Saint John woman looking for new place after landlord more than doubles rent, stops including utilities
Rebecca Train has been in her apartment for the past five years, but now the single mom is searching for a new place to live after receiving notice that her rent would be increasing by nearly $1,000 a month.
"It's going from $850 with heat and hot water included to $1,800 with nothing included, and I was completely shocked," says Train, "I thought it was a typo, to be honest."
The notice says that the new rent takes effect at the start of December and that a new contract will need to be signed.
Train says originally, when her building was purchased, the landlord gave her a 30-day notice to move.
"The Rentalsman advised a 90-day notice would have to be served, so (the landlord) the following month provided a second 30-day notice and was again advised by the Rentalsman that 90 days would have to be given," says Train.
"Then there had been no communication since July until yesterday when I got the rent increase."
Train received another notice this morning – a notice of complaint which states she was supposed to vacate the premises as of today – she says she's been assured by the Rentalsman that it's not valid and she does not have to leave.
"It's stressful – I work from home, I'm a parent. My daughter is concerned about having to move so it's a lot of worry."
New Brunswick's Residential Tenancies Act does not restrict the amount that a landlord can raise the rent, which has led to calls in the province to introduce rent control and those calls are only growing louder.
"This is essentially an eviction notice to the tenant," says spokesperson for the NB Coalition for Tenants Rights Matthew Hayes.
"But it wouldn't count on New Brunswick Statistics on evictions because there's no official eviction notice; it's just kind of an easy way for a landlord to end a relationship with a tenant."
The province did undertake a 90-day review of the rental situation in New Brunswick which was completed in May and included a list of recommendations, one of which included "modernizing the Act to provide better protections against unreasonable rent increases."
In a statement to CTV News, provincial minister Bruce Fitch says that changes to the act are being brought forward to support this recommendation this fall, though there were no additional details on what form that would take.
"The government endorsed all recommendations and is diligently working on all of them to help address issues on the long range," says Fitch in the statement.
"Tenants who feel unfairly treated regarding a rent increase should submit their case to the Residential Tenancies Tribunal."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.