Rick Stiebel/News Gazette staff
The NDP government has committed to providing additional resources to the residential tenancy branch.
The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing is evaluating options to address ongoing deficiencies as part of its budget process, a spokesperson for the ministry said in an email.
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The branch prioritizes scheduling of hearings to focus on the most urgent issues, which include possession of a rental unit and emergency repairs.
The branch currently deals with an average of 22,000 dispute resolution proceedings a year and handled 21,156 applications in 2016.
A recent story in the Gazette noted that hearings can take up to several months, creating financial hardships, including loss of rent, for some landlords.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, about 30 per cent of decisions are determined in favour of landlords, while 15 per cent favour tenants.
The remainder of disputes result in a settlement or split decision, or the claim is cancelled, withdrawn or dismissed.