Revenue potential of former rooming house removed from listing Real-estate association holding zoning and permits seminar for its members By: Carol Sanders Posted: 5:18 PM CDT Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/10/2018 (2152 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A real-estate listing for a 16-bedroom home notorious for being an illegal rooming house has been toned down after concerns about how it was being marketed were raised in a Free Press story Monday.

The University Heights home that’s zoned for single-family use had been listed as having revenue potential up to $93,000 per year, raising the hackles of neighbours and city Coun. Janice Lukes, who has made it her mission to go after illegal rooming houses around the University of Manitoba.

WinnipegRealtors — formerly known as the Winnipeg Real Estate Board — says it has contacted the agent about removing the listing’s reference to the revenue potential, and has organized a Nov. 8 information session on zoning and building permits for its members.

The 2,500-square-foot dwelling was inspected by city officials Monday morning, said real estate agent Glen Williams.

The inspection will spell out any limitations or requirements about what can and can’t be done there to help inform prospective buyers about the property and its potential, he said.

“I don’t think it’s as exciting and controversial as has been reported,” Williams said Tuesday.

The dwelling that’s served as a fraternity house, illegal rooming house and been the subject of a number of building-code infractions has been a thorn in the side of its neighbours and the target of Lukes, the councillor for Waverley West. She told the Free Press earlier the home is being sold by the estate of the deceased owner when, in fact, longtime property owner Nick Hildebrand sold the property for $250,000 on Aug. 15, land title records show.

He died on Aug. 21, his obituary in the Free Press said.

The new owner is a company called Alschell Inc. that lists a residential area of East St. Paul as its address. The house is listed for $449,900 on realtor.ca.

“The current vendor is not interested in being a landlord. The last owner owned it for 20 years,” Williams said, noting the late owner was earning $93,000 a year in revenue from the property.

Peter Squire, WinnipegRealtors’ vice-president of external relations, said Williams was spoken to about marketing a house zoned for single-family use as a revenue property, and the issue was addressed.

“We have been putting messages out to members — and I’ve been on them for awhile — before you start marketing a property, make sure your commentary is reflective and respectful and in line with current zoning,” said Squire. “If you’re not sure, you can get a verification of use letter from the City of Winnipeg to make sure your marketing is in compliance with that zoning. We’ve had a few issues in the past, not just the the recent one.”

Squire said his organization is being proactive by hosting a zoning and building permits information session for its members hosted by City of Winnipeg zoning and permits administrator, Martin Grady. So far, 100 real-estate agents have signed up for the session.

“The big issue is the need for more supply,” Squire said.

The University of Manitoba has one of the lowest rates of on-campus housing in Canada, and out-of-town students scramble to find affordable accommodations close to the school. In 2017, Lukes spearheaded a study that found there may be as many as 150 illegal rooming houses in the neighbourhoods surrounding the U of M.

If the U of M is being more aggressive and recruiting more students, how are they addressing the housing issue? asked Squire.

“It is a bigger issue and we need to be part of the solution,” he said.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca

— with files from Ryan Thorpe

Carol Sanders
Legislature reporter

After 20 years of reporting on the growing diversity of people calling Manitoba home, Carol moved to the legislature bureau in early 2020.

   Read full biography