For years, one of the most important details in Manitoba's rental system was a number most tenants never thought about: the age of their building. Under the province's long-standing rules, rent control did not apply to newer buildings, which meant that renters in relatively recent construction could face unlimited rent increases from one year to the next. That carve-out has been the subject of growing debate as rents have climbed across the province, and the Manitoba government has now moved to expand rent control by removing the exemption that shielded newer buildings from regulation.
The change, often described as the rent control threshold expansion, is one of the most significant shifts in Manitoba housing policy in decades. Here is what it means, why it happened, and how it affects both tenants and landlords.
How Rent Control Works in Manitoba
Manitoba has regulated rent increases for a long time, and the basic framework is straightforward. Each year, the provincial government sets a rent increase guideline, which is the maximum percentage by which most landlords can raise rent without special approval. The guideline changes from year to year, so tenants and landlords are expected to check the current figure through the Residential Tenancies Branch before planning or responding to an increase.
Within that system, a few ground rules have always applied:
- A landlord can generally raise the rent only once every 12 months for the same tenant.
- Proper written notice must be provided, with the notice period depending on the type of tenancy. For most month-to-month rentals, landlords must give at least three months' notice before the increase takes effect.
- If a landlord believes the guideline is not enough—for example, because of major capital repairs, security services, or other eligible costs—they can apply to the Residential Tenancies Branch for an above-guideline increase. Tenants have the right to participate in that process and present their side.
- Tenants who receive an increase that does not follow the rules can contact the Residential Tenancies Branch for help.
These protections, however, only mattered if your building was actually covered. And for decades, a large share of Manitoba's rental stock was not.
The Old Threshold: Why Building Age Mattered
Manitoba's rent regulation included an exemption tied to the age of a building. Rental units in buildings that were less than a set number of years old—historically, buildings within fifteen years of their first occupancy—were exempt from the annual rent increase guideline. In those buildings, landlords could charge whatever the market would bear and raise rents by any amount when leases renewed.
The logic behind the exemption was economic. Policymakers wanted to encourage the construction of new rental housing by allowing developers and investors to recoup their costs at market rates during the early years of a building's life. The thinking was that once a building matured, its financing costs would be lower and rent regulation would pose less of a barrier to profitability.
The practical effect, though, was that tenant protections depended on the building, not the tenant. Two renters with identical incomes living on the same street could face completely different rules. The one in a thirty-year-old building was protected by the annual guideline. The one in a building that opened eight years ago had no cap at all—and as newer buildings came to dominate the market in Winnipeg and other growing communities, more and more tenants found themselves on the unprotected side of that line.
What the Threshold Expansion Changes
The province's announced direction is to eliminate the age-based exemption so that newer buildings are no longer automatically excluded from rent regulation. In practical terms, this means units that previously sat outside the system would be brought under the same framework as older rental stock: the annual guideline, the once-per-year limit, the notice requirements, and the process for above-guideline applications.
A few points are worth keeping in mind as this rolls out.
First, the details of implementation matter. Legislation of this kind involves transition rules—questions about when coverage begins for a given building, how existing tenancies are treated, and whether any category of new construction remains exempt. Rather than relying on summaries, tenants and landlords should confirm the current rules directly with the Residential Tenancies Branch, which administers the system and publishes guidance as changes take effect.
Second, the expansion does not freeze rents. Rent control in Manitoba is a regulation of increases, not a cap on rents themselves. A landlord can still raise rent every twelve months up to the guideline, and can seek approval to go beyond it in defined circumstances. What changes is that the ceiling on those increases now applies more broadly.
Third, the change affects expectations on both sides of the market. Tenants in newer buildings gain predictability. Landlords who purchased or operated properties on the assumption of unlimited increases now need to plan within the regulated framework.
Why the Province Expanded Coverage
The move did not come out of nowhere. Rental markets across Manitoba tightened considerably in recent years. Vacancy rates in Winnipeg and other centres have been low, population growth has been strong, and asking rents in newer buildings have risen sharply. Tenants in exempt buildings reported year-over-year increases far beyond what the guideline would have allowed, and for many households there was no realistic alternative—moving costs money, and the rest of the market was not exactly affordable either.
