Alberta Residential Landlord Association (ARLA) works hard to bring our members together with Municipal, Provincial and Federal governments and ensure their voices are heard. ARLA ensures positive relationships are developed at all levels of government and we use these relationships to positively advocate and represent our members.  We sit on various Alberta boards and committees and have taken part in City of Edmonton Initiatives including the current issue on the Waste Management Strategy.  We have been invited to take part in numerous discussions with all levels of Government with respect to multifamily housing.

ARLA ensures that each year a contribution from the previous years financials is distributed to the Political Action Reserve (PAR) Fund.  The PAR Fund is used by ARLA for Lobbying/Strategic campaigns on behalf of the membership for issues that arise municipally/provincially and federally that require an outcome.  

Alberta – currently sit on the following Councils:
  • Alberta Barrier Free Council - Safety Codes Council
  • Alberta Residential Tenancies Advisory Committee (ARTAC)
We keep communication up with the City of Edmonton Fire Department, City of Edmonton Police Department, RTDRS and Service Alberta and have built quality relationships with them. ​
Alberta's Rental Market Dynamics and Policy Landscape 2024
Over the past months, ARLA has worked with Pivotal Research to prepare for distribution to our membership the Rental Market Policy Landscape from past to present.  This report provides a comprehensive view spanning that highlights the past to present expenses and issues Property Owners are facing. We have attached the public report and members can view the full report and 3 page infographic under landlord resources.   
Thank you for providing me with a copy of the report and infographic on the rental market dynamics and policy landscape in Alberta. I appreciate the research being conducted to identify policy options to increase rental affordability for both renters and landlords in Alberta.
 
I would like to thank you and the Alberta Residential Landlord Association for your ongoing service on the Alberta Residential Tenancies Advisory Committee. Your commitment to improving the rental industry for all Albertans is commendable. 
 
I look forward to continuing to work with the Alberta Residential Landlord Association and other industry stakeholders to ensure that Alberta remains an affordable option to live and work.
 
Sincerely,
Honourable Dale Nally
Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

Key Highlights:
  • Stable Rental Rates: Contrary to common misconceptions, our analysis reveals that property owners have not significantly increased rental rates over the past decade. Despite this, operating expenses have increased.
  • Challenges Faced by Property Owners: The report outlines the current expenses and challenges faced by property owners, emphasizing the complexities of managing multifamily properties.
  • Factual Basis: These researched documents serve as a factual foundation. They dispel the myth that property owners arbitrarily raise rents without cause, highlighting the opposite trend.
  • Government Engagement: We intend to leverage these documents in discussions with various levels of government. They will provide essential context for licensing considerations and rent control policies.
  • Board of Directors Involvement: Our Board of Directors actively participates in council and committee meetings. The report equips them with accurate data to contribute meaningfully to these discussions.
  • Social Media Campaign: Starting soon, we will share snippets from this report via our social media channels. Our goal is to enhance public understanding of the rental landscape.              
  • Share and Utilize: Feel free to use and share this document within your networks.
  • Stay Connected: Follow us on our social media platforms for regular updates and insights.​​
Alberta - Rent Controls
Housing availability and affordability are a conversation taking place across Canada.  Demand for housing continues to increase along with rental rates.  Alberta continues to maintain some of the lowest rents in Canada without Rent Controls, however, the topic of rent controls is becoming a conversation among politicians across Alberta.  Although our Premier and Minister of Housing have stated that rent controls are not on the table for discussion, this can change, and ARLA and its members need to be prepared.  We have been preparing and meeting with groups across Canada and Landlords with respect to this and we will look to our membership for further support.  We need to be prepared and ready to ensure Alberta is kept rent control free!
Current Efforts
ARLA continues to observe all City of Edmonton Council Meetings to ensure we are aware of any issues that pertain to the Residential Rental Industry. 
 
At the City of Edmonton Community & Public Services Committee meeting held on March 20, 2023, several motions were brought forward by Councillor Knack on behalf of Councillor Janz, with respect to Landlords and licensing of them along with allowing a landlord registry. City Administration provided a report which you can access in the below link that was brought to City council April 4, 2023 and was approved to be further looked into.  ARLA is currently putting together a letter to all City Council and will keep you up to date as this moves forward but I would appreciate any feedback you may have that I can include in this letter to City Council.  

