Ten more looking for exemptions from licensing bylaw
May 21, 2008 - 08:41
By Jillian Follert
OSHAWA -- With a little over a week until the City's new rental housing bylaw takes effect, 10 more landlords have asked to be exempted from the rules.
But after landing in hot water for granting the initial two exemptions in April, councillors have decided to keep their distance.
A half-dozen landlords attended Tuesday's finance and administration committee meeting to make their plea and were made to wait more than an hour before being told the committee had voted not to let them speak.
This despite the fact that all but one had requested permission to speak in advance, had been added to the agenda by the clerk's department and had taken time off work to attend the meeting.
"It's a waste of our time and money," said Sheena Badiani, a leasing administrator with P&P Investments Inc. "We feel like we're being pushed around. They've had this agenda since last week. It would have been courteous to tell us in advance if they weren't going to listen to us."â?¨ Council approved exemptions last month for two landlords who own homes near the Durham College and UOIT campus. Both added extra bedrooms before the new licensing bylaw was passed and before the preceding interim control bylaw was in effect.
Since they had the permits and paperwork to back that up, they argued council should allow them to use all six bedrooms in their homes despite the fact the new bylaw includes a four-bedroom cap for most rentals near campus.
Council granted the exemptions April 21, even though the new bylaw doesn't come into play until May 30.
Soon after there was swift backlash from neighbourhood residents who said they should have been consulted.
With that in mind, the finance and administration committee said all subsequent exemption requests will be dealt with after May 30, and after landlords have obtained a licence. As laid out in the bylaw, the requests will then go to a hearings officer who will allow input from neighbouring residents.
The landlords estimate it could take up to two months for them to have their properties inspected, receive a licence, request an exemption and go through the hearing process.
In the meantime, many have students in limbo waiting to hear how many bedrooms the homes will have before deciding whether to sign a lease for the coming school year.
"It's not fair to the students," said landlord Phil Pfeiffer, who spent about $30,000 adding extra bedrooms to his Dalhousie Street home in the summer of 2006. "I have a group waiting to rent from me and I can't tell them anything right now."
Licensing applications will be available this week at www.oshawa.ca.
Latest News
Dead Pickering bird ends West Nile seasonDURHAM -- A dead bird found in Pickering is the latest to test positive for West Nile virus (WNV).The crow was picked up on Sept. 2 and was the eighth bird in Durham in ...
Gas leak evacuates 10 Pickering homesPICKERING -- A gas leak on Sheppard Avenue in Pickering Thursday afternoon caused residents to evacuate their homes for more than five hours, a City official said.Everett ...
Relief for westbound commuters on Hwy. 401DURHAM REGION -- Two lanes of the westbound 401 collectors at the Don Valley Parkway have re-opened for the morning rush hour commute, however, the exit ramp to the DVP/404 on...
Top Prospects Game likely coming to OshawaOSHAWA -- It appears furious negotiations this week will see the 2009 CHL Top Prospects Game land in Oshawa. David Branch, commissioner of the Ontario Hockey League and ...
GM sales plummet in AugustDURHAM -- General Motors of Canada's sales plummeted in August, with tiny cars from other brands seeing big increases in sales. GM's car sales were down 19 per cent and truck ...
Mutton auditor charged by professional bodyCLARINGTON -- The accountant who conducted the audit into former Clarington Mayor John Mutton's expenses has been charged by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of ...
Repatriation ceremony on Saturday eveningDURHAM -- The latest repatriation ceremony is scheduled to come through Durham Region early Saturday evening. Three Canadian soldiers were killed and five others were injured ...
Teen beaten, robbed at house partyAJAX -- More than 20 charges have been laid against an Ajax teen after a violent robbery at a house party that saw a victim pistol-whipped. Officers seized drugs and guns, ...
Westbound 401 collectors at DVP remain closed for evening commuteDURHAM REGION -- Toronto-bound commuters will face delays on the westbound 401 at the DVP as the cleanup continues in the wake of a fiery early morning crash. A ...
Longtime Ajax teacher dies DURHAM -- After 19 years, Lester B. Pearson Public School has been forced to say goodbye to longtime teacher Larry Shortt. The Grade 6 teacher, who was 56, died Aug...