Rent freeze promises from Manitoba Liberals

WINNIPEG — Manitoba Liberal Leader Rana Bokhari is promising to freeze rents across the province if she becomes premier.

Bokhari says a Liberal government would forbid rent increases in 2017 and 2018 to give renters a chance to catch up with housing costs that have risen sharply in recent years.

She says the freeze would apply to high-end units as well as those under rent-control guidelines.

The only exception, she says, would be in cases where a new tenant took over a unit.

A landlord group says the Liberal plan is ill-informed and surprising.

The Professional Property Managers Association says its members face rising utility costs and need money to repair and maintain units.

The group says it is already well-regulated by the province and must adhere to strict guidelines and limits on rental increases.