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What Rights Do You Have as a Residential Landlord in Ontario? Understanding the RTA

December 10, 2020 By Zee J Leave a Comment

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As a landlord of a condominium unit, you may feel nervous entering into lease agreements with certain tenants. Maybe they don’t have a steady income, or you are unsure about their character references. 

The good news is, you have certain legal rights to protect you as a landlord in Ontario. So, if the worst happens, for example, your property is damaged or your tenants fail to pay their rent, you won’t be left high and dry. 

It’s crucial that you understand exactly how your legal rights work and what limitations are placed on these rights. With an in-depth knowledge of landlord rights in Ontario, you’ll always know exactly what you can and can’t do when it comes to troublesome tenants. Here is a simple guide to some of your most basic landlord rights.

Become Familiar with the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA)

The best place to begin is with the Residential Tenancies Act (the “RTA”). The RTA is where you’ll find everything you need to know about both your legal rights and your tenants’ rights in Ontario. It’s a pretty long and dull read, but if you will be leasing property in Toronto or anywhere in Ontario, it’s definitely worth examining in detail. You can find the RTA in full here.

Find Out If You Qualify as a Landlord Under the RTA

In the RTA, there are several specifications about who actually qualifies as a “landlord.” You may be surprised to learn that your current rental situation doesn’t afford you the same rights provided to residential landlords governed by the RTA.

There are a few situations in which the RTA will not apply to you:

  • If you run a seasonal or temporary rental business.
  • If your units include shared kitchen or bathroom areas with you and your family.
  • If you operate a long-term care facility.
  • If you are providing emergency shelter.

If you are in any of these rental situations, your rights and responsibilities will be dictated by other statutes and the Ontario licensee-licensor relationship laws.

Some Important Landlord Rights Granted by the RTA

Here is a run-down of some of your most important rights as a landlord.

The Right to Vet and/or Deny Tenancy (With Limitations)

The RTA stipulates that you may vet potential tenants and deny occupancy to applicants for a range of specific reasons. These reasons could be:

  • Income source information
  • Poor credit checks
  • Poor credit references
  • Unsatisfactory rental history
  • Insufficient rental guarantees

There is a range of reasons that are not suitable reasons to deny occupancy. These reasons relate to the tenant’s personal profile and are governed by the Ontario Human Rights Code. For instance, you cannot vet or deny tenancy based on race, religion, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, and so on.

The Right to Evict Tenants in Certain Circumstances

As a landlord, it is your right to evict your tenants from your property in certain situations. All evictions have to be justified by one of the reasons provided by the RTA, and can include one of the following:

  • The tenant has failed to pay rent or has persistently paid their rent late.
  • There have been illegal activities committed on the rental premises.
  • The tenant has interfered with other residents’ reasonable enjoyment of the rental premises or has unreasonably interfered with the landlord’s lawful rights.
  • The tenant has invited other people to live in the residence without the landlord’s consent.
  • The landlord has an intention to move into the premises for their personal use.
  • The landlord has a plan to demolish the building.
  • The landlord plans to use the unit for a means other than housing. 

Landlord and Tenant Board applications and evictions can take a long time to process, and they often require extensive legal knowledge of the RTA, so it is ideal to attempt to resolve the issue amicably before resorting to formal legal proceedings.

The Right to Increase Rent in Certain Circumstances

You may wish to increase your rental amount during the tenancy. The RTA specifies a timeframe in which these increases are allowed. 

You can increase the rent once in every 12-month period in accordance with the Rent Increase Guideline published by the Government of Ontario. The current rent increase guideline is 2.2% for increases between January 1 and December 31, 2020. You must also give your tenant a minimum 90-days’ written notice before the rent increase comes into effect.

The Right to Enter the Property With Notice (With Limitations)

You may be surprised to learn that your right to enter the property comes with several limitations. This is to accommodate the tenant’s right to privacy and quiet enjoyment of the rental premises. Here are the guidelines to follow when it comes to entering the premises:

  • Entry is allowed between 8AM and 8PM
  • You must give written notice at least 24 hours prior to entry
  • You can enter for repairs, maintenance, safety inspections, and to show the property to potential new tenants

Keep Your Rental Unit Compliant. Hire Del Condominium Rentals Today

Becoming familiar with your many rights and obligations as a landlord can be a long and time-consuming task. To avoid making a mistake about your rights and obligations as a landlord, let a rental management company take over the day-to-day running of the property for you. 

Here at Del Condominium Rentals, we have decades of experience managing condominium units. We collect rent, carry out inspections, and find tenants, so you don’t have to.

