Full Emails Obtained via FOIPOP Request
Emails reveal details about legislative decision making and the level of access to Ministers and law makers that landlord groups have.
Dal Legal Aid recently obtained emails through a FOIPOP request for emails between Service Nova Scotia executives and the Rental Housing Providers of NS (RHPNS, formerly IPOANS), as well as emails between senior management and executives at the Department about legislative changes to Residential Tenancies; including the abandoned Compliance and Enforcement Unit, impacts of fixed term leases, and the amendments that were passed in the fall sitting.
The full content of the FOIPOP requests is available to view and download below.
Highlighted Points from Obtained Emails:
In draft briefing for Minister Jill Balser on Nov 5, 2024, executives at Service NS cite “the increased use of fixed-term leases and predatory landlord behaviour” as critical issues impacting Residential Tenancies. Saying that “there has been an increase in landlords terminating tenancies without cause for termination, changing rules to incentivize tenants to end the tenancy, and charging unlawful application fees.” (page 289, Timelines & Evictions Package) In the official briefing sent by Gary O’Toole on Dec 12, 2024, the same briefing was changed to only read, “The increased use of fixed-term leases by landlords. Some landlords ending tenancies without cause, changing rules to discourage tenants from staying, and charging unlawful application fees. These are matters that can be resolved by the Residential Tenancies Program, but tenants must apply to see a solution.” (page 26, Timeline & Evictions Package).
In a Feb 2024 email to management at several other Departments about the upcoming legislative amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act, one of the proposed changes (point 2) is redacted, and was never introduced as part of the amendments in the fall. All other points were later included (page 231, Timelines & Evictions Package). Dal Legal Aid is calling on the Province to release details of the proposed amendment and clarify why it was not brought forward in the House.
When asked by the RPHNS to have more seats at the table at stakeholder meetings – staff at Service NS allowed one extra seat, and denied their request for additional ones, saying they already have “the ability to meet with senior leadership within government that the tenant groups do not typically have.” (page 317, IPOANS/RHPNS Package)
IPOANS/RHPNS privately met with the Ministers’ office, DOJ, and senior executives at Service NS at least 9 times from 2021 to present. At one point, it appears the Department was holding regular meetings with them in early 2023 around “RTA – Inflation Relief” (page 82, IPOANS/RHPNS Package). Many of their recent concerns overlap with legislative amendments introduced in the fall sitting, including agenda points discussed in a meeting with Colton LeBlanc, then Minister for SNS, in late August 2024.
The emails also include briefings to Minister Balser on a Compliance and Enforcement Unit for Residential Tenancies (page 20, Timelines & Evictions Package), details on RHPNS policy objectives and meetings with Ministers and senior government officials (IPOANS/RHPNS Package), and a study by RHPNS showing that 88% of their landlords are using fixed term leases (page 249, IPOANS/RHPNS Package), among other studies (page 77, 159, IPOANS/RHPNS Package).