By Francois Macone, Radio Victoria, CILS 107.9 FM, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The government of British Columbia will lift the ban on evictions for non-payment of rent on September 1. Tenants will have until July 2021 to reimburse late rents.
Moratorium On Evictions
In March, the province announced a moratorium on evictions, a ban on rent increases and a rental allowance of up to $ 500 per month due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The government has announced that it is putting in place a repayment framework to guarantee tenants a reasonable period of time to repay all of their rental debt.
A One Year Deadline
The plan will be in place once the ban on issuing evictions for non-payment of rent is lifted. Landlords must give tenants a one-year deadline, until July 2021, to repay any unpaid rent, provided future monthly payments are honored.
In contrast, the ban on rent increases will remain in effect until December, but tenants will have to pay their monthly rent in full from September.
Tenant groups have expressed concern over the ability of tenants to repay amid the COVID-19 crisis. The Vancouver Tenants Union has asked the province to cover the unpaid rent and send it directly to the landlords.
Rent Supplement
The rent assistance program originally operated from April to June before being extended to the end of August.
The rent supplement provides $ 500 per month for eligible households with dependents and $ 300 per month for eligible households without dependents. Eligible roommates can also request the supplement.
First Rents Due
The repayment framework is designed so that tenants do not have to make their first payment by the first rental due date on 30 days notice from the repayment plan date.
It will be October 1 for most renters, assuming their landlord provides them with a repayment plan by the end of August.
The framework provides flexibility, allowing landlords to work with tenants to gradually increase payment amounts over time or extend the duration of the repayment process beyond July 2021.