{"id":10771,"date":"2022-09-22T14:19:12","date_gmt":"2022-09-22T18:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/?post_type=news&#038;p=10771"},"modified":"2022-09-22T14:19:12","modified_gmt":"2022-09-22T18:19:12","slug":"ctv-news-atlantic-acorn-allies-calling-for-landlord-licensing-system","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/news\/ctv-news-atlantic-acorn-allies-calling-for-landlord-licensing-system\/","title":{"rendered":"CTV News Atlantic: ACORN, allies calling for landlord licensing system"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe src=\"https:\/\/webapps.9c9media.com\/vidi-player\/1.9.24\/share\/iframe.html?currentId=2523213&amp;config=ctvnews\/share.json&amp;kruxId=&amp;rsid=&amp;siteName=CTVNews&amp;cid=%5B%7B%22contentId%22%3A%222523213%22%2C%22ad%22%3A%7B%22adsite%22%3A%22ctv.ctvnews%22%2C%22adzone%22%3A%22embed%22%7D%7D%5D\" width=\"760\" height=\"515\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Published September 17th, 2022<\/p>\n<p>Several people gathered in Dartmouth on Saturday with large signs and bright red t-shirts, calling on the Halifax Regional Municipality to implement a landlord licensing system, something advocates believe will improve property standards.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with CTV Atlantic, NS-ACORN leader Hannah Wood said a licensing system would involve proactive inspections of rental buildings every year, a move that would replace the current complaint system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would allow buildings to be kept in better general maintenance and prevent demolition of affordable units,\u201d Wood said. \u201cRight now we are losing affordable units.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Protesters are urging regional council to put the matter to a vote, requiring landlords to register buildings they own and a pay licensing fee.<\/p>\n<p>Wood said that landlords can pay licensing fees by charging each unit $1, making it easier for landlords and renters to pay that amount.<\/p>\n<p>Renters are currently required to file complaints to their landlord. If those complaints are not addressed, renters can file a by-law complaint.<\/p>\n<p>By-law officers then assess the complaint and order issues accordingly.<\/p>\n<p>However, Kevin Russell, executive director of the Investment Properties Owners Association Nova Scotia (IPOANS), said there are rules and regulations in place already and licensing landlords is not the solution.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe data shows that there are 237 non-compliance orders issues against apartment rental buildings since 2017. That represents about only 79 violations per year,\u201d said Russell.<\/p>\n<p>ACORN has been petitioning for landlord licensing for three years. Supporters believe this will improve living conditions and renovations.<\/p>\n<p>For renter, Patricia Boutlier, pests and unsafe living conditions is a reality she can\u2019t afford leaving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe rent isn\u2019t affordable for me. I\u2019m on disability and I can\u2019t afford anything else so I have to put up with it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, ACORN plans on having many more rallies in Halifax.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10772\" src=\"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/acorn-1-6073161-1663464509818.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"924\" height=\"520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/acorn-1-6073161-1663464509818.jpeg 924w, https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/acorn-1-6073161-1663464509818-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/acorn-1-6073161-1663464509818-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 924px) 100vw, 924px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/atlantic.ctvnews.ca\/acorn-allies-calling-for-landlord-licensing-system-1.6073156for-landlord-licensing-system-1.6073156\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\"><em>Originally Published by CTV News Staff for CTV Atlantic<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10773,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","front_page_slider":[],"campaigns":[62],"featured_news":[],"class_list":["post-10771","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","campaigns-housing-tenant-unions"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news\/10771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10773"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"front_page_slider","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/front_page_slider?post=10771"},{"taxonomy":"campaigns","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campaigns?post=10771"},{"taxonomy":"featured_news","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/acorncanada.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured_news?post=10771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}