UPEI's
      Residences:
      slummy
      or
      in
      need
      of
      a
      bigger
      bucket?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Looking
      through
      PEI's
     
     
      "Rental
      of
      Residential
      Property
     
     
      Act"
      I
      was
      curious
      to
      read
      about
     
     
      the
      rights
      lessees
      have
      when
      it
     
     
      comes
      to
      dealing
      with
      their
      land-
     
     
      lords.
      The
      conditions
      are
      laid
      out
     
     
      very
      clearly
      in
      the
      copy
      of
      the
      Act
     
     
      which
      I
      found
      on
      the
      Legislative
     
     
      Council
      office
      web-site.
      There
      are
     
     
      ten
      conditions
      outlined
      which
     
     
      touch
      on
      rather
      simple
      issues
     
     
      which
      every
      student
      renting
      their
     
     
      home
      should
      expect
      from
      their
     
     
      landlords.
     
    

    
     
      The
      first
      condition
      is
      the
     
     
      one
      that
      is
      of
      the
      most
      interest:
     
     
      Condition
      of
      Premises.
      "The
      lessor
     
     
      (landlord)
      shall
      keep
      the
      premises
     
     
      in
      a
      good
      state
      of
      repair
      and
      fit
      for
     
     
      habitation
      during
      the
      tenancy
      and
     
     
      shall
      comply
      with
      any
      enactment
     
     
      respecting
      health,
      safety
      or
      hous-
     
     
      ing..."
      As
      a
      lessee
      myself,
      I
      simply
     
     
      expect
      this
      condition
      of
      the
      Act
      to
     
     
      be
      followed,
      and
      would
      expect
      that
     
     
      any
      damages
      to
      my
      home
      be
      fixed
     
     
      in
      a
      timely
      manner
      -
      which
      of
     
     
      course
      they
      are.
      One
      PEI,
      a
      land-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Call
      for
      Nearest
      Location
     
     
      globaltesol.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      lord
      who
      is
      in
      violation
      of
      any
      of
     
     
      these
      conditions
      may
      receive
      an
     
     
      order
      to
      comply
      from
      the
      Island
     
     
      Regulatory
      and
      Appeals
      Rental
     
     
      Board
      (IRAC).
      As
      with
      many
     
     
      Islander's,
      I
      am
      content
      in
      the
     
     
      understanding
      that
      my
      rights
      are
     
     
      protected
      by
      the
      conditions
      in
      the
     
     
      residential
      property
      act.
     
    

    
     
      But
      I
      wonder,
      what
      about
     
     
      my
      friends
      in
      the
      dorms?
      I
      am
      well
     
     
      aware
      of
      the
      conditions
      which
      they
     
     
      face
      on
      an
      ongoing
      basis.
      Leaky
     
     
      roofs
      and
      damp
      conditions
      are
     
     
      proven
      to
      lead
      to
      mold
      and
      horrible
     
     
      air
      quality
      problems.
      How
      is
      it
      that
     
     
      the
      dorms
      are
      maintained
      at
      a
     
     
      lower
      standard?
      How
      does
      UPEI
     
     
      Residence
      Services
      escape
      a
      Rental
     
     
      Board
      order
      to
      comply?
      Students
     
     
      do
      complain,
      yet
      little
      is
      done.
      A
     
     
      man
      walks
      in
      and
      asks
      if
      you'd
      like
     
     
      a
      bigger
      bucket
      to
      catch
      the
      drip
     
     
      coming
      from
      your
      ceiling.
      This
      sit-
     
     
      uation
      doesn't
      make
      sense,
      these
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      students
      (and
      future
      alumni)
      should
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      be
      subjected
      to
      such
      poor
      liv-
     
     
      ing
      standards,
      especially
      when
      the
     
     
      potential
      health
      problems
      are
     
     
      brought
      into
      consideration.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Recently
      Student
      Union
     
     
      Prez
      Brandon
      MacKenzie
      went
     
     
      door
      to
      door
      in
      Blanchard,
      and
     
     
      heard
      many
      concerns
      from
      dorm
     
     
      residents,
      and
      in
      particular
      the
      state
     
     
      of
      their
      health
      in
      relation
      to
      the
      on-
     
     
      going
      water
      leak
      problems.
      These
     
     
      students
      expressed
      frustration
      with
     
     
      the
      inaction
      of
      their
      landlords
      and
     
     
      wondered
      why
      UPEI
      is
      not
      com-
     
     
      plying
      with
      the
      standards
      estab-
     
     
      lished
      under
      Provincial
      Law.
     
