A new advocacy group representing landlords in Brampton is pushing back against the city’s recently implemented Residential Rental Licensing (RRL) pilot program, urging city council to reconsider its decision. The program, which aims to address the city’s ongoing issues with illegal rental units and rooming houses, has been met with resistance from many local landlords who believe it unfairly targets those who are already following the rules.
The two-year RRL pilot program, which launched on January 1, requires landlords with one to four rental units in five of Brampton’s electoral wards (1, 3, 4, 5, and 7) to register their properties and obtain a special license. The program includes a $300 annual fee per unit and mandates inspections of rental properties.
Ravi Sohal, director of the Brampton Housing Providers Association (BHPA), a group formed in response to the RRL, said the organization has already signed up around 1,300 members and has been actively protesting at city events. While the BHPA plans to advocate for landlords on various issues, including perceived biases at the provincially run Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), its primary focus is currently on opposing the RRL.
Sohal and his members argue that the program is ineffective and could discourage investment in Brampton’s rental housing market. “Creating a bylaw on top of another bylaw will not really be helpful,” Sohal said. He believes the program will only create additional work for the city and fail to address the illegal rental units it was designed to target.
Councillor Dennis Keenan, a strong supporter of the RRL, has defended the program, stating that it strengthens the city’s ability to enforce existing bylaws and health and safety standards. The city has introduced an escalating fine structure for noncompliance, with penalties ranging from $600 for a first offense to $1,200 for repeated violations.
One of the BHPA’s concerns is the random inspection provisions of the RRL, which require landlords to give tenants at least 24 hours’ notice before entering a rental unit under provincial law. Sohal also worries that landlords could be unfairly fined for tenant behavior that is beyond their control, such as exceeding occupancy limits.
Although the city has waived the $300 annual fee for the first phase of the pilot and is offering a reduced rate of $150 until September 30, Sohal is concerned that the fee could increase if the program is extended or expanded citywide.
Despite the pushback, the city has clarified that registration under the RRL pilot program is mandatory, and enforcement is already underway. Landlords who fail to comply may face fines for noncompliance.
The debate over Brampton’s RRL program is likely to continue as both sides weigh the impact of the pilot on the city’s rental housing market and community well-being.