Whereas the Province of British Columbia regulates annual allowable residential rent increases through the Residential Tenancy Regulation, BC Reg. 4772003, to protect lower income renters from housing insecurity; And whereas there is currently no similar provincial policy to protect small businesses or community-serving commercial tenants from unsustainable, unpredictable, and increasingly significant rent increases: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM ask the Province of British Columbia to provide local governments with the legislative authority to enable special economic zones where commercial rent control and demorenoviction policies could be applied to ensure predictability in commercial lease costs, so local small businesses and community-serving commercial tenants can continue to serve their communities.
