RE: Number of renters limited, Jan 12
New rental licensing bylaws proposed by the City of Waterloo expect small homeowner-landlords to provide better accommodation than Jerry Seinfeld and Dr. Sheldon Cooper enjoy in their high-rise apartments.ย ย ย Minimum proposed standards includeย a separate 35 sq ft Dining Room, a 145 sq ft Living Room and a 45 sq ft Kitchen.
In todayโs โrecovering economyโ many homeowners sacrifice comfort for necessity by renting out a few rooms to students and newly graduated or entry-level workers. The City of Waterloo would subject these small entrepreneurs to unnecessary renovations, criminalย record checks, a detailed application process, yearly licensing fees and the authority of additional city inspectors entering their personal homes.ย ย ย Homeowner-landlords have a vested interest in renting to good tenantsย so licensing is redundant and financially punitive.
The City of Waterloo provides no proof that current bylaws have been vigorouslyย supported, that evening and weekendย enforcementย is tasked to bylaw officers, that frequent non-compliance has led to acceleration ofย repercussions against the recidivists and thatย current bylaws cannot be upgraded where needed.
The City of Waterlooโs Map 4 of bylaw complaints proves that bylaw infractions are concentrated primarily in a ten-block radius surrounding the UW,ย Conestogaย Collegeย and WLU.ย The law-abiding residents of the area, many of them students, deserve support now, not more red tape later. Can the City of Waterloo provide their reasoningย regardingย why licensing the entire city will encourage the existing non-compliant few to comply with the new regulations?ย
โElizabeth Lynn