Don Morgan, Minister of Justice and Attorney General in Saskatchewan, speaking with media. (Logan Stein/650 CKOM)

By Brady Lang

Non-payment of rent eviction applications available for landlords effective Aug. 4: Province

Jul 6, 2020 | 5:54 PM

If you haven’t paid your rent lately, it may be time to break open that piggy bank.

On Monday, the province announced that the Office of Residential Tenancies (ORT) will start to accept eviction applications from landlords for non-payment of rent, effective Aug. 4.

“When the pandemic began, we wanted to ensure tenants facing hardship as a result of COVID-19 were able to take the necessary social-distancing measures,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Don Morgan said in a release Monday.

“With the success of flattening the curve in Saskatchewan, we believe it’s appropriate to lift the moratorium on non-urgent evictions.”

Since the end of March, the ORT hasn’t accepted applications for evictions, unless for violence or damage to property.

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On June 19, the Executive Officer for the Saskatchewan Landlord Association (SLA) Cameron Choquette told 650 CKOM about the delinquent rent owed.

The SLA says since the ban came into effect, up until June 19, $30.4 million was owed across the board. This was based on survey responses from more than 500 of its members.

In April, around 300 members indicated that 20 per cent of their tenants did not pay rent, but the figure dropped to 8 per cent in June.

“When we started the process initially, we indicated that it was rent deferment, not a rent holiday,” stressed Morgan. “More, and more people are going back to work. I am hopeful it’s a sign the economy is coming back to life.”

Applications will need to be submitted by email or mail to the ORT. No in-person service is going to be offered at this time.

In the Monday release, the ORT says it continues to encourage landlords and tenants to communicate with one another about their individual situations, so they can come to mutually agreeable solutions.

— With files from 650 CKOM’s Brent Bosker