Long-term Residential Leaseholds
On this page:
Overview
Who: The Ministry of Housing and long-term residential leaseholders
What: A “listen and learn” consultation to understand key issues facing long-term residential leaseholders
Where: Province-wide
Why: The Province is seeking to better understand the issues for long-term residential leaseholders and provide an opportunity to express new concerns
How: Online, in-person
Engagement summary
A long-term residential lease – sometimes also known as a 99-year lease or a leasehold unit – is a form of home ownership where, through a private contract, a person purchases from the owners of a building the right to occupy a premise for a long-term, fixed period (more than 20 years, and usually for 99 years on first purchase).
The Premier’s Liaison for Renters, MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, with support from the Ministry of Housing, conducted this engagement in response to a number of concerns raised by long-term residential leaseholders. The purpose was to better understand leaseholder concerns, perspectives and priorities.
A province-wide survey was conducted asking participants to:
- Rank a list of previously identified concerns in order of priority
- Provide additional details about the listed concerns and identify new concerns
- Provide suggestions to address the concerns
Two in-person engagement sessions were held in Vancouver and Victoria where participants were asked to discuss the issues in small groups and record group feedback, including priorities, additional concerns, and suggested solutions.
Results
Some of the key results from the engagement are highlighted below.
Participation
The engagement saw a high rate of leaseholder participation: of the approximately 2,500 leasehold units in the province, 421 completed survey responses were received, and 244 leaseholders attended the engagement sessions.
Demographics
Many participants identified as being seniors and low-income individuals. Of the survey respondents:
- Over half (58%) identified as retired and/or receiving a pension
- Nearly half (47%) indicated household income of less than $50,000/year
- The length of time participants had lived in their current unit was highly variable:
- 60% had been in their unit for less than 20 years
- Of these, over a third (21%) indicated 4 years or less
- 10% indicated 50+ years
- 60% had been in their unit for less than 20 years
Feedback
Participant feedback was valuable and informative. The major concerns for leaseholders were similar across individuals and groups, and are summarized below:
- Lack of transparency in the financial operation of the building, including a lack of:
- Details regarding building expenses
- Disclosure of repair/maintenance contract details
- Communication on long-term planning and upcoming maintenance
- High monthly costs for building operation and capital repairs and large special assessments charged on short notice
- Issues with building governance, including a lack of a mechanism for leaseholders to collectively represent their interests and be consulted in decision-making about their homes
- Escalating legal costs passed on to leaseholders and a lack of an accessible dispute resolution mechanism to resolve disputes that arise between leaseholders and landlords
Read MLA Chandra Herbert’s letter to the Premier and Minister of Housing and the full summary of the engagement results:
Related engagements