Are you ready to simplify the entire rental process? Get in touch with the Del Condominium Rentals team today by emailing sales@delrentals.com

Are You Interested in Working With Del Condominium Rentals?
Submit your info below to download FREE eBook and learn more about our services, management cost and more


Filed Under: Condo Rentals Featured Story Tagged With: Landlord, RTA

Tips for Following Health and Safety Standards in Your Rental Property

June 26, 2020 By Zee J Leave a Comment

While owning a condominium in the GTA can be a lucrative business investment, there are a vast number of province-wide regulations that you need to follow when you lease your rental property. Some of the most important laws to be aware of are those that relate to the health and safety standards for all rental properties in the GTA. 

Failing to comply with these rules can get you into serious legal and financial trouble. We’ve put together a set of useful tips that are designed to help you follow these regulations—so you can reduce your risk and turn your property into a powerful investment tool.

Keeping the Property in Good Repair

The Residential Tenancies Act (sometimes known as the RTA) states that landlords in Ontario are required to follow certain guidelines for the health and safety of their tenants. The most important regulation, and the one you are most likely to come across as a landlord, is that the property must be kept in good repair. 

This means that it is your legal responsibility to repair any damage caused by reasonable wear and tear for your tenant’s safety. This can include: 

  • Replacing broken appliances. Be sure to check the lifespan of all of the appliances in your rental unit. Most appliances have a lifespan of around ten years. However, this can vary. Do your research before an appliance breaks down. 
  • Fixing leaking faucets. Leaking faucets are a matter of safety for your tenants as water leaks can lead to dangerous and expensive mould build-ups.
  • Repainting walls with peeling paint. Peeling paint poses a health danger as it can create lead-contaminated dust.
  • Dealing with clogged pipes and drains. Clogged pipes can also create an unhealthy atmosphere in the home. If left untreated, they can also damage your property.
  • Providing a suitable supply of utilities. Unless it is specified in the lease, you cannot start charging for utilities. 
  • Maintaining clean and hazard-free communal areas. As the owner of the entire building, you are responsible for keeping areas like the garage and communal hallway clean and free from hazardous materials.
  • Preventing and removing pest and insect infestations. You may be surprised to learn that pests and insects are also your responsibility—however, if your tenant reports an infestation, it’s your job to hire a pest control company. 

All of these responsibilities are in place to ensure your tenants live in safe and healthy conditions. It’s important that you are aware of which repairs and utilities you are responsible for to avoid the legal repercussions that come when you fail to comply. 

It’s always best practice to stay on top of your repairs and maintenance in order to keep your property from falling into a state of disrepair. If you are new to being a landlord, you may be surprised at how quickly “wear and tear” can occur. For this reason, schedule regular inspections where you can keep an eye on what is safe in the unit and what is not. 

The Most Common Legal Repercussions 

When you fail to keep your rental unit safe by neglecting any of the issues mentioned above, you can quickly run into legal difficulties. 

Here is what you can expect to occur when you don’t maintain healthy living standards for your tenants. 

  • After issuing a letter to you, the tenant can contact the Property Standards department. 
  • An inspector will make an appointment and order the necessary repairs with a deadline.
  • If you fail to comply in time, you will be fine or event charged with an offence.

It’s important to note that even if you do comply, the tenant can apply for an abatement of rent until the repairs are made, so you may lose your rent money until the home is safe and healthy. Be careful to request the official documentation proving that your tenant has applied for this abatement in an official capacity. 

Del Condominium Rentals: Helping Landlords in the GTA

Staying on top of your property’s compliance with health and safety standards is both a time-consuming and an incredibly important part of your landlord duties. If you fail to stay on top of the crucial repairs listed in this article, you may find yourself in legal trouble for failing to ensure the health and safety of your tenants.

That’s where we come in. At Del Condominium Rentals, we offer a full range of property management services. We shoulder the burden of repairs, rent collection, tenant screening, and more—so you can sit back and wait for your monthly rent cheque. 

Find out more about our services or contact us at 647-952-3644 or by emailing sales@delrentals.com
Are You Interested in Working With Del Condominium Rentals?
Submit your info below to download FREE eBook and learn more about our services, management cost and more


Filed Under: Condo Rentals Featured Story Tagged With: Health and Safety Standards, rental property, Residential Tenancies Act, RTA

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About Del Condominium Rentals

Del Condominium Rentals (DCR) is a full service rental management company. For more information about our program and how to have your suite professionally managed, please contact our Head Office at 416-296-7368 or email us at info@delrentals.com

Recent Condo Rentals Post

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