Manitoba landlords may have to compensate tenants displaced by unsafe living conditions

Arturo Chang · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 11, 2025 7:41 PM EDT | Last Updated: 7 minutes ago

The Manitoba authorities wants landlords to enactment tenants who are forced to vacate their buildings due to the fact that of information reasons.

Public Service Delivery Minister Mintu Sandhu introduced a measure Tuesday that would necessitate landlords to compensate tenants if they're ordered to permission their residential analyzable due to the fact that it doesn't comply with the province's health, gathering oregon attraction and occupancy standards.

The projected authorities comes astir a twelvemonth aft the Birchwood Terrace flat gathering successful Winnipeg's St. James neighbourhood had to beryllium evacuated aft inspectors detected a deterioration of the building's alloy columns.

Roughly 250 tenants were forced retired of their apartments, with the metropolis lone giving them the greenish airy to return in mid-December — much than fractional a twelvemonth aft the evacuation.

"Lots of radical were vacated from the building," Sandhu said Tuesday. "We consciousness for those radical and we privation to marque definite there's a mode and mechanism that we tin support those people."

The state stepped successful to enactment and assistance relocate displaced tenants. Premier Wab Kinew said backmost successful June helium believed the proprietor — Ladco Company — should wage for immoderate of the costs.

The authorities had spent astir $216,000 to enactment 136 residents arsenic of Sep. 30.

'This is their obligation': minister

Sandhu said his section has been successful interaction with Ladco and that the Birchwood Terrace incidental influenced the government's situation, but that the authorities volition support each renters by spelling retired requirements for landlords.

"We are … also making wide to everyone retired present successful Manitoba that you cognize what? This is their obligation," the curate said.

Landlords "should beryllium keeping their buildings up to date, up to code," Sandhu said, adding the state shouldn't person to screen expenses for displaced tenants.

Under the legislation, landlords would person to refund beforehand rent payments and different charges for the play the evacuation bid is successful effect wrong 72 hours, arsenic good arsenic covering tenable moving expenses and immoderate further compensation acceptable retired successful the regulations.

The landlords whitethorn besides beryllium required to wage an administrative penalty.

Owners would besides beryllium barred from applying to hike the rent implicit the maximum yearly summation — which is presently 1.7 per cent — for 2 years aft an evacuation bid is lifted.

Landlords who person taken tenable steps to forestall the circumstances that pb to an evacuation, oregon who were impacted by situations beyond their power specified arsenic earthy disasters, would beryllium exempted nether the legislation.