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The Manitoba Landlords Association (MBLA) and its sister organization The Canada Landlords Association (CLA) are leading provincial and national organizations for private small residential landlords. We provide a unified voice for private landlords and promote and protect landlord interests to national and local government.

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Tenant Screening Manitoba: Tenant Credit Checks

November 3rd, 2013

Tenant Screening Including Tenant Credit Checks Is the Key For Success

Small residential Manitoba landlords are being treated unfairly.

You only need to look at the ridiculous allowable rent increase guideline for 2014 which is set at 2 percent.

Where’s the Media for Small Landlords?

The only story that received much media attention recently was about heating in large buildings.

Last month, Winnipeg City Council created fine system for landlords who fail to abide by minimum heat standards

It was a huge story on CBC news.

What Does This Have To Do With Small Landlords?

Very little.

Most small landlords either :

1. Rent Out Their Basement

So of course they will keep on as they share the unit with their tenants

2. Own a Duplex or Triplex or Other Small Unit

They will certainly keep the heat on. Not only for their tenants but for the protection of their rental investment property.

No heat equals frozen pipes and potentially thousands of dollars in needed repairs to fix them.

Where Is the News About Tenants Who Cheat Landlords Out of Rent and Do Damages?

Sadly, the media usually avoids these stories, even though there are so many landlords with these challenges.

Where Is the News For All the Good Small Landlords in Manitoba?

It’s almost non-existent.

It’s politically correct to blame everything on the landlord.

Neither the media or the government will promote or protect small landlords.

Who Represents All the Good Small Landlords Out There?

We’re trying. Help us out.

It isn’t easy with the media against us.

And the old established corporate landlord groups very happy to cooperate with the government.

And who won’t dare really challenge the government policies against landlords.

What Can Landlords Do?

The key is to find good tenants and avoid the Manitoba system.

How Can I Find Good Tenants?

It’s important for landlords all over Manitoba to do proper tenant screening.

This includes tenant credit checks and tenant criminal checks.

How Can I Do a Tenant Credit Check?

Join the Manitoba Landlords Association and you have access to high quality and low cost tenant checks you can do from your own home or office computer in minutes.

Manitoba Landlords Don’t Rely On the Government For Help

Times have changed. The government is not looking out for you!

Tenant screening is the key for success.

Protect yourself. Protect your family.

Protect your rental business!

Join the MLA and start doing premium tenant screening.

Tags: Good Tenants, Landlord forum, tenant screening
Posted in Tenant Credit Checks | Comments Off on Tenant Screening Manitoba: Tenant Credit Checks

Tenant Screening – Avoid Bad Tenants With Credit and Criminal Checks

October 5th, 2013

It’s Time For Manitoba Landlords To Protect Themselves With Great Tenant Screening (Including Credit Checks and Criminal Checks)

We’ve all heard about landlords facing the challenges of bad tenants before.

Not only bad tenants, but bad tenants being difficult for good tenants.

While the majority of tenants are good, these bad tenants are everywhere, all over Canada.

This Time It’s Different

We have a big wake-up call for all Manitoba Landlords.

There is now a problem facing landlords that is growing and can be devastating for your rental business.

It could also be a huge disruption and harm you and your family.

Freeman-On-The Land

According to a report at the Ontario Landlords Association Calgary landlord felt like a prisoner after the basement of her rental property was taken over by a Freeman-On-The-Land tenant.

Background

The landlord, Rebekah Caverhill rented out the back half of a duplex she currently owns in the lovely Parkdale area of Calgary to a new tenant in the Autumn of 2011.

She Thought She Rented To a Nice New Tenant

A few months after he moved in the landlord found the tenant had changed the locks.

She saw through the windows the property had been painted black.

CBC news said when she wanted to talk to him he screamed “I am a Freeman on the landlord, this is now my house not yours, the property is now my Embassy!”

He then slammed the door and locked it, using the new locks he set up without permission from the landlord.

He Screamed “It’s Not Your Home Anymore!”

Tenant Screening Is the Key for Success for Manitoba Landlords

Make sure you know who you are renting to before you hand over the key.

The Manitoba Landlords Association offers access to inexpensive credit checks and criminal checks for landlords.

Protect yourself, your family, and your rental property.

Screen Well!