Tenant advocates argued that an age-based exemption had outlived its purpose. A building's age, they pointed out, says nothing about a tenant's ability to absorb a 20 percent increase. As the stock of post-exemption buildings grew, the gap between protected and unprotected renters widened into one of the biggest fault lines in the provincial rental market.
Landlord and developer groups, on the other hand, raised familiar concerns. They argue that rent regulation can discourage investment in new rental construction, reduce the incentive to maintain and upgrade units, and push investors toward other provinces or other asset classes. These concerns are not unique to Manitoba—debates over the effects of rent control on supply play out in nearly every jurisdiction that tightens it—and they are the reason the province's decision has drawn both praise and criticism.
A neutral reading of the situation is this: the expansion trades some uncertainty for investors in exchange for predictability for tenants. Whether that trade-off serves Manitoba well will depend on how the rules are administered, how the above-guideline process handles legitimate capital costs, and whether new construction continues at a healthy pace.
What This Means for Tenants
If you rent in a building that was previously exempt, the expansion could change your situation in several concrete ways.
Your landlord's ability to raise your rent becomes limited. Once your unit falls under the guideline, an increase is capped at the annual percentage set by the province unless the landlord successfully applies for more. You must also receive proper written notice, and the increase can only happen once every twelve months.
You gain the right to question increases. If a proposed increase exceeds the guideline without an approved application, or if the notice is improper, you can raise the issue with the Residential Tenancies Branch. That recourse simply did not exist for tenants in exempt buildings.
You should verify your coverage. Not every unit is treated the same way under residential tenancies law, and transition timing may affect when the guideline applies to your building. The branch's website and phone lines are the reliable sources here—much faster and more accurate than word of mouth.
One caution: predictability is not the same as affordability. A capped increase can still be a real increase. Tenants budgeting for the coming year should plan around the published guideline rather than assuming rents will stay flat.
What This Means for Landlords
For landlords of previously exempt buildings, the expansion changes the financial planning picture in three main ways.
Timing becomes more important. With increases limited to once per year and capped at the guideline, the window you choose to implement an increase matters more than it used to. Many landlords will want to review their rent rolls annually and align increases with lease renewal dates.
Documentation becomes essential. If you plan to apply for an above-guideline increase—say, after replacing a roof, upgrading mechanical systems, or adding security services—your application will depend on clear records of the eligible costs. Sloppy bookkeeping that was merely inconvenient before can now cost you real money.
Tenant relationships carry more weight. In a regulated system, keeping good tenants is often more valuable than aggressive rent-setting, because turnover and vacancy costs eat into returns that regulation already limits. Landlords who communicate early about increases and maintenance tend to fare better under the new framework.
Developers considering new rental construction should pay close attention to the final shape of the rules, particularly how brand-new buildings are treated going forward. The design of any remaining exemption for new construction is where much of the supply-side debate will continue to live.
Common Questions About the Expansion
Does the guideline apply to every rental unit in Manitoba? No system covers every situation. Most residential rental units will fall under the guideline once the expansion is fully in effect, but certain housing types and circumstances have always had their own rules. Confirm your specific situation with the Residential Tenancies Branch.
Can my landlord still raise my rent? Yes. Regulation limits how much and how often, not whether. A landlord can increase rent once every twelve months up to the guideline, or apply for approval to exceed it for qualifying reasons.
What if my rent was already increased beyond the guideline in an exempt building? Past increases that were lawful at the time generally stand. The expansion shapes the rules going forward. If you believe an increase violated the rules that applied to you, the branch can review your situation.
Where do I go with a dispute? The Residential Tenancies Branch handles questions, applications, and disputes from both tenants and landlords. It is the authoritative source for current guideline percentages, notice forms, and procedures.
The Bottom Line
Manitoba's decision to expand rent control beyond older buildings closes one of the largest gaps in the province's tenant protection system. For renters in newer buildings, it replaces open-ended exposure to market increases with a predictable annual framework. For landlords and investors, it introduces constraints that demand better planning and documentation. Neither the hopes of tenant advocates nor the warnings of the development industry will be fully vindicated overnight—what matters now is how the rules are implemented, communicated, and enforced. Anyone with a stake in a Manitoba rental, on either side of the lease, should make a habit of checking the Residential Tenancies Branch for the current guideline and the latest guidance as the expanded rules take hold.