Renting in Toronto: 3 Things To Know Before Suing Your Landlord

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Renting in Toronto: 3 Things To Know Before Suing Your Landlord 

MARCH 03, 2017

Getting into a heated dispute with your landlord can make even the most beautiful apartment in Toronto feel like a dump. If the situation continues to escalate and you feel you’ve done pretty much all you can, you might consider taking your landlord to court. But before you make that decision, here’s what you should know:

Determine Whether It’s Really Worth It Suing your landlord in Toronto will mostly end in paying legal fees at a small claims court. Taking your landlord to court for a few hundred dollars may not be worth your time or money if legal fees will equal to thousands. Before you hire a legal representative, estimate the return on investment.

Sometimes it’s best to move on, and find another apartment to rent in Toronto than to fight a case that will end up costing big bucks.

Know When/When Not To Sue Your Landlord Although there may not be a “perfect time” to sue your landlord in Toronto, you should have a good idea of when it will be worth your time and when it won’t. Check out our infographic that displays when you should and shouldn’t sue your landlord.

All Of Your Documentations Must Be In Order You should never go to court empty handed. Bringing proof to the courtroom will raise your chances of winning by a whole lot. Evidence you can bring with you to court include: #1. Photographs of a clean apartment or unrepaired damages #2. Invoices paid from the cleaning or repair company #3. Emails/text messagea between you and your landlord #4. Well-written letters from a witness. (For example, if a professional plumber told you the toilet needed to be fixed immediately, ask him to put that in writing). #5. Rental receipts

Practicing your side of the story is also a vital part of the preparation process. Remember to be 100% truthful at all times – this will allow you to feel very confident in court. If your story seems off, and you don’t have valid evidence, you should consider resolving this issue in a peaceful matter outside of court.

Not All Disputes Have To Land In Court The process of attending court can be very time consuming and can end up costing quite a bit. Even if you’ve done the math and feel as though you’ll still profit, you can still consider other options. You may be able to arrange mediation/arbitration, which takes less time and is less costly in most cases.

If you’re still living with your landlord and you decide to sue, make sure you still pay the rent on time, keep all of the necessary records and do NOT break any rules in the lease. Neglecting the lease due to your current situation could cause the judge to side with the landlord.

Questions About Suing Your Landlord in Toronto Are you current renting an apartment in Toronto and have questions in regards to suing your landlord?

Before you make a final decision, ask away today!

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