Alberta, landlords are legally permitted to raise the rent by any amount they choose, provided they only do so once every 365 days and give proper notice. Advocacy groups, legal experts, and renters argue that implementing an annual cap on rent hikes is necessary for several critical social and economic reasons:

Preventing Displacement and Homelessness: 

• Mitigating sudden spikes: Uncapped rules allow single hikes of 20% to 50% or higher, which immediately prices out average tenants.
• Preventing "renovictions": Extreme hikes are sometimes used by new building owners to force out entire blocks of existing tenants under the guise of market adjustments.
• Protecting vulnerable groups: Seniors on fixed incomes and low-wage workers face sudden eviction when they cannot match skyrocketing market rates.

Restoring Financial Stability for Households:

• Stretching household budgets: Unregulated jumps force Albertans to cut back heavily on essentials like groceries, healthcare, and utilities.
• Trapping renters: When rents climb faster than savings, tenants are unable to transition into homeownership, keeping them trapped in a tight rental cycle.
• Lowering cost of living pressure: Capping annual increases protects residents from losing the "Alberta advantage" to rapid local inflation.

Reducing Landlord-Tenant Disputes:

• Decreasing legal bottlenecks:  Massive jumps often trigger immediate disputes regarding property maintenance and fairness.
• Relieving tribunals: An annual limit provides a clear boundary, drastically reducing the caseload handled by the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service (RTDRS).
• Creating predictability: Knowing the maximum allowable increase ahead of time lets both parties plan their finances without friction.

Aligning with Pan-Canadian Standards:

• Establishing basic protections: Alberta remains the largest Canadian province without any form of rent stabilization, leaving its renters uniquely exposed.
• Matching neighboring policies: Most other provinces balance supply incentives with safety nets, establishing baseline maximum annual increases that match inflation.

Solutions exist, and we do not have to look far to find them. Provinces like British Columbia have implemented annual caps to keep rent increases predictable and manageable—setting the maximum allowable increase at 3% for 2025 and 2.3% for 2026. Alberta should follow this model. Implementing sensible rent controls would create a stable, predictable housing market for tenants while curbing arbitrary price spikes.

We call on the Alberta government to introduce legislation capping annual rent increases and requiring transparent justification for any additional rate hikes. Taking action now will protect vulnerable residents and foster a balanced, fair housing market that respects the rights of both tenants and property owners.

Please sign this petition to help stop uncontrolled rent hikes and protect the rights of tenants across Alberta. t's easy to complain, but as the old saying goes, "Actions Speak Louder Then Words." Join me in urging the Alberta government to take meaningful action. I need your support, together, we can make a difference. 

THANK YOU!