    

    
     
      Yet
      why
      is
      UPEI
      not
      fol-
     
     
      lowing
      Provincial
      Law?
      The
     
     
      answer
      is
      surprising
      and
      appalling.
     
     
      To
      put
      it
      simply,
      the
      University
      of
     
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      does
      not
     
     
      have
      to.
      Talking
      with
      Brandon,
      he
     
     
      discovered
      that
      there
      is
      a
      sub-sec-
     
     
      tion
      of
      the
      act
      which
      lists
      exempted
     
     
      premises,
      or
      those
      that
      do
      not
      have
     
     
      to
      adhere
      to
      this
      Provincial
      law.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      following
      premises
      are
      exempt
     
     
      Jrom
      the
      provisions
      of
      the
      Act:
     
     
      premises
      provided
      by
      an
      education-
     
     
      al
      institution
      to
      its
      students.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      seems
      dorm
      students
      are
     
     
      listed
      in
      the
      company
      of
      transition
     
    
   
   
    
     
      houses
      and
      hostels,
      group
      homes
     
     
      under
      the
      Welfare
      Assistance
      Act
     
     
      and
      co-operative
      housing
      to
      name
      a
     
     
      few.
      Therefor
      under
      the
      "Rental
      of
     
     
      Residential
      Property
      Act,"
      UPEI's
     
     
      residences
      lawfully
      do
      not
      have
      to
     
     
      be
      kept
      to
      the
      same
      high
      standards
     
     
      of
      any
      other
      rental
      accommoda-
     
     
      tions
      found
      on
      PEI.
     
    

    
     
      There
      is
      no
      question
      that
     
     
      the
      residences
      of
      UPE]
      are
      in
      horri-
     
     
      ble
      need
      of
      repair.
      There
      are
      obvi-
     
     
      ous
      benefits
      to
      living
      on
      campus,
     
     
      especially
      for
      out
      of
      Province
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      who
      do
      not
      want
      to
      sign
      a
     
     
      12-month
      lease.
      But
      at
      what
      cost?
     
     
      The
      price
      for
      an
      8
      month
      lease
      is
     
     
      roughly
      in
      line
      with
      the
      rental
     
     
      prices
      found
      off-campus,
      but
      what
     
     
      about
      the
      full
      picture?
      If
      your
     
     
      health
      is
      being
      effected,
      how
      can
     
     
      the
      full
      cost
      ever
      be
      calculated.
      I
     
     
      just
      hope
      that
      our
      residence
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      realize
      that
      our
      Provincial
     
     
      rental
      laws,
      which
      are
      designed
      to
     
     
      protect
      lessees,
      DO
      NOT
      apply
      to
     
     
      them
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      126
      Richmond
      St.
     
     
      Charlottetown,
      PE
      C1A
      1H9
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http://www.isn.net/~network
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Prince
      Edward
      Island
      Eco-Net
      de
      I'Ile-du-Prince
      Edouard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tel:
      (902)
      566-4170
      Fax:
      (902)
      566-4037
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Be
      the
      Change"
      Youth
      Conference
      is
      being
      held
      Monday
      November
      3rd,
      from
      8
      -
      8,
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      Basilica
      Rec
      Centre
      in
      Charlottetown.
      Youth
      between
      the
      ages
      of
      13
      and
      30
      are
      invited
      to
      attend
      and
      come
     
     
      prepared
      to
      be
      empowered
      to
      make
      a
      change
      in
      their
      communities!!
      There
      is
      no
      charge
      for
      this
      day-long
      event.
     
     
      Workshops
      will
      be
      presented
      by
      Julia
      Nichol
      from
      the
      national
      Youth
      Environmental
      Network
      in
      Ottawa
      (One
     
     
      Tonne
      Challenge),
      and
      Dev
      Aujla,
      founder
      and
      director
      of
      Dream
      Now,
      a
      youth
      NGO
      dedicated
      to
      directing
     
     
      young
      people
      to
      find
      the
      passion
      in
      their
      lives.
      Keynote
      speaker
      in
      the
      evening
      is
      Sjors
      Reijers,
      of
     
     
      Charlottetown.
      For
      more
      information
      or
      to
      register,
      call
      566-4170
      or
      email:
      network@isn.net
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Providing
      information
      and
      resources
      to
      groups
      that
      care
      about
      our
      environment"
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [3]
      October
      29,
      2003:.