Regulation needed to 'even the scales' between Alberta's landlords and tenants, advocate says

An advocate for renters' rights says the Alberta government needs to step in with greater regulations after a family's lease was ended because of a crying baby.

"I think we need to look at the laws that affect tenants and landlords in this province and say, 'Are they just, are they fair, are they working and if they're working, who are they working for?'" Kate Jacobson told Alberta@Noon on Wednesday.

Jacobson is with Renters' Action, a group that advocates for tenants.

Earlier in the week Mukesh Khanal told CBC News his family's rental lease was not renewed because of his crying baby.

Jacobson says it might surprise Albertans to learn how laws, in her opinion, lean towards the landlords more than tenants.

"It is absolutely legal for a landlord not to renew a lease when it expires. It is absolutely legal for your landlord to triple your rent on three-months notice. It is absolutely legal for your landlord to ask you to pay rent even though you can't live in the apartment because they are doing repairs," she said.

Jacobson says Alberta rents are some of the highest in the country, the province has no rent controls and real estate prices make ownership only a dream for many.

Families more vulnerable

"Families are much more vulnerable than single people when it comes to renting and that can be taken advantage of," she said.

"If you are living in Calgary, in order to buy the average house, you need to be making $87,000 a year, whereas median family income is $67,000. Most families do not have the income necessary to buy a home that would be a more ideal living situation."

And while pursuing a complaint on the basis of human rights is an option, it's not an avenue many people take, she said.

"I do find a lot tenants don't take this path because it's time consuming, it's bureaucratically complex and in the meantime, you don't have anywhere to live. Landlords hold a lot of the power."

Jacobson says improving the environment is going to take political will.

"Right now we have a housing market. If there is not a profit incentive for landlords to build family-accommodating buildings, more soundproof buildings, they are not going to do it," she said.

"Landlords are in the housing market to make money. By a little more regulation you can even the scales between landlords and tenants."

Here's a sampling of Alberta@Noon listener points of view on the issue:

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With files from Alberta@Noon