Rent increases must be justified Landlords who want to get large increases in rent will have to prove in writing they need the money. Last Friday, Housing Minster Joan Smallwood announced changes to Bill 50, the Residential Tenancy Amendment Act, that will allow disputed rent increases to go to arbitration for review. Whistler Mayor Ted Nebbeling says the amendment applies mostly to long term rentals and will have little impact on the Whistler housing market. "This bill does not really deal with short term rents and that is the situation often in Whistler," Nebbeling says. The amendment sets out to limit annual rent increases to two per cent, under current market conditions. Rent increases will be based on landlord's increase in operating costs like fuel and utilities, major repairs and market adjustments which reflect vacancy and interest rates. The market adjustment factor will be set every six months by an order in cabinet.
