some basic 
           protections
---------  --------------------  --------------------  ----------------------

Rent       Every apartment has   The government says   - Who is going to
Increases  a maximum legal       it will remove          build apartments?
           rent.  It can only    guidelines and "let     When?  Where?  How
           increase by an        the market control      much will rents be?
           annual guideline set  the rents."  This     - Who will qualify for
           by the government,    will encourage          a subsidy?
           or by a Rent          investment in rental    If my rent is 
           Officer's order.      housing which will      greater than 30% of
           (The 1996 guideline   raise the vacancy       my income, can I get
           is 2.8%).  The        rate enough to let      a subsidy to make up
           guideline includes    the market work.        the difference?  Or
           2% for major          Landlords could         if my rent increase
           repairs. {Landlords   raise rent to what      is 15% and my salary
           do not have to prove  the market can bear.    increase is 1%, can
           they actually spent   (The year before we     I get a subsidy?
           the 2% on the         got our rent control  - How will the 
           building to get it.}  law, the average        "market" protect me
           The rest is for the   increase in Toronto     from a rent
           increased costs of    was 11% with some       increase?  No
           operating the         areas as high as        landlord is forced
           building and is       18%).                   to obey the rules of
           based on inflation.                           the market at any
           Landlords can charge  The government says     specific time. Isn't
           less than the         it will protect         it true that my only
           maximum legal rent,   tenants from unfair     real protection is 
           but not more.         increases until the     to apply to a 
                                 market gets control.    government 
           The Rent Registry     And it will provide     arbitrator?
           lists the maximum     subsidies to "the     - The government
           legal rent and        neediest of             considers it 
           services included     tenants."  It may       important to control
           in the rent.          continue rent           increases for our
           Landlords must let    controls for seniors    hydro, gas, cable
           new tenants know      and the disabled,       and phone and sets
           this amount before    because these people    the price of labour.
           they make an          "don't need any more    Why don't you also
           agreement to rent.    concern in their        set maximumes for
           Tenants can call the  lives."  {How the       rent increases?
           Rent Registry and     Ministry of Housing     I don't have to
           find out their        under the Harris        fight an unfair 
           maximum legal rent.   government is going     on my own, why do I
                                 to keep track of all    have to fight to
                                 those who claim they    keep my home
                                 are eldery/disabled,    affordable?
                                 and what effect it    - Without the Rent
                                 will have on the        Registry, what will
                                 price of individual     force landlords to
                                 has not be made         provide me with the
                                 public by the           same services for 
                                 Minister.}              the same amount the
                                                         previous tenant 
                                                         paid?


Extra-     Landlords must get    The proposal is a     - What rules will be
ordinary   permission from a     system similar to       used to decide an 
Rent       Rent Officer to       B.C. or Quebec,         increase is unfair?
           increase the rent     whre individual         What amount would be
           above the guideline,  tenants try to          unfair (2%, 5% or
           they must give        convince a government   30%)?  Will the
           reasons why they      arbitratior that a      landlord have to 
           should be allowed to  rent increase is        show an increase in
           get the extra         unfair.  No idea yet    expenses?
           increase.  Tenants    of how the arbitrator   Will tenants have a
           have a chance to      would decide what's     chance to prove the
           give reasons why the  unfair.  In. B.C.       building is in 
           the increase should   and Quebec, there is    disrepair?
           not be allowed.  At   a fee to apply.  The  - If the arbitrator
           the same time,        government says the     agrees that the rent
           tenants can also ask  system will only        increase is unfair,
           to have their rent    take a few weeks to     what will stop the
           reduced.  Decisions   decide each case.       landlord from
           can be appealed to    There will be no        increasing the rent
           the court.            appeals.                again?  Will I have
                                 {Group submissions      to go back to the
                                 on behalf of all the    arbitrator every 
                                 tenants of a building   year, or every 6
                                 would not be permitted  months?
                                 as it persently is    - Will there be a fee
                                 under the Rent          for this?  If so,
                                 Control Act.}           how much?
                                                       - How will you make
                                                         sure that all
                                                         tenants can access
                                                         the system?
                                                         Sometimes people are
                                                         afraid to disagree
                                                         with the landlord
                                                         Many tenants don't
                                                         read English well,
                                                         and some are not
                                                         mobile.


