Manitoba extends provisions to protect tenants during COVID-19

Manitoba’s Residential Tenancies Branch advises that two measures put in place to help protect tenants during the COVID-19 pandemic will be extended until Sept. 30.

The current freeze on rent increases for residential tenants will continue. Landlords can continue to give notice of their intention to increase rent, but the higher rate cannot be charged until after Sept. 30.

Tenants are expected to continue paying rent in full and on time. If this is not possible, tenants and landlords should work together to develop a payment schedule and agree on any other necessary terms. Late fees continue to be prohibited for failure to pay rent during this time.

Non-urgent eviction hearings will continue to be postponed, and will not be scheduled until after Sept. 30. In the interim, residential landlords may only evict tenants for urgent health and safety reasons. Tenants cannot be evicted for non-payment of rent.

Both of these provisions were put in place on March 24 in response to COVID-19.  For more information, landlords and tenants should visit www.manitoba.ca/covid19 or www.gov.mb.ca/rtb.