Vancouver rent petition calls for family protections

A Vancouver woman whose family is facing a massive rent increase because they had a baby has launched a petition with the hopes of bringing change.

Last week, CityNews brought you the story of Victoria Walsh, who was told her unit would be seeing a 20 per cent rent hike because the new infant was being considered a new occupant.

“In B.C. there is a rising number of cases of landlords using the Residential Tenancy Act to impose disproportionately large rent increases to those who give birth and adopt children,” the petition reads.

“It is an obvious, unethical abuse of the legislature that manipulates the policies to treat children exactly the same as working, adult roommates.”

Walsh’s petition, which gathered more than 1,500 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon, says the Residential Tenancy Act has “no specific clause to address tenants who give birth or adopt,” adding as such, landlords have been able to impose rent increases “by citing the policies regarding additional occupants.”

“It is unconscionable to act as if a baby has the same qualities as a roommate and to enforce the maximum rent increases as soon as they are born or adopted,” the petition continues.

Walsh’s plight is on the radar of B.C.’s premier, who says the province has very clear guidelines around increasing rent, adding they are not dependent on family size.

A Vancouver couple is dealing with increasing rent costs after having their first child. Victoria Walsh says the rent hike amounts to about $400 extra per month — something she says is “unfair.” (Submitted)

David Eby says he will look into whether some landlords are treating infants like adult occupants, as they are defined in the Residential Tenancy Act.

“It seems strange to me that that would be the case under our tenancy rules. I’m happy to have a look at the policy, I’ll work with the housing minister and certainly with that affected family to find out how the rules are being applied there to address that,” Eby said Tuesday.

“There’s a fixed percentage that rents are allowed to be increased in British Columbia and we’ve been holding the line on those because we know that renters are struggling. We’re also looking for other ways to support both renters and landlords, because people who provide housing are critically important and we know that many renters are struggling with affordability right now.”

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Eby, who is a father of two, says it’s not like infants are adults who can hold jobs and contribute to the rent.

“The children at our house — and we love them very much — we don’t see them as, sort of, taking a job, we see them as sometimes creating additional work around the house from time to time,” the premier joked. “They definitely pay us back in love, and joy and different ways.”

The increase Walsh was told would be applied to her rent amounts to about $400 extra per month. That, she says, is unreasonable “for a baby that sleeps in my bed.”

“She shouldn’t be treated like a roommate and I feel it’s very unfair,” Walsh said of her baby girl.

Robert Patterson, a lawyer and tenant advocate with the Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre, has said he’s seen tenants challenge these kinds of fees, though he admits decisions have gone either way.

Meanwhile, B.C. Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon previously suggested the province was looking at making changes in this area but didn’t elaborate.

-With files from Monika Gul