To Discuss This And Other Landlord and Tenant Issues Go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum

Tags: criminal check, Ontario Landlords Association, Winnipeg landlords
Posted in Credit check | Comments Off on Tenant Screening – Avoid Bad Tenants With Credit and Criminal Checks

PROVINCE ADVISES MANITOBA RENT GUIDELINE SET AT 2% FOR 2014

September 4, 2013

Residential landlords all over Manitoba are facing increased pressures these days.

It could be bad tenants or changes in the ways we can legally conduct business (because that’s what we are – business people running a business).

Increased Costs

We also face increased costs.

Whether it’s insurance, taxes or the price of hiring good contractors to keep our property safe and attractive, it’s becoming more expensive to be a landlord in Manitoba.

Fortunately we can try to recover our costs by raising rents, right? Many landlords have emailed us saying that at a minimum their costs are rising by 5% each year. We repeat – that’s the MINIMUM. Many landlords have figures which far exceed 5%.

To counter these costs many small and medium residential landlords need to raise the rent. When you include the fact many landlords are being forced to leave their properties vacant if they can’t find a good tenant and a fair rent is more important than ever like in other anti-landlord provinces such as Ontario.

How Much Can You Raise the Rent in 2014?

On a Sleepy End of Summer Friday Afternoon the Government Announced the 2014 Rent Increase

Remember last Friday? Last Friday in August. Start of a long week-end. You had the barbeque ready, friends coming over, and your kids were excited for the last week-end before school.

That was the day the government announced the 2014 Rent Increase Guideline

Here it is in all it’s non-glory:

“Manitoba Healthy Living, Seniors and Consumer Affairs advises the 2014 rent guideline has been set at two per cent and will take effect Jan. 1, 2014.

The guideline is determined annually and takes into account cost increases such as utilities, property taxes and other expenses in the operation of a residential complex. Manitoba has proposed legislation that would make future calculations as transparent as possible. It is anticipated a prescribed formula or the consumer price index for Manitoba would be used to help determine the guideline rate.”

That’s right. Only 2%

Landlords can apply for an increase above the guideline if they can show the guideline will not cover cost increases they have incurred.

Tenants must receive written notice of a rent increase at least three months before the increase takes effect. For example, for a rent increase to take effect Jan. 1, 2014, tenants must receive notice by Sept. 30, 2013. With few exceptions, rent can only be increased once a year.

Tenants have the right to object to any rent increase, whether it is below, at or above the guideline. Objections must be made at least 60 days before the rent increase is set to take effect.”

Maybe it’s time all landlords in the province remember this when the next election comes.

To discuss this and other Manitoba landlord and tenant issues go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum.

Tags: Credit Checks, Landlord forum, tenant screening, Winnipeg landlords
Posted in How much can I increase the rent? | 1 Comment »

How About Some Media Coverage Of Winnipeg’s Worst Tenants?

August 25, 2013

The Winnipeg Free Press had a story about Winnipeg’s worst rental properties.

It’s very common for the media to make landlords (especially small residential landlords) their favourite whipping boy/girl.

We’re only the people who create safe and affordable housing for thousands of renters across Manitoba.

We’re easy to attack. We don’t have the millions of dollars in resources the large corporate landlords have to hire lawyers and public relations specialists.

We spend our money paying our taxes on time and maintaining our properties in the hope our tenants will stay, pay the rent on time, not damage the rental unit, and maybe even appreciate the risk we take to provide safe and affordable housing. Hey, let’s follow the Ontario model of treating small residential landlords like serfs.

But that’s not sexy. Stories about good landlords are boring, plain…vanilla in a media world that craves excitement and hits to their website. Who cares if the government creates rules that will lead to less investment and lead good landlords to invest outside the province.

There was an excellent letter to the Free Press from a landlord’s perspective.

It surprising it was even published because it was so honest.

Re: Revealing the ‘Peg’s worst homes (July 2). I have been a landlord since 2010 in the North End. I bought two houses, both of which were restored to prime condition. Each time a tenant moved, I had to spend thousands of dollars to restore the home to a livable condition.

I recently sold one of the houses, because I had to spend about $15,000 to restore it. The tenant had called Manitoba Health to complain about the condition of the house. Manitoba Health condemned the house, doing us a huge favour.