Here is where you can find the article and the report itself.  I have also included the motions that were made below.
City staff are exploring plans for a possible landlord registry that would identify landlords who consistently break bylaws or safety codes. The city is also reviewing a potential process for suspending the business licenses of landlords found to be in violation of rules. City administration outlined the options in a report accepted by councilors during an April 4 council meeting. “It’s just making sure that folks who rent have greater protection and control about where they might call home,” Councilor Andrew Knack told Postmedia.
  • Summary of Committee's Decision on item 7.3:
Moved by: A. Knack
1. That Community and Public Services Committee recommend to City Council:
That the Mayor, on behalf of City Council, write a letter to the Government of Alberta requesting an exploration of additional supports for mobile home tenants via amendments to the Residential Tenancies Act.
2. That Administration bring forward a service package for consideration as part of the 2023 Fall Supplementary Operating Budget Adjustment outlining the resources needed to enhance the existing business license review processes to cancel, suspend or impose conditions on licenses issued to landlords where unsafe conditions are identified during investigations and include a jurisdictional scan of other municipalities.
3. That Administration bring forward a service package for consideration as part of the 2023 Fall Supplementary Operating Budget Adjustment outlining the resources needed to create and maintain a landlord registry that provides information to prospective tenants on issues with specific properties relating to health and safety and include a jurisdictional scan of other municipalities.
Due Date for Parts 2 and 3: Fall 2023 Supplemental Operating Budget Adjustment
 
This was the new program with bylaw adjustments – development of a Derelict Residential subclass:
https://pub-edmonton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=179469

There have been other Cities in other provinces that have also brought an issue such as this forward such as Oshawa and Toronto. 
We will monitor this issue to ensure our voices are heard and will call upon members if this becomes a bigger issue. ​

ARLA has also been sending letters to the AB Government and City of Edmonton with respect to the Safety and Security in our City. Here is the letter we sent to both governments and the two responses we received.


ARLA is currently working on a paper that would reduce Red Tape within the Residential Tenancies Act as well as a paper to address issues within the Residential Dispute Resolution Services.

Previous Efforts
The various committees of the Alberta Residential Landlord Association work to affect favorable change within the various levels of government. Previous efforts include:
  • ARLA presented to the City of Edmonton on behalf of its membership for 2 years requesting them to review the Multi-Family Residential & Condominiums Waste/Recycling and organics service and cost.  We were asking the City to allow the Residential Industry to secure their own private contractor for waste/recycling and organics processing and remove the City of Edmonton’s Monopoly.  Currently the City of Edmonton charges $30.69 per unit per month for these services, and although we have already been paying into the organics processing, we have not received this service. The organics processing is to be implemented to all multifamily over the next two years.   We know that we can secure this service at a much better rate and have better control over our service and still work with the city on the 25-year Waste Strategy Plan.  In March 2022, ARLA alongside some of our members, presented to the City Council again and were defeated – The City voted in favor of the Status Quo and waste will still be monopolized by the City of Edmonton.  ARLA will bring this issue forward again when the organics processing to Multifamily units starts.
  • Commissioned the Split Mill Rate Position Paper, presented to the City of Edmonton, Business & Property Tax Review Committee, to phase out the unfair multi-family tax rate
  • Involved on committee to review the Residential Tenancies Act, Ministerial Regulations and Code of Practice
  • Involvement with the U of A Legal Studies Department developing the Laws for Landlords Website: www.landlordandtenant.org
  • Contributed feedback to the development and implementation of the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service pilot project (resolutions for landlord and tenant disputes)
  • Studies on effects of rent controls and the market impact of our economy
  • Involved with the Electric Vehicle Strategy Committee for Edmonton
  • Involved with the City of Edmonton on the Waste Management Strategy for 2020
  • Continued involvement with the Government on issues affecting landlords through letters and meetings
  • Involved  on the committee for Pest Management Regulatory Agency for Canada 
  • Working alongside RECA with respect to the Property Management Industry and strategic planning
  • Discussions and information sharing as a stakeholder with the City of Edmonton Fire Department on various matters of interest to the Industry such as Lock Boxes and the future of these


​THE ALBERTA RESIDENTIAL LANDLORD ASSOCIATION ENSURES THAT IF THERE IS AN ISSUE AT ANY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT THAT AFFECTS THE RENTAL HOUSING IN ALBERTA, WE WILL ENSURE OUR MEMBERS VOICES ARE HEARD. 

WE ENCOURAGE MEMBERS TO KEEP US INFORMED OF ANY CURRENT INDUSTRY ISSUES THAT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.

"I commend the work your organization does to support residential landlords in Alberta, especially now during an unprecedented global health crisis.  I appreciated the opportunity to join the conversation on April 9, 2020 with Honourable Josephine Pon, Minister of Seniors and Housing to discuss your concerns.  Following the teleconference, I provided direction to my staff to connect with you to obtain specific information on the financial pressures landlords face as a result of rent arrears, shortfalls and payment arrangements.  I believe working with our stakeholders will build a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by all Albertans, including landlords and tenants". 
                                                                                                                                                       John Thompson
                                                                                                                                                       Assistant Deputy Minister
                                                                                                                                                       Housing Division, Seniors and Housing ​