Hamilton moves forward on licensing apartments around McMaster and Mohawk

Hamilton is a step closer to licensing rental units, starting with student units around McMaster University and Mohawk College.

City council's planning committee voted Tuesday to write a draft bylaw. If approved, that bylaw would launch a two-year pilot project aimed at landlords in Wards 1 and 8 with six or fewer units.

The landlords would pay a $200 annual fee and have to prove they've had up-to-date inspections around electrical, fire safety and other criteria. It wouldn't create any new regulations, but violations are only inspected on a complaint basis now.

The new vote is the closest the city has come to implementing a bylaw to license rental units. The debate has lasted for years, and spawned heated conversations around affordability and safety in Hamilton's housing market.

Those who want licensing say it will protect tenants living in unsafe conditions.

There are people living in "fire traps," said Coun. Terry Whitehead of Ward 14 (west Mountain). And tenants are afraid to speak up because of the "power imbalance" between landlords and tenants.

Stephanie Bertolo, the McMaster Students' Union vice president of education, said 13 per cent of students said in a survey that they feel unsafe in their units.

"I do not want to have to wait until six McMaster students, six of my peers, die from carbon monoxide poisoning," she said.

Landlords say licensing would be ineffective, expensive and won't fix the problem. They also argue the added expense will force landlords out of the market, making it harder for tenants to find affordable places to live.

"We're not all wealthy millionaires flying around in jets," said Adam Kitchener, owner of Unlimited Residential. "This is a lot of money to a lot of landlords."

City council pondered licensing in 2013, and people packed council chambers then too.

In 2016, the city established a committee to look at whether to license units. Arun Pathak of the Hamilton and District Apartment Association told councillors Tuesday that the city and councillors pushed the committee in favour of licensing. This pilot project motion came from that committee.

City staff will bring back a draft bylaw for approval in early 2019. City council will still have to ratify today's decision on Dec. 19.

Councillors Maureen Wilson (Ward 1), Chad Collins (5), John-Paul Danko (8), Jason Farr (2) and Whitehead (14) voted in favour of drafting a bylaw. No councillors were opposed.