They got rid of the tenant legally, where as a landlord, I couldn’t. This house was restored and sold. I now look at stories like this with more open eyes. Is the landlord a slum landlord or is the tenant a slum tenant?

The Free Press writes stories about slum landlords all the time. Don’t you think it’s about time to write about the slum tenant?

PAT KRAHN

Winnipeg

…

To Discuss this and other landlord and tenant issues go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum.

Tags: Landlord forum, Ontario Landlords Association
Posted in Winnipeg landlords | Comments Off on How About Some Media Coverage Of Winnipeg’s Worst Tenants?

Winnipeg Renter Meeting

July 3, 2013

Are you a renter in Winnipeg with questions? If you are there is a Renter Meeting for you with the Residential Tenancy Branch and the City by-law department presenting.

For example, have you ever asked yourself the following:

1. Can you stop paying rent if repairs aren’t completed?

You know, if you broke the door or the fridge.

2. What can you do if you find bedbugs and your landlord doesn’t spray?

Shouldn’t the landlord be responsible for bedbugs, even if they are brought in by tenants.

3. What qualifies the apartment you rent as being condemned?

If you don’t take out the garbage or clean up the yard could it lead to you having to actually move out.

4. When is it right to call the City by-law department?

Do you only do this after you have been evicted?

5. If I call the Residential Tenancy Branch will I be evicted?

You’ve heard about all that spying in the United States. Has the landlord bugged your phone?

All your questions will be answered July 4^th, 2013 at the big meeting.

Presenters will include the Residential Tenancy Branch and the Winnipeg By-law and Enforcement Office.

If you are a Winnipeg landlord you can arrange your own meeting. After all, landlords are all raking in the money by running slums and ripping off tenants, right?

Or does the government want to portray hard-working small landlords that way. They seem to think small landlords don’t face challenges.

Small landlords who, in reality, create high quality, affordable housing for thousands of people in our city.

Small landlords who increasingly have to deal with tenants who don’t pay rent and don’t respect our properties.

Small landlords who are true stake-holders in the economic growth of our province.

Maybe the government should hold a meeting for us showing their appreciation of what we do.

Tags: Winnipeg landlords, Winnipeg renters
Posted in Residential Tenancy Branch | 1 Comment »

Manitoba Government Proposes Changes for Landlords and Tenants

June 1st, 2013

According to a report on CBC news, the Manitoba government is proposing changes to landlord and tenant laws in the province.

Bill 40 was introduced in the legislature. The government has stated this Bill will help landlords. For example, it proposes allowing landlords to end a tenancy in response to unlawful activity if it damages the building or poses a safety risk to other tenants.

It’s clear landlords need more tools to deal with dangerous situations.

In a news release by the Minister in charge of healthy living, seniors and consumer affairs, Jim Rondeau:

“We’re … giving landlords new powers to evict tenants who break the law, such as drug dealers, because illegal activity can create an unsafe living environment for tenants and real problems for landlords.”

The bill also proposes making landlords provide compensation for moving costs, as well as higher rental rates, if they are purposefully creating an “undesirable living environment” to displace tenants.

Among other things, it calls for changes to how rent increases are set so that they would follow a prescribed formula or are linked to the Consumer Price Index.

Rondeau’s news release also said “the legislation would allow landlords to charge a higher pet damage for new tenants to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their buildings

Here are the main points of the proposed changes

The province will devise a formula, perhaps based on the consumer price index as the Ontario rent increase formula is, for setting annual allowable rent increases.

Rules will be changed to make it easier for landlords to evict dangerous, law-breaking tenants

Landlords who purposely create undesirable living conditions during building renovations to push tenants out will have to compensate them for moving costs and the increased rent.

The appeals process will be reformed to speed up rulings in cases where tenants have not paid their rent.

Landlords will be allowed to charge a higher pet-damage deposit for new tenants to encourage more landlords to allow pets.

The rules for granting above-guideline rental increases will be tightened and limits will be set on the amount landlords can immediately charge to pay for renovations.

To discuss these and other issues facing Manitoba landlords go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum

Tags: Bill 40, Landlord Rights
Posted in Landlord and Tenants Laws, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Manitoba Government Proposes Changes for Landlords and Tenants

How Is the Winnipeg Rental Market? One Tenant Is Leaving

May 5th, 2013

After a terrible experience with Winnipeg’s rental market, a Nunavut woman who just moved in to Manitoba as a tenant said she’ll move back north.

