By Keith Doucette

Service Nova Scotia Minister Jill Balser informed reporters following a cupboard assembly Thursday that her division is monitoring tendencies and needs to keep away from disrupting the housing provide as emptiness charges look like bettering. The federal government has stated the province’s emptiness price has risen during the last yr to 2 per cent from one per cent.

“An unintended consequence is that we wouldn’t wish to see something that’s going to influence provide,” stated Balser. 

Nonetheless, she didn’t specify how the housing provide can be affected, underneath repeated questioning by reporters.

“We have now seen the misuse of fixed-term leases and this can be very disappointing, however once more our focus has all the time been on provide,” she stated. The minister careworn that it’s necessary for folks to know what they’re entering into earlier than signing a lease.

“For individuals who discover themselves in a scenario the place they suppose the principles are being damaged, the residential tenancies program is there to assist,” stated Balser.

However the Opposition NDP and Liberals each stated Balser’s rationalization for not appearing doesn’t make sense.

Interim Liberal chief Derek Mombourquette has prompt the federal government desires to offer landlords a loophole to get across the 5 per cent cent cap that’s in place till the tip of 2027, a cost Balser denied as “not true” on Thursday.

“I don’t purchase this concept that there are unexpected penalties, I simply don’t,” stated Mombourquette. “There’s an apparent downside that’s impacting renters throughout this province … and the federal government shouldn’t be appearing on it.”

NDP caucus chair Sue Leblanc stated addressing an issue that permits landlords to jack up lease past the cap shouldn’t be a authorities precedence.

“Individuals come into my workplace each single day fearful about getting evicted or not with the ability to discover a place to reside when their fixed-term lease runs out,” stated Leblanc. “The federal government’s focus doesn’t appear to be on them … we have to deal with the folks which might be most weak.”

In contrast to a periodic lease, a fixed-term lease doesn’t routinely renew past its set finish date. The provincial lease cap covers periodic leases and conditions during which a landlord indicators a brand new fixed-term lease with the identical tenant, but it surely doesn’t cowl fixed-term leases with new tenants.

Final fall, various landlords defended using fixed-term leases earlier than a legislature committee, saying it helped them recoup prices within the face of the federal government’s lease cap.

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Atlantic housing supply Jill Balser landlords liberals ndp Nova Scotia Regional rental market The Canadian Press

Final modified: Might 16, 2025