The City of Williams Lake was presented with a draft Standard of Maintenance Bylaw at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole Meeting.
The purpose of the bylaw is to provide a minimum level of health and life safety for occupants of residential rental units. The Central Cariboo Housing Capacity and Gap Analysis Report, which was endorsed by council earlier this year, included an action item to complete a standards of maintenance bylaw as part of the report’s action plan.
According to a report submitted to Council by Gary Deane, Chief Building Official and Acting Manager of Development Services, ‘the intent is not to persuade landlords into meeting full compliance with building and zoning regulations, but rather to ensure tenants are not living in unsafe conditions.’
Some concerns were brought up at Tuesday’s meeting by councillors, such as cost, and if the bylaw would also protect landlords from tenants.
Council put forth a revised recommendation, which would include the cost of implementing the new bylaw by researching how other communities with something similar have done, as well as protection for landlords with less properties.