According to a report on CBC News, tenant Madelaine Napayok said in March 2013 she had paid a total of $1,900 for rental payments and damage deposits to Property 1 Management since she moved to Winnipeg from Whale Cove, Nunavut.

Sadly the different property the company has moved her into has a lot of issues such as a broken window, walls with holes and a kitchen without a stove.

“Unbelievable,” she said. “The province of Manitoba and their tenancies? My goodness galore! I lived in Nunavut and I never saw anything like this” she added.

On March 1, Napayok has paid $800 for the rent and $400 as a damage deposit for the apartment in Selkirk Avenue however she was told the apartment was not yet ready.

“So they moved us to a house on Valour Road which had no stove,” she pointed out.

Then Property 1 Management offered her a suite in a house at Pritchard Avenue.

She moved in on the 12^th of April and the suite had mould, windows broken, dirty walls with holes, bathroom fixtures with cracks and leaks.

“This is horrendous. It’s like Halloween III,” Napayok said as she refers to the horror movie.

“I was expecting a nice fancy place for 800 bucks — like, proper running water and [a] proper door and clean house.”

Roger Seyforth, the owner of the Pritchard Avenue house told CBC News he’s paying Property 1 to manage his rental unit. Seyforth lives in British Columbia and had no idea someone was living in his unit.

The house was previously trashed by crack cocaine dealers and was evicted with the assistance of Manitoba Justice. “No one was going to go into that suite until we completed the repairs,” Seyforth mentioned. We’ve heard these types of stories all over Canada, especially in BC and in Ontario.

One of the Property 1 officials told CBC News that they are trying their best to help Napayok. The official said she chose the suite in Pritchard Avenue and did not pay the rent for April.

As of the moment the suite is under repair and Napayok is staying with friends. While we hear many landlords are leaving the market, in this case the tenant is planning to move back to Whale Cove by the end of the month.

The North End Tenant-Landlord Cooperation Program believes that Property 1 owes Napayok and has filed the papers with Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch to recover the $1,900.

To discuss this and other landlord issues go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum

Tags: vacancy rate
Posted in Winnipeg landlords | 1 Comment »

Manitoba Conservatives Demand Increase In Rent Allowance For People On Social Assistance

April 6th, 2013

…

Yes, Believe It Or Not, The Manitoba Progressive Conservatives Are Calling For A Welfare Rent Increase

According to a CBC News report, Manitoba Progressive Conservative leader (and leader of the Opposition) Brian Pallister has called for an increase in the rental allowance for tenants on welfare.

There have been lots of changes to how landlords and tenants do business in Manitoba with the changes to how the Residential Tenancy Branch oversees our industry. Now Manitoba’s Opposition party wants the rental allowance should be increased to coincide with the rising cost of living in the province.

PC leader Brian Pallister is calling for an increase to 75% of the median market rental rate.Mr. Pallister explained the rental allowance for people on government assistance in Manitoba hasn’t increase in twenty years.

However, rents have gone up dramatically in the same time frame.He pointed out raising the allow won’t put tenants on welfare on “easy street”, but will allow them to keep some of their month each month for other important expenses. This is a very enlightened and progressive way to help tenants on welfare. It’s an amazing contrast to Ontario where landlords are basically threatened to rent to tenants who don’t qualify and pass the average landlords’ tenant screening policy.

This is a big policy change for Manitoba. In the 1990’s the party called for cuts to government assistance.

The government said there aren’t any plans to increase the rental allowance in the budget scheduled for April 16th.

We at the MLA appreciate the pragmatic approach of the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives. It will make Manitoba a better place to invest in.

Tenants in Winnipeg face vacancy rates near 0%. It is almost impossible for tenants on social assistance to find the kind of good, safe housing each citizen deserves no matter how they pay their rent.

It’s time for the government to recognize the problem tenants on assistance face and follow the policy advice of Mr. Pallister.

We agree that it’s time resources were invested to “Make it possible for people living on social allowance to be able to afford a place to live.”

…

To discuss this and other landlord and tenant issues go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum and network with thousands of other landlords across Canada.

