Back
10 Awesome Tips for Tenants in Toronto MARCH 03, 2017 As rental experts, our Circl team members have come across a large number of stories about tenants who rent out apartments in Toronto before they understand the Residential Tenancy Act. This often leads to issues and tons of questions! To alleviate future stress, we have compiled a list of 10 facts every tenant renting an apartment in Toronto should know. #1. Your landlord cannot order you to pay more for rent whenever they see fit. By law, your landlord can only increase the rent until at least 12 months have gone by since your last rent increase or since the unit was rented out to you. In Toronto, this is known as the “12 month rule.” On top of that, your landlord must provide you with 90 days written notice prior to increasing your rent. #2. If you live in a new building that was first built for residential purposes on or after November Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL
1st, 1991, or was not occupied for any reason before June 17th, 1998, your landlord can increase your rent by any amount they want. If you live in a building that was first built for residential purposes before November 1st, 1991, your landlord can only increase your rent by a certain percentage. This percentage is stated in the Ontario Rent Increase Guideline. For example, the maximum increase for the year of 2016 is 2.0%. Therefore, if your rent is $2,000, your landlord can only increase it to $2,040.00. (2.0% of $2,000). #3. It is illegal for your landlord to use your rent deposit for cleaning services, damages and anything other than the last month’s rent (the only deposit your landlord can legally collect). That is collected once you enter into the agreement. If you are a month-to-month tenant renting an apartment in Toronto, your landlord cannot charge you a deposit that equals more than one month’s rent. Your initial rent deposit can only be used as a rent payment for the last rental period before you decide to move out. #4. You must continue to pay your rent even if there are maintenance/repair problems, infestations or if you feel your landlord is ignoring your rights at a tenant in Toronto. Should you find yourself in any of those cases, you have every right to seek legal help – just remember to continue to pay your rent on time. Read this before you decide to sue your landlord. (LINK TO 3 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU SUE YOUR LANDLORD BLOG) #5. You cannot legally be charged by your Landlord for having extra people live with you or for late payment fees. There are many fees/extra charges that are strictly prohibited by the Residential Tenancies Act. Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL
#6. If you signed a one-year lease, and your lease has not been terminated or removed, you can continue to live in your apartment. Your landlord cannot legally change the terms of your lease without your permission and they also cannot make you move out. #7. You do not have to provide post-dated cheques. Your landlord cannot force you to pay your rent the way they want to receive it. You two must come to an agreement in regards to payment. #8. You can legally be evicted from your apartment in Toronto during the wintertime. For a very long time, this myth has been lingering about in the air. This is false and your landlord can indeed evict you in the wintertime. #9. You must be provided with rental receipts from your Landlord. At the time of payment, your landlord is required to provide you with a receipt. You should always ask them for a receipt for any payments you make – especially if you are paying cash. #10. Your landlord must provide you with 24 hours notice before they enter the property. Exceptions include; showing the property to prospective tenants, during an emergency or for maintenance/repairs.
Do You Have Questions About Your Rights As A Tenant in Toronto? Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL
Please note that the tips mentioned above may not apply to every tenant in Toronto. Not every tenancy is regulated by the Residential Tenancies Act. If you have any questions pertaining to your rights, don’t hesitate to give us a shout!
Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL
Comments 0 Comments
Add a comment...
Facebook Comments Plugin
Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL
Sort by Oldest
PREVIOUS ARTICLE Renting in Toronto: The Complete Tenant’s Guide
Save web pages as PDF manually or automatically w ith PDFmyURL