Thank you, Mr. Chair. I am here to present Bill 25, An Act to Amend the Residential Tenancies Act.
The Residential Tenancies Act was amended in 2015 to make a number of changes, including providing for the enforcement of orders through filing with the Supreme Court, allowing for applications to terminate tenancy agreements due to domestic violence, providing a remedy to a tenant for termination on notice of rent increase where rent is not then increased, and establishing a regulation-making authority to set fees for the filing of applications with the rental officer. Since these changes were made, a number of additional concerns regarding the act have been brought to the attention of the department from both the public and by Members.
Bill 25 addresses these concerns, and includes amendments which would:
• Permit the filing of rental officer orders electronically or by mail;
• Provide authority to rental officers to correct minor errors in their orders; and
• Adjust the definition of "tenant."
These amendments would help increase access to justice for tenants and landlords in the Northwest Territories by allowing easier filing of rental officer orders. They would also create efficiencies by allowing for correction of minor errors in rental officer orders without requiring that the order be taken to court. Lastly, they would allow the continuing allocation of subsidized public housing in an appropriate and fair manner.
I would like to thank the Standing Committee on Social Development for its review of the bill, and I would be happy to answer any questions that Members may have regarding Bill 25. Thank you, Mr. Chair.