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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 $2.00 WEEKLY IN PRINT. MUCH MORE ONLINE ANYTIME. WaterlooChronicle.ca PM40050478 Seven years after it was brought into effect, opinions are still split on whether or not the City of Waterloo's rental housing bylaw is a positive or negative policy. The rental housing bylaw, offi- cially passed in early 2012, was es- tablished by the former Waterloo city council in response to what were at times unsafe and unliv- able conditions, specifically in the student areas of Waterloo. The neighbourhoods and houses were described as "stu- dent ghettos" at the time, and in response, city council passed a bylaw that forced all landlords who rented single, detached homes to pay a licensing fee and be subjected to annual inspec- tions, such as HVAC and electri- cal systems. Because the city couldn't specifically target stu- dent housing, the bylaw had to be broadened to include rental houses and townhomes. Highrise buildings are exempt from the bylaw. While the intent of the bylaw was good, there have been some unintended consequences, ac- cording to some. Andrew Macallum, president of the Waterloo Regional Apart- ment Management Association, said he's surprised that tenant groups haven't fought against the bylaw. "It honestly surprises me," said Macallum, adding that in the research he's done with the Cana- dian Mortgage and Housing Corp., apartments in Waterloo are, on average, $100 more expen- sive per month because landlords have no other option but to pass the cost on to renters. Mayor Dave Jaworsky, who in- herited the bylaw when he took over as mayor in 2014, said he's pleased with the bylaw and what it has done to improve housing, specifically student housing. "We're very proud of our Uni- versity of Waterloo, we're very proud of our Wilfrid Laurier Uni- versity and proud of our expan- sion of Conestoga College, and we need to be proud of the living conditions of our students," said Jaworsky, adding that concerns from student unions have de- creased since the bylaw was en- acted. In terms of costs, landlords are looking at licensing fees be- tween $250 and $600, depending on the size. On top of that, the by- See RENTAL, page 7 SEVEN YEARS LATER: IS THE RENTAL HOUSING BYLAW EFFECTIVE? ADAM JACKSON ajackson@waterloochronicle.ca OPINIONS VARY ON STILL-CONTROVERSIAL RENTAL HOUSING BYLAW David Bebee WWAARRRRIIOORRSS WWIINN A small but vocal contingent of Warriors football fans took over the cheering late in the fourth quarter as their team rallied to upset of the WLU Golden Hawks 34-32 at University Stadium, Saturday, September 15. See story by Mark Bryson on Page 3. See Page 6 HEER'S DECORATING &DESIGN CENTRE 583 KING STREET NORTH WATERLOO 519-772-1127 The Third is FREE! Don't miss out on this limited time offer! Valid from September 20-24, 2018 5 DAYS ONLY! Support the only LOCAL news source you need. READ MORE @ WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA Police investigate early morn- ing death of Laurier student Ontario apple growers have bumper crop this year Women lead push to get in truck driver's seat Looking for more online? Check out these stories...