London city council tonight voted to license smaller landlords, a measure most politicians said would protect the health and safety of vulnerable tenants.
The new bylaw was a compromise measure that will leave about 8,000 landlords rather than bylaw officers policing properties on first inspections
The new bylaw only applies to rental properties with four or fewer units and properties that have added units since 1993 without expanding the size of the building.
But the London Property Management Association sought support from tenants in high-rises with notices that warned they would be slapped with a “tenant tax.”
That claim is disputed by city staff, who say the licence fee per building simply covers the cost of adding a bylaw officer and a clerical worker to boost enforcement — a view endorsed by most of council
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2009/09/21/11038586.html
Labels: Landlord Tax, Lettings in London, London Lettings