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The Street => The Lounge => Topic started by: sans.terre on March 25, 2015, 10:27:16 AM

Title: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: sans.terre on March 25, 2015, 10:27:16 AM
Hey gang,

Maybe some of you have had issues here? i'm in Ontario if that makes a diff.
I've been away for a few months and come back to my place to find the landlord has torn the washroom out. There's construction shit everywhere. Drywall plaster on all our dishes, etc. Kitchen is unusable, there's no shower or sink or toilet.

Paid full months rent. What are my rights here?

I've got to be fit/ready for work in the morning and fucker is in here sawing ceramic tiles in my kitchen.
Wtf? Does anyone have experience with this?

What actions do i take? Wrote landlord. She said "sorry. it needed to be done"

Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Sebastian on March 25, 2015, 10:35:15 AM
Same situation happened to my girl and I when our new apartment was still being renovated when we moved in.  Landlord (whom I'd already known for awhile, i.e., it was very easy to work something out) waived our rent for the first month.  I'd not settle for anything less than that.

I have no idea what your course of action would be in the case that she doesn't agree to that, however, since I don't live in Canada.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Cole on March 25, 2015, 11:02:42 AM
They should have notified you that the reno's were going to happen on x date for y long. Not entirely sure what your possible options are, but dig through the Landlord-Tenant Act and see if it mentions anything. Failing that, call the Landlord-Tenant Board.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Zoidberg on March 25, 2015, 11:25:11 AM
Check your contract first but it seems like a massive invasion of privacy plus I THINK landlords need to give 24 hours notice minimum if they want to swing by.

Check your contract tho.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Kinchy on March 25, 2015, 11:36:41 AM
If you've been away for a few months, perhaps they tried to contact you already?
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Alex. on March 25, 2015, 12:23:50 PM
Sorry but this is hilarious to me.

I can only imagine what was running through your mind as you get home to find everything in shambles.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: LukeTom on March 25, 2015, 01:11:00 PM
Hi, law student in England (So don't take my advice as being completely right because your in Canada). Look through your residential agreement, if you don't have it, your landlord/letting agency should be able to provide you with one. Look for something along the lines of landlords obligations to the tenant. It should say something along the lies of if your house is un-liveable/in disrepair then the landlord will reimburse you for the money and find you alternative accommodation. Also they almost always require notice to come into your property, which again will be in your residential agreement.

Good Luck! hopefully it dosen't take too long to sort out!

(again, this is only advice and if you want to actualy take any proceedings dont rely on it! usually some solicitors offer a 15 minute free advice service or if you have a citizens bearu they can help)
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: master on March 25, 2015, 01:18:51 PM
Piss on your landlord to establish dominance.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: KillSeth on March 25, 2015, 02:21:23 PM
Sooooooo, probably safe to say you don't have a traditional lease agreement?
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: badlight on March 25, 2015, 02:26:53 PM
After reading your last post, all I have to say is 'Good Luck'. Youre going to need it. There is some type of board or committee or something that handles landlord/tenant disputes. Did you sign a lease or have any paper trail at all as far as rental agreement/rent goes? Also, LL is supposed to give 24 hours notice before they are allowed to enter, as others have said. In Ontario, the LL can pretty much put whatever they want in the lease, but if any of it is contradictory to the Tenant Act it is more or less meaningless(pets, security deposit, etc). Give these guys a call and see what your options are : http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/

Even if you dont have a traditional lease, you still have rights. From the sounds of it though, this guy is a bit of a slumlord, so once again, good luck.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: ginger on March 25, 2015, 04:13:48 PM
There should be a tribunal/ombudsman for this kind of thing BUT if you live in a crack den, ain't nobody gonna help you.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Tony Harrison on March 25, 2015, 06:19:03 PM
It is probably an implied term regardless of the contract that the landlord must give you 24 hours notice before entering the property as this would amount to the landlord impeding on your exclusive possession of the property.

I don't really see what remedy you could seek here. As the work has already started, you can't ask them to stop because you will still be without a washroom.

It might be worth trying to negotiate a reduced rent payment for next month due to the disruption, starting any legal proceedings would probably prove to be  costly and even more of a disruption than this current problem.

In essence, buy some earplugs and a washbowl.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Alex. on March 25, 2015, 07:39:11 PM
I'd make them give me a free market month of rent. They need to at least give you a heads up.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: JFax on March 26, 2015, 02:01:32 AM
ombudsman

Such a weird word to adopt from Swedish, up there together with Smorgasbord.

Anyway; If you live with like 10 other dudes the landlord must have given at least one of your crackhead-chums a notice, no?
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: ginger on March 26, 2015, 04:07:50 PM
I think moped is also of Swedish origin.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: blueee on March 26, 2015, 05:27:22 PM
good thread.can i live in your house?
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: sans.terre on March 26, 2015, 08:42:16 PM
.can i live in your house?

if you're in toronto youre welcome any time but we gotta take turns keepin an eye on our stuff

(http://evergreenterrace.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ThisisnttheYMCA.jpg)
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: Zoidberg on March 27, 2015, 01:48:07 PM
deal with it at the root of the problem by finding a new place

that's not a crack house
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: master on March 27, 2015, 02:29:01 PM
deal with it at the root of the problem by finding a new place

that's not a crack house

Pretty much this.

Live in a ghetto house, deal with ghetto issues.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: badlight on March 27, 2015, 02:43:55 PM
From what my landlord friends tell me, its pretty hard to actually get evicted in Ontario. Time to put a stop to that paying rent business.
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: hugh. on March 27, 2015, 03:33:08 PM
You pay for livable conditions. Don't pay next months rent
Title: Re: landlord issues/renovations to my apartment (help)??
Post by: cmc4130 on March 27, 2015, 04:33:58 PM

Landlord and Tenant Board -- Ontario

http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/STEL02_111281.html (http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/en/STEL02_111281.html)

Help for Tenants

The table below has three columns.  The first column shows some of the concerns that a tenant may have about their tenancy.  The second column provides a link to forms that may apply to the situation and the instructions for completing those forms. The third column lists other information that may be useful.

Please note: this is not a complete list of every issue and solution.  You may want to seek legal advice before deciding how to proceed and/or to obtain the complete list of options available to you.  You may also want to go to our Other Help section for a list of resources outside of the Board that may be useful.

You may also want to visit our Frequently Asked Questions section for answers to the most common questions our clients ask.