MONCTON, N.B. -- After renting an apartment with his partner for two-and-a-half years, Joshua Murphy was shocked to receive a notice for $2,000 a month rent increase from his landlord.

That's an extra $24,000 per year for the new father and his partner.

"He said that because the building doesn’t accommodate children, and that we were told this when we moved in -- which we weren’t -- that he’s going to raise the rent high enough for us not to be able to afford because we don’t belong here," Murphy said.

In the notice of the rent hike, Murphy's landlord attributes the increase to higher costs of insurance, property taxes, water, snow and garbage removal.  

Murphy currently pays $975 dollars a month

Earlier this month, the province released a 90-day review of the rental situation. Recommendations were made on how to protect tenants, however, there was no talk of implementing rent control.

"We’re living in the wild west of rental markets," said Aditya Rao of the New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants' Rights. "Landlords have full liberty to increase rents by whatever amount they want… pretty much."

Rao says this can leave some tenants with no choice but to move, as they can no longer afford the cost.

"The real tragedy of all of this is that this didn’t need to happen," Rao says. "The premier could have stopped this months ago."

Which is why Murphy felt he had to take matters into his own hands.

He says after posting his story on social media, the residential tenancies tribunal contacted him offering assistance.

"They’re giving me a form to fill out for assistance to review this increase to see if its justified and fair," Murphy said. "They said they’re not miracle workers, but they’re going to do what they can."

The landlord refused comment when contacted by CTV Atlantic.

Later in the afternoon, however, Murphy received a call from his landlord saying he was reversing the rent increase. Murphy is now waiting for that promise in writing.