Give the Nova Scotian tenancy board and landlords a new set of rules. The tenancy board does not adequately limit the actions of landlords. There is no cap on how much landlords can impose upon tenants for rent. That means that the tenancy board is condoning landlords to commit grand larceny. People can only work so many hours per pay period and can earn so many raises per year.

     Some landlords won't consider you for tenancy if you won't divulge your SIN. They don't need such sensitive information- all they need to make credit checks is your full name and birth date; that's all they should get. Make it like a chain establishment- consistency, uniformity. If some landlords don't require SIN, then none of them should require them; they are inessential.

     These problems center around human rights; remember the push for $15 and fairness? (which didn't happen) This is about cost-of-living in a given region!

     In 2019, The landlord of a building on Almon St had a previous ownership who set an example and imposed a reasonable hike of $45. That year, the building was bought and in 2020, the new landlord imposed an unreasonable hike of $390, a 29% increase, which does far more than account for general costs and economic inflation. That rent hike is padding the wallets of opportunists who only know the yellow line and reprimand. Furthermore, the internet-listed price for identical 3-bedroom units at that building is $1570 and some tenants are being overcharged by as much as $165 because no one is policing landlord behaviour. The Nova Scotian tenancy act is not enforcing good bookkeeping. It should be enforcing rent fees and annual increase percentage caps that are consistent with labour market trends, as Ontario's does. This is unfair treatment, and placing too few restrictions upon landlords can condone prejudicial impositions from landlords upon tenants; condones bigotry and greed. A landlord could raise rent and push out a tenant simply based on stereotype, and nobody would know it because the landlord doesn't have to divulge an agenda. This is out of control and it needs to be addressed.

     Ontario has a rental fairness act from which Nova Scotia can learn>  https://settlement.org/ontario/housing/rent-a-home/tenant-rights-and-responsibilities/how-often-can-a-landlord-increase-the-rent/  Ontario's rental fairness  act is written in a concise format, while Nova Scotia's rental fairness act is a lengthy, convoluted disgrace. https://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/63rd_2nd/1st_read/b076.htm  Ontario's act ensures reasonable financial stability of the tenant and landlord by dictating that landlords can impose singular annual rent hikes which exceed no more than a certain percentage of the pre-existing monthly rent. Nova Scotia makes no such provision, thus permitting landlords to take advantage of tenants and commit grand larceny. As of 2019, Ontario landlords were able to impose a 1.8% rent hike per year, while in 2020, they will be allowed to impose rent hikes of 2.2%. In 2020, the aforementioned building on Almon St, Halifax, imposed a rent hike of 29%! 

Let's make this province a bit more hospitable, shall we? Let an MLA know that you don't want landlords taking unfair financial advantage of tenants.