Hello Real Estate Investors in Hamilton Ontario!
For those of you who are members of Mr. Hamilton’s REI Community, please save the date: January 5th. Lets kick off the year the right way! Celebrate successes from 2012 and look forward to achieving your investment goals in 2013.
In case you are looking for inspiration on what to write to your city officials, here’s what two of my friends have written to their Ward councilor and CC’d the mayor and all the other councilors as well. Enjoy!
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Subject: New Rental By-Laws
To: mayor@hamilton.ca; Brian.McHattie@hamilton.ca; Jason.Farr@hamilton.ca; Bernie.Morelli@hamilton.ca; Sam.Merulla@hamilton.ca; Chad.Collins@hamilton.ca; Tom.Jackson@hamilton.ca; Scott.Duvall@hamilton.ca; Terry.Whitehead@hamilton.ca; Brad.Clark@hamilton.ca; Maria.Pearson@hamilton.ca; Brenda.Johnson@hamilton.ca; Lloyd.Ferguson@hamilton.ca; Russ.Powers@hamilton.ca; Robert.Pasuta@hamilton.ca; Judi.Partridge@hamilton.ca
To Whom it May Concern:
I am a landlord with one tenanted property in Hamilton. Our tenants have five children. I have not raised their rent in 3 years because I know they are having trouble making ends meet.
The house, a semi-detached home, is decent, safe and clean. It has a nice yard and it is in a nice area on the Mountain. The children love living there and have made many friends.
The rent covers the bills for the most part – there is a bit leftover at the end of the month after repairs which we squirrel away for the new roof that is going to be needed in the next couple of years. It will also need to be painted soon, and we’d love to give the family some new flooring in the basement because the carpet is getting a bit worn in the basement and her youngest has allergies so removing the carpeting would be a really good idea.
I now hear that Hamilton is considering imposing Rental Licensing. I also hear that Waterloo did the same thing and the cost is several hundred dollars a year!!!
I can’t absorb that cost. Something is going to have to give. My tenant’s new flooring? Their rent? Their roof? They can’t move into a cheaper apartment – it’s hard to find something for a family of 7… How exactly would Rental Licensing improve things for my tenant?
Rental licensing will hurt families in Hamilton and small landlords. Please consider what you are proposing very carefully.
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Here’s another…
To:Â mayor@hamilton.ca;Â brian.mchattie@hamilton.ca;Â jason.farr@hamilton.ca;Â bernie.morelli@hamilton.ca;Â sam.merulla@hamilton.ca;chad.collins@hamilton.ca;Â tom.jackson@hamilton.ca;Â scott.duvall@hamilton.ca;Â terry.whitehead@hamilton.ca;Â brad.clark@hamilton.ca;maria.pearson@hamilton.ca;Â brenda.johnson@hamilton.ca;Â lloyd.ferguson@hamilton.ca;Â russ.powers@hamilton.ca;robert.pasuta@hamilton.ca;Â judi.partridge@hamilton.ca
Subject: Rental licensing in Hamilton
Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2012 15:12:13 -0500
Dear Sirs and Madames,
I am a relatively new landlord in Hamilton, encouraged by Don Campbell to invest in the TOP Ontario town of Hamilton because of your economic fundamentals. My properties are top-notch and I am a responsible landlord.
I was dismayed to learn that IN ADDITION to your landlord fines for poor maintenance etc. (which I wholeheartedly agree with), your city is about to impose additional, potentially hefty fees to license what is already legislated with enforced property bylaws.
Why the duplication and extra cost?  Why should good landlords be punished for bad ones?
I have no problem with mandatory fire safety and electrical inspections valid for reasonable periods of time and available at a reasonable cost. I would applaud them.  I feel very strongly about safe housing. I do have a problem with hefty rental licensing fees that amount to nothing more than a city cash grab which will inevitably be paid for by the tenants in your city… In fact, I believe it’s a highly INEQUITABLE plan – do homeowners pay a licensing fee to live in their homes? Essentially it amounts to DOUBLE TAXATION.  Other cities may have implemented hefty licensing fees but it doesn’t make it right. Safety inspections don’t need a licensing program to happen.
Any fees, taxes etc. should be charged EQUALLY to both owner-occupied and tenant-occupied homes. Enforced by-laws, fines etc. are applied to tenants and homeowners alike – which is why they are fair.
I was speaking with a couple of homeowners near McMaster University - they have noticed a BIG improvement in issues with garbage, noise, and yard maintenance in the past year…Enforced by-laws are working – keep city resources on it and continue to charge those who break the rules.  Leave good landlords alone!
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Thank You’s to Margaret and Matt for being vocal supporters of safe, affordable housing for our customers the tenants.
Now for the rest of you, do your part:
- SIGN THE PETITION ON LINEÂ (Ask your clients, colleagues and tenants to also do so) (http://www.activism.com/en_CA/petition/city-of-hamilton-proposed-rental-licensing-by-law/9850)
- EMAIL YOUR MAYOR ANDÂ ALLÂ WARD COUNCILORS IN OPPOSITION(http://www.hamilton.ca/YourElectedOfficials/WardCouncillors/)
- DISTRIBUTE LETTERS TO YOUR CLIENTS/ TENANTs
- SHOW UP AND SPEAKÂ DEC 11 at CITYÂ HALL
- Call and complain to your WARD COUNCILORÂ Â (like the neighbourhood groups do)
Till next time – Happy Hamilton Investing Everyone!
Erwin |Â MrHamilton.ca
PS: If you are just starting out investing, start by investing in yourself by getting training by Clicking here for FREE Training on “How to Invest in Nice Homes in Nice Areas”
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Thanks for sharing the letters, Erwin. It’s nice to see that many people actually still action after their blood gets boiling, and don’t just sit around moping about it. Wish I could write a letter of my own – I do think the licensing fees are extreme and painting everyone with the same brush instead of making touch-ups to the spots that need it. I live in the heart of Toronto though, so I’m thinking MPs and councillors would’t take me too seriously. I wish all of you success in your fight though!
It’s also important to note that larger cities like Toronto do not charge a landlord licensing fee and not only have a booming real estate market they have a successful apartment rental market.
Say no to landlord licensing.
Joe
I am a resident of Hamilton and last week sent a letter to my Ward Councillor, the mayor and all other councillors to oppose this licensing. Please send a letter/email even if you live outside Hamilton, it shows that outside people are looking in!
Here’s a copy of the quick e-mail that I just sent to the Mayor and all Counsellors from my iPhone: ”
Please do NOT allow rental housing licensing as it would add an unnecessary cost which tenants and small landlords cannot afford (most rental housing is owned by small landlords who only own one or a small number of properties). Cities in my region of Niagara looked at the possibility of licensing (St. Catharine’s and Welland) and the city councils rejected the proposals because they would be very costly and because the licensing is unnecessary as there are other existing means (other by laws) which can more cost-effectively deal with the issues surrounding rental housing. Licensing would require a great deal more stifling and unnecessary bureaucracy and what amounts to double taxation of tenants and landlords and it would drive many landlords out if the business, cause more derelict and unkempt buildings and lower the supply of quality rental housing (because landlords would stop investing in Hamilton). This would be a huge mistake. Please vote against licensing rental housing to protect the supply of affordable housing in Hamilton for the benefit of all tenants and the economic viability of owning rental properties for existing small landlords.
Sincerely,
Steven Kealey, BA, MSc “