Regina’s condominium conversion policy is being changed, so apartments can’t be converted into condominiums until the rental vacancy rate climbs above two per cent.

Regina City Council approved the change Monday, amid protests from some renter advocacy groups that say it’s a bad idea.

Under the old policy, the apartment vacancy rate had to rise above three per cent for conversions to be allowed. Failing that, developers had to get 75 per cent of tenants to agree to the change.

“We were certainly hoping and expecting that the system would be tightened up rather than seeing the vacancy rate threshold lowered,” Peter Gilmer, a spokesman for the Regina Anti-Poverty Ministry, said in a news release.

Even at two per cent, it may be some time before the threshold vacancy rate is hit.

Right now, Regina has the lowest vacancy rate in Canada: 0.6 per cent. The city hasn’t seen a two per cent vacancy rate since 2006.

Diane Delaney, a spokesperson with the provincial association for transitional housing, said policies that protect tenants from condominium conversions are important.

“We are dealing with a vulnerable population and when you have a policy that allows for converting existing apartment units into condominiums, you put our population more at risk,” she said.