The new Residential Tenancies Act, Bill No. 46, received assent today in the Yukon Legislative Assembly. The legislation replaces the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
The new Act enhances protections for people living in rental housing and provides greater security and clarity for Yukoners who take on the role of providing housing for others. The proposed changes fall into six categories: administrative changes, reasons for ending tenancy, rent control, deposits, mobile homes and roommate tenancies.
The new Act was the result of extensive research, a review of best practices in other Canadian jurisdictions, stakeholder meetings and listening to Yukoners. The 2023 Confidence and Supply Agreement committed the Government of Yukon to initiate a review of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, legislate the elimination of without cause evictions and create a rent cap system for the Yukon tied to inflation. Regulations that support the Act are being developed, with implementation expected later this year.
The new Residential Tenancies Act delivers on our commitment to support a fair and stable rental market that works for both tenants and landlords. I want to thank the more than 1,600 Yukoners who shared their stories and ideas to help shape this legislation and I’m grateful to the Community Services team for their hard work in getting it across the finish line.
-
The review of the previous Residential Tenancies Act took place over 19 months and included feedback from over 1,600 Yukoners, 18 organizations and six other governments.
-
The Act removes "without cause" evictions and replaces them with clearly defined reasons for ending a tenancy, supporting greater housing stability.
-
New reasons for tenants to end a tenancy include safety risks and the need to move into long-term care.
-
New reasons for landlords to end a tenancy include major renovations, sale of the property to a new owner who will occupy the unit or changing the use of the property.
-
The Act creates a rent control system, using a two-year average of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Whitehorse to set annual rent increase limits.
-
Landlords may apply for “above index” rent increases for extraordinary expenses, up to three per cent above the rent index.
-
A new five-day grace period before a landlord can issue a notice for late rent adds fairness and reduces risk of unnecessary evictions.
-
The legislation includes modernization measures, such as allowing electronic communication and e-transfers and strengthens enforcement mechanisms.
Laura Seeley
Cabinet Communications
867-332-7627
[email protected]
Wayne Potoroka
Communications, Community Services
867-332-9427
[email protected]