Victoria needs better protection for renters

On Nov. 4, Victoria city council approved a redevelopment project that includes restoration of the Montrose Apartments building downtown at Blanshard and View streets.

As part of this redevelopment (which includes construction of a new hotel on the adjacent parcel), the developer agreed to offer tenants displaced by renovation of the 109-yearold apartment building the right to return to their former unit at the same rent they are currently paying.

This renter-protection commitment mirrors policies in place elsewhere in Canada. For example, under Burnaby’s Tenant Assistance Policy, tenants displaced by renovations or redevelopments have the right to return to the new development and pay the same rent.

In contrast, Victoria’s Tenant Assistance Policy provides a right of first refusal at only 10 per cent below market rents. Given that the average rent in Victoria jumped nearly 20 per cent in the past year alone, in a city made up of 60 per cent renters, this is unacceptable.

The Montrose Apartments project shows us that it is indeed possible for developers to both generate profit and ensure the rights of tenants are respected.

Skyrocketing rental costs have highlighted the need to improve protections for renters; the Montrose redevelopment and Burnaby’s policy provide examples of how to do so.

Amending Victoria’s Tenant Assistance Policy to provide renters displaced by redevelopment the right to return and pay the same rent previously charged is a reasonable and important step for council to take.

Andrew Kerr Victoria