Tags: landlord advocacy
Posted in Tenants on welfare | 1 Comment »

Manitoba Landlords Face New Rules (Thanks Residential Tenancies Branch)

March 7th, 2013

In Spain there is a popular blessing. It goes like this “May no new things arise.” This blessing shows a belief that it is good to live in times of stability and consistency.

In China there is a well-known curse. The curse says “May you living in interesting times.” This is curse assumes times of change are not good ones.

Manitoba Landlords Get Ready. The Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch has announced that several new rule changes passed last year went into effect last week on March 1st.

If you think the new rules help landlords deal with things like evicting bad tenants think again. Our current Manitoba government isn’t the only Canadian government that doesn’t seem very concerned about landlords dealing with violence.

So what do Manitoba landlords faces with these new rules from the Residential Tenancies Branch?

One of the new changes involved a way renters in Manitoba can challenge any rent increase they receive from the landlord. They can make this challenge even if the rent increase is only at or even below the government’s published guideline.

Since last March 1st, tenants can object to a simple rent increase for the following reasons:

1. They claim the landlord is not maintaining the rental property

2. They claim the landlord has withdrawn or even reduced a previous facility or a servce

3. They claim the landlord hasn’t been following the Manitoba Residential Tenancies Act

4. The tenants don’t believe the landlords costs have really increased.

Yes, you read #4 correctly. In this era of rising costs, the tenants can challenge the rent increase because they don’t believe the landlords costs have gone up. Gulp!

Other changes include renters will no longer have to pay for late fees for their rent if they can show the delay wasn’t there fault because it was outside of their power to do anything. For example, maybe there was a problem with the mail.

There are also huge changes for Manitoba landlords who do renovations.

The government says manyl forms have been updated for use beginning March 1, 2013.

These include:

-Manitoba landlords Notice of Rent Increase (Form 1A)

-Manitoba landlords Notice: Notice to New Tenant (Form 2),

-Lots of termination forms, including Notice of Termination by Landlord (for cause other than non-payment of rent) which is Form 10, and Forms 11A, 11B, and 11C.

Lots of Tenant Rights Changes and NOTHING for landlords. More reason than ever before to make sure you find good tenants.

To discuss this and other landlord and tenant issues go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum

Tags: Manitoba Residential Tenancies Branch
Posted in Manitoba Landlords News | 8 Comments »

Brandon Manitoba Landlord – Increasing costs for landlords makes housing less affordable

February 9th, 2013

Brandon, Manitoba Landlords Letter About Increasing Costs for Landlords Strikes a Nerve All over the Province!

Manitoba landlords are facing a lot of challenges in 2013.

Landlords across the province are shocked we can only raise the rent by 1% in 2013 despite our rising costs.

Tenant on tenant violence is increasing and driving international students away from studying in our universities.

A letter in the Brandon Sun newspaper from a Brandon landlord has led to a very strong reaction from small residential landlords across the province.

In his or her letter, the landlord supportss Brandon councillors who made a good decision to accept one million dollars to sell an asset owned by the city.

He or she also specifically commended Councillor McCrae for truly representing the citizens of Brandon by making it clear any proposals on affordable housing could be decided on my council, not only by the mayor in a unilateral decision.

The letter continued…

The writer stated it was good news city council in Brandon has ruled they will increase spending for affordable housing. He or she also stated if was good for the city that there are resources available to help Brandon tenants in need.

However, the write said his or her employer supplies affordable housing for the city already. And rather than receiving support and encouragement the employer has received:

1. A large new tax increase on each unit supplied to tenants in need

2. Large new increases in costs for garbage collection.

Why did the letter get such a strong reaction?

Because Manitoba landlords are getting fed up with a government who doesn’t appreciate us. We have a growing economy and more people are coming to our province and need places to live. Yet our government leaders are treating small business landlords in a poor fashion that mirrors anti-landlord provinces such as Ontario where landlords are leaving the market instead of pro-rental housing growth provinces like Alberta.

It’s time Manitoba landlords are appreciated for being important suppliers of safe and affordable housing in Manitoba!

To discuss this and other landlord matters go to the Manitoba Landlord Forum

Tags: rental property
Posted in Brandon Manitoba landlords | 1 Comment »

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