Ontario orders rent increases held to 8%
Rollbacks to July 30

Toronto Star - November 6, 1975
By Andrew Szende

Ontario will impose an 8 per cent ceiling on rent increases retroactive to July 30, Housing Minister John Rhodes said today.

Rhodes was tabling legislation in th Legislature that will set the long-promised controls on rents.

He said both tenants and landlords will have the right to appeal increases imposed between Dec. 31 and Aug. 1, 1976.

However, there will be no appeal of the 8 per cent ceiling for leases signed between last July 29 and Dec. 31.

This means that increases in excess of 8 per cent over that period will be rolled back and landlords will have to refund the excess to their tenants

"Rent levies must be legislated for the common good," Rhodes told the Legislature.

Earlier this week, Rhodes had said increases would be restricted to around 10 per cent.

At a federal provincial meeting in Ottawa Monday, the federal government had urged provinces to adopt the lower ceiling of 8 per cent.

Rhodes said rent review boards will be established to hear appeals by landlords and tenants.

The boards would have the power to make a final decision.

Rhodes said rent review officers would be hired across the province.

The legislation will not include buildings built before next Jan. 1. Also exempt would be government owned buildings, buidlings of four residental units or less, luxury accommodation, co-operatives and non-profit housing.

Visit the Toronto Star newspaper