Landlords upset about new legislation being imposed

Last week, the province passed the Protecting Small Business Act which stops commercial tenants being evicted until the end of August.

The legislation also prevents tenants being locked out or assets being seized.

John Wilson speaks for the Affordable Housing Providers of Ontario.

He says landlords aren’t happy that this is being imposed by the government.

Wilson says they were using a collaborative approach previously.

“The government said a couple of times with public announcements and said if you don’t join the program we’re going to force you to. Well, now they have and that’s a bully approach not a cooperative approach,” he says.

He says they’re also upset that the legislation is retroactive to earlier in the year.

“Forcing the program retroactively to May 1st will create now illegal acts and at the time they were done were totally legal and all this will jam the court system,” Wilson says.

Under the legislation commercial tenants can’t be locked out or have their assets seized from May 1 until August 31st.

(photo by station staff)