Carleton’s student union is sounding the alarm about their report earlier this year that it says identifies loopholes in Ontario’s Residential Tenancies Act that disproportionately affect students.
The issue in the report — titled “No Room for Students”— is “vacancy decontrol,” which refers to a part of the legislation that allows unregulated rent once a tenant moves out of a unit.
Since students have higher turnover rates than other renters, the report said Ontario students have become the “hardest-hit victims of Canada’s housing crisis.”
The report provided policy recommendations, such as restoring vacancy control and creating a province-wide registry tracking rent increases.
“There are no restrictions on what your landlord can charge the next person who moves into your building,” said Aidan Kaillionen*, CUSA’s vice-president of student issues. “This creates a system where students end up paying a lot more than their peers living in the same place only a year or two earlier.”
The report found students’ turnover rates are almost double that of the standard housing market and leads to students paying an average of 25 per cent more than the renters before them.
Kallioinen said CUSA prioritized advocating for vacancy control because it “isn’t talked about nearly as much as it should be.”
CUSA has also been tabling to raise awareness of vacancy decontrol among students. Students have been invited to write down their rent costs and areas so community members can compare with their peers.
Ottawa Centre MPP Catherine McKenney said they found CUSA’s report and policy recommendations “important in keeping student housing affordable.” They said they brought up the report at Queen’s Park, saying the report “should be paid attention to” to address student housing affordability.
“We hear directly from students that housing is unaffordable, and there are solutions they’ve identified.”
McKenney said housing policy is moving in the wrong direction, charging that “the Ford government has introduced legislation that strips away tenants’ rights.”
“This government has shown itself, over almost a decade, to be concerned with private and large corporate land owners and landlords.”
The Government of Ontario did not respond to a request for comment on CUSA’s report.
Haley Johal, a fourth-year political science student and volunteer with CUSA, said the campaign deals with a pressing problem.
“Rent control is such an issue right now, especially for first-years moving out and people switching housing.”
Johal added students, including herself, already pay high rent to live close to campus, even without vacancy decontrol.
Teagan McGlynn, a first-year student in global and international studies living on campus, echoed Johal’s concerns. She said due to high rent costs, she’s moving back home after this school year and will need to commute 40 minutes for classes.
McGlynn said students often choose to live with roommates, which comes with its own set of problems, especially when students need to find places quickly.
“Affording a place on your own is kind of a nightmare,” she said. “You want to find something as soon as possible, and it doesn’t give you time to breathe.”
“(It) can be scary getting places with people you don’t know,” she added “People are always looking for a random roommate to scramble up that other part of rent.”
McGlynn said CUSA’s advocacy over vacancy decontrol is the first she’s heard of, adding that it was “a shock to see” the information they provided.
“It kind of makes sense now why things are getting so expensive,” McGlynn said, citing the 25 per cent rent increases.
Kaillioinen said CUSA wants to do more than raise awareness about vacancy decontrol. During tabling, the student union has encouraged students to sign a petition to present to Ontario’s legislature.
He said CUSA will continue working with students and legislators to tackle vacancy decontrol and that he hopes other organizations will follow.
“The work is only beginning,” he said. “We don’t want this report to collect dust.”
*Aidan Kallioinen has previously contributed to the Charlatan.
Featured image by Zayn Daureeawoo/the Charlatan
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