City of Windsor: Residential Rental Licensing & Residential Rental Enforcement & Future Zoning

February 5, 2018 at 6:00pm – Windsor City Hall (Council Chambers, 3rd Floor)

To view a Copy of the Meeting Package (click here)

Please note that we have received additional correspondence with respect to the meeting above from a third party. We encourage our Membership to read the correspondence and to contact your local MPs to discuss, prior to their vote.

Re:  City of Windsor Rental Housing Licensing Strategy

Tentative Date:  Monday February 5, 2018

We are asking for your association’s help in stopping residential licensing. 

Background

A regressive policy change to the Municipal Act in 2007 has given municipalities the authority to regulate and license real and personal property.  “This presents the City with new opportunities to deal with the issues related to all residential properties.”  (Page 9 of 13, file 11.2C.  Report June 28, 2012.  Planning Standing Committee) 

City’s Current Landlord Requirements

Only through property standards complaints:  There is no criteria to delineate between an owner occupied family home and a residential rental property.  We would support progressive enforcement of the existing OBC and property standards by hiring additional by-law enforcement officers to rid the backlog of all complaints (rental, derelict, owner occupied).

City Council November 20, 2017.   Report #C169/2016 “Residential Rental Licensing.”   

Administration recommended:  “Note and file.”  The vote was deadlocked and deferred until

 

Licensing proponents on council continually refer to the Waterloo licensing requirements. 

The salient points from 11.2B and the Waterloo website are:

Fee Structure	All costs below are on a per unit basis be borne by the landlord. Prelim fee of $68.00 $450 – $600/unit based on square footage and bedrooms. Annual renewal fees
Parameters	(for every rental unit, not per building, per owner) proof of ownership Insurance certificate HVAC certificate to be prepared by a mechanical contractor Electrical Safety Authority inspection certificate Police criminal record check of the property owners and more than likely the property manager if in place floor plan of the residential unit parking plan of the residential unit. This poses a big risk and financial remedy to investors and property owners in Windsor just because of how the city was planned when the neighbourhoods were built. That is, official plan and bylaw requirements for off street parking per dwelling unit property maintenance plan. A questionnaire stating who is responsible for grass, snow, M & R, how often the unit is inspected and by whom, location of garbage containers.  All to ensure bylaw compliance, liability and responsibility
City Inspections	Building Inspector inspection certificate Fire inspector inspection certificate
Non-compliant	a fine of up to $100,000, revoking of all rental housing licenses

Detrimental to the Real Estate Professionals

• Significant roadblocks for real estate investors wishing to purchase within the city.
• In Waterloo as of December 2017, there is no mechanism to transfer a licence if an owner wants to sell his/her property.  (This could happen in Windsor.)
• Reduce the value of residential properties within the city.
• Liability

Here are some interesting articles on the effects of Residential Licensing.

http://cohenhighley.com/articles/rent-control-bulletins/a-tale-of-two-cities-landlord-licensing-in-waterloo-v-guelph-update/

http://www.rentalhousingbusiness.ca/landlord-licensing-fees-result-in-whopping-rent-increase/