The Government of Yukon is committed to supporting a sustainable and affordable housing market across the territory.
Last summer, the Yukon government began a review of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. As part of this process, the Government of Yukon brought together 11 community members to discuss key issues affecting landlords, tenants and businesses to help inform the broader review.
The Yukon government is now seeking input from Yukoners on key issues impacting landlords, tenants and businesses, as well as additional feedback regarding the Act.
An online survey, developed in partnership with the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, will be open from February 1 to February 29, 2024. Facilitated in-person sessions will be held in Whitehorse, Haines Junction, Dawson City and Watson Lake. Online public information sessions will also be offered.
Paper copies of the survey will be available at territorial agents and community libraries around the territory and the Residential Tenancies Office, in the lobby of the Jim Smith Building and at the Whitehorse Public Library in Whitehorse. Respondents can mail completed surveys in the self-addressed envelopes postmarked no later than February 29.
A What We Heard report with the results of the survey will be released later this year.
The plan is to introduce the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act in 2025.
A review of the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, along with limits to rent increases and the elimination of no-cause evictions are part of the Government of Yukon’s Confidence and Supply Agreement with the Yukon NDP.
Creating a sustainable and affordable rental market is complex. I am grateful for the stakeholders who helped us explore the issues affecting residential tenancies in the Yukon. We now want to hear from everyone who has an interest in new legislation. Your feedback will help us explore options that combat housing insecurity while maintaining a balance of interests between landlords and tenants.
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Participants in the Solutions Lab met 17 times over two months. They came from diverse backgrounds, and while they represented their own individual perspectives, they brought various insights from their experience at the following organizations:
- The Safe at Home Society
- Yukon Council on Aging
- Da Daghay Development Corporation
- Yukon Tenant Association
- Yukon Residential Landlord Association
- Association of Yukon Communities
- Gray Management Services
- Yukon Real Estate Association
- Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce Housing Committee
- Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition
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All work in the Solutions Lab represented the views of individual participants, not of these organizations.
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The stakeholders identified a wide range of issues to put to the public. Some of the issues include:
- flexibility of rent increases;
- ending tenancies;
- understanding the market;
- landlord and tenant education;
- lack of clarity of terms; and
- the role of the Residential Tenancies Office.
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Several other areas were identified through disputes and other interactions by the Residential Tenancies Office, such as the definition of roommates, clarity around mobile home site tenancies, and short-term rentals.
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Public input is crucial to developing legislation that better reflects the interests of current and future landlords and tenants.
Renée Francoeur
Cabinet Communications
867-334-9194
renee.francoeur@yukon.ca
Bonnie Venton Ross
Communications, Community Services
867-332-5513
bonnie.ventonross@yukon.ca