Manitoba proposes changes for landlords, tenants

It could become easier for landlords to evict drug dealers and other tenants taking part in illegal activity, under legislative changes the Manitoba government is proposing.

Bill 40, which was introduced in the legislature Wednesday, 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.

"We'regiving 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," Jim Rondeau, the minister of healthy living, seniors and consumer affairs, stated in a release.

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.

As well, the legislation would allow landlords to charge a higher pet damage for new tenants "to encourage more landlords to allow pets in their buildings," according to the province's news release.