Repairs    Tenants can apply to  Minister of Housing   - Can I apply for a
           have their rent       Al Leach says he        decrease in my rent
           reduced if landlords  will "improve           if my landlord
           remove a service      maintenance, safety     doesn't make repairs
           that was included     and security of         or takes away a
           in the rent; if       apartments."  He        service I was
           operating expenses    says $10 Billion in     getting?  Tenants in
           decrease, or if       repairs are needed      Quebec and B.C. can.
           landlords do not      for apartments.  He   - Can we expect a
           properly maintain     has not said how        certain standard of
           buildings or          this will happen and    repairs and services
           individual            and who will pay for    when we pay our 
           apartments.           it.  There is no        rent? The government
                                 indication of any       sets standards for
                                 conection between       other necessities of
                                 rent and standards      life, such as the
                                 of repair.              food we eat and the
                                 {Under the present      cars we drive.  Will
                                 system 2% every year    it set standards to 
                                 is automatically added  protect tenants in 
                                 to the guideline for    the same way?
                                 repairs; what if the
                                 landlord has not been
                                 using the money for
                                 this and has been
                                 pocketing it as 
                                 additional profit and
                                 has not been
                                 adequately maintaining
                                 his building? Why does
                                 the money not go into
                                 an escrow account only
                                 for building repairs?}


Rules for  Landlords can only    No mention of this    - How will the notice
Increases  raise the rent once   yet.  We have to        be "tougher"?
           a year and must give  assume current rules  - How often will the
           90 days notice in     will stay.  The         landlord be able to
           writing of the        government has          raise the rent?
           increase.             promised to           - What kind of notice
                                 "toughen" the notice    will I get before my
                                 provisions that         rent goes up?
                                 landlords have to 
                                 give to tenants.


Evictions  Landlords cannot      There will be "no     - If my landlord 
           "evict" tenants by    ceiling on rent         doesn't like me
           raising the rent so   increases." The only    because I go to the
           high that the tenant  protection tenants      arbitrator or I 
           cannot possibly pay   will have from          belong to a tenants'
           (called "economic     economic eviction is    association, what
           eviction"). Without   to apply to a           will stop the
           this protection       government arbitrator   landlord from
           all other rights                              raising my rent to
           are useless.                                  an amount higher
                                                         than I can pay, 
                                                         forcing me to move?
                                                       - What good are my
                                                         other rights if my
                                                         rent is only 
                                                         controlled by the
                                                         market?


Illegal    Landlords cannot      No mention of this    - What will the
Charges    charge extra money    yet.                    government do to
           such as fees,                                 stop my landlord or
           penalties or                                  superintendent from
           depostis.  For                                charging me key
           example, the                                  money or charging me
           landlord cannot                               to get repairs done?
           charge "key money"                                               
           or a late payment                                          
           fine.


ASK QUESTIONS.  DEMAND ANSWERS.

Call or write:

Premier Mike Harris               Minister of Housing Al Leach
Room, 281 Legislative Bldg.       777 Bay Street, 17th Floor,
Queen's Park, Toronto, Ont.       Toronto, Ontario
M7A 1A1                           M5G 2E5
Telephone: (416) 325-1941         Telephone: (416) 585-7000
Fax:       (416) 325-3745         Fax:       (416) 585-6470
                       
or your Mmeber of Provincial Parliament (MPP)
To find our your MPP's name and address, call the Legislative
Assemby, Caucus Offices at (416) 325-7272.

Keep a record of the answers you get.
Call or write us and let us know what is said.

The Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations
344 Bloor Street West, Suite 403,
Toronto, Ontario   M5S 3A7
Telephone: (416) 921-9494
Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

{Those comments in this type of parantheses were added by me, Bob
Levitt and were not part of the original text.  I couldn't help myself.
I had to add my two cents worth.}