ACORN meets with the federal government to demand National Tenant Rights Standards

The federal government announced a Canadian Renter’s Bill of Rights as part of its new housing plan released in April 2024. To ensure that the Bill of Rights is truly transformative for tenants, ACORN leaders met with the federal government staff to discuss our demands.

Send a letter to the federal government to demand National Tenant Rights Standards.

The meeting had 20 ACORN leaders from several provinces including Alberta, BC, Nova Scotia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Leaders did a great job in highlighting the experiences tenants are facing coast to coast as well as the need to set National Tenant Rights Standards. Tenant protections are non-existent in provinces like Alberta while in others like Ontario, they are extremely weak. We need National Tenant Rights Standards that apply to all provinces and territories.

Nichola Taylor, New Brunswick ACORN leader as well as representative of the National Board chaired the meeting.

ACORN members also delivered hundreds of tenant testimonials to CMHC in Toronto. Check out the testimonials here

The federal government is planning to release the Canadian Renter’s Bill of Rights this Fall. This is our time to take action.

ACORN’s demands

The Renter’s Bill of Rights needs to set National Tenant Rights Standards, where provinces and territories will need to bring their legislation up to a core standard set by the federal government, in order to receive federal housing funding. Provinces and terrirories can be required to sign bilateral agreements with the federal government just like early childcare agreements and report annually on the progress they are making to meet those standards.

• A national lease structure that gives tenants security of tenure and limits rent increases
• Rent control – no loopholes
• Ban on unaffordable rent increases
• Ban fixed term leases*(in most circumstances)
• Ban no fault evictions
• Federal money to people in core housing need (no money for luxury rentals)
• More non market housing
• National Fund to help tenants avoid eviction
• Maintain units for healthy/safe living, and harassment free
• Right to organize
• Landlord disclosure and contact information
• Meet with tenant groups to review the effectiveness annually