It is “really unacceptable” for landlords to dramatically raise rents on their tenants — in some cases doubling them — to avoid possible rent control in future, says Premier Kathleen Wynne.

“It is an extremely urgent matter. We are on it,” she told reporters Tuesday in response to a Toronto Star article about a west-end condo landlord raising a tenant’s rent to $3,300 from $1,650 effective July 1.

“We are moving as quickly as we can,” she added.

Wynne refused to say if any new rent-control measures will be in her government’s spring budget expected later this month.

“We’ll be bringing them forward soon.”

Housing Minister Chris Ballard has already signalled the government is considering an extension to controls that limit rent increases on buildings constructed since 1991.

New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth) has proposed a private member’s bill to make all buildings subject to rent control.

The 1991 cut-off date was set years ago in the hope that it would encourage more construction of apartment buildings and other rental units.

But, Wynne said at a forum for long-term care workers near the airport, that has not happened to the extent to meet demand.

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