Tenants’ Rights Groups Welcome New Rent Control Legislation, But Call For More Protections

The provincial government has introduced new legislation to limit annual rent increases to three percent, delivering on a major campaign promise during Premier Susan Holt's second day leading the Legislative Assembly.

The bill, tabled on Wednesday by Housing Minister David Hickey, is expected to pass quickly through the Liberal-majority legislature and will take effect on February 1. While tenants’ rights advocates welcomed the move, they argue that more significant changes are needed to address New Brunswick's affordable housing crisis.

Matthew Hayes, a sociology professor at St. Thomas University and spokesperson for the NB Coalition for Tenants’ Rights, expressed concern over the bill’s limitations. He noted that the legislation lacks provisions to cap rent increases between tenants, a gap that could undermine its goal of maintaining housing affordability.

“Our housing struggles are not going to end with this,” Hayes said. “Cynically, one could see it as window dressing.”

The coalition is calling for rent control tied to the rental unit rather than the tenant, arguing that the current framework allows landlords to increase rent to any amount once a unit becomes vacant. Hayes warned this could incentivize “renovictions,” where landlords evict tenants under the pretext of performing renovations to raise rents.

“If landlords feel their rents are too low, they may be encouraged to find ways to displace tenants,” he explained.

Nichola Taylor, chair of NB ACORN, framed the legislation as a win for grassroots activism. She said it demonstrates a willingness from the government to work with tenants while acknowledging that further action is necessary.

“Overall, the rent cap means tenants won’t face unaffordable rent increases or the risk of homelessness because landlords want to raise rents,” NB ACORN said in a statement. “That’s something tenants across this province should celebrate.”

Taylor also emphasized the need for stronger tenant protections, including measures to curb renovictions and rules that prevent landlords from evicting tenants to make units available for their own use. While such provisions may be reasonable in certain cases, like secondary suites, NB ACORN says they are often abused in larger rental properties.

The organization recommends banning “landlord-use evictions” in purpose-built rental buildings above a certain size and requiring landlords to prove “sustained occupancy of the unit by a family member over time.”

NB ACORN is also calling for the establishment of a compliance and enforcement unit to ensure landlords adhere to the Residential Tenancies Act, citing British Columbia's model as an example.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).