By Ian Holmes

City, province exploring ways to lure more landlords

May 28, 2018 | 5:05 PM

NANAIMO — Creating more rental stock from existing single-family homes in Nanaimo has emerged as a key part in the City’s pending affordable housing strategy.

Social planner John Horn told NanaimoNewsNOW turning existing housing into rental units likely holds the most potential to quickly increase the meager supply locally. He said the City is examining several concepts, including financial incentives for homeowners to reconfigure their home for a suite in exchange for providing slightly below market rental costs for a period of time.

“What would we do to incentivize people to either redevelop those sites to higher densities or think ‘Hey, it’s going to be worth my while to put in a secondary suite,’” Horn said. “That would encourage landlords to come forward, encourage rental stock to be created in the community.”

There’s a lot of untapped potential in the concept, since 68 per cent of all residential units in the city are single-family, Horn said. 

However, he said a roadblock to freeing up more rental housing in Nanaimo and elsewhere is people wary about B.C.’s tenancy laws, citing the common complaint of homeowners getting stuck with bad tenants. Another challenge would be encouraging landlords to offer the rentals at a rate which is below currently inflated market prices.

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The province meantime has announced a round of upcoming community consultations as part of its Rental Housing Task Force, an effort to modernize B.C.’s tenancy laws.

The Task Force is slated to examine various components of the law, including addressing fairness for landlords and tenants.

Spencer Chandra Herbert, Task Force chair, said the province wants to make sure landlords have confidence they are protected from problem tenants. 

“Government needs to consider how the law impacts their (landlords) ability to do their work, their ability to provide a safe and affordable rental unit,” Chandra Herbert said. “If landlords and others have advice on how to do that we’d love to hear it.”

The Task Force will meet in Nanaimo on Wednesday, June 6 at the Christ Community Church Hall on Bowen Rd. from 6 to 9 p.m.

Recommendations from the Task Force are anticipated this fall, while Nanaimo’s affordable housing strategy is expected to be presented to Council this fall.

An online engagement page to gather public feedback has been established.

Ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes