Okay next we are going to talk about The Residential Tenancies Act.
So I'm going to go through this somewhat quickly because you can get more of these
details later and they're not going to be essential to your search for
accommodations to begin with.
So The Residential Tenancies Act is a law and
it gives landlords specific rights and responsibilities, provides rules for
increasing rent or evicting tenants and it creates something called a Landlord
Tenant Board which is like a court it's a tribunal.
So next we're going to talk about the Landlord and Tenant Board.
So what the landlord tenant board
it's that tribunal it's kind of like a court that informs landlords and
tenants about the rights and responsibilities under the Residential
Tenancies Act which is I'll call it the RTA and it results disputes
between tenants through mediation, adjudication or just by providing information.
So they can make decisions about whether or not a landlord can
evict a tenant and they make decisions about disputes between landlords and
tenants should those disputes happen.
Most of the time you will never have any
interactions with the landlord and tenant board it's very rare but it's
just good to know about in case you find yourself in that situation.
So next we're going to talk about does the RTA apply to me?
So if you share a kitchen or bathroom
with a landlord or a member of the landlord's family you are not covered by
The Residential Tenancies Act.
So please be aware of that because
this means that for a lot of students if they live in a home and they share a
bathroom or a kitchen with the people who own the home then the law
I'm going to discuss right now it doesn't apply to you.
So please make sure you understand whether or not you're in this situation.
For more information seek legal advice around whether or not your accommodations
would fall under this act.
Next, Tenant Rights.
So under the law in Ontario, you have the Right to Security of Tenancy.
So this means you can continue to live in your rental unit
until you give the landlord proper notice, the landlord and you agree that
you can move or your landlord gives you notice to end your tenancy for reasons
that are allowed under The Residential Tenancies Act.
Next, Right to Privacy.
Your landlord can only enter your rental unit for the reasons allowed under the act.
Usually your landlord must give you 24 hours notice. It should be a written notice
before entering your unit. There are exceptions in case of emergency for
example: fire, a pipe burst, flooding something like that those are extremely rare.
Next, Tenant Responsibilities.
You need to pay your rent on time, you need to keep your unit clean and
you need to repair any damage caused by you or your
guests whether on purpose or by just not being careful enough.
Note: you're not allowed to have the locks changed without the permission of the landlord.
Next, Choosing to End your Tenancy.
If you're on a fixed term so if you're within that twelve month period of a 12-month lease
that's what fixed term means.
Then you need to give at least sixty days notice before the end of the lease.
The termination date cannot be before the last day of the end of the fixed term.
So it can't be before the end of your lease unless you otherwise agree on that.
If you don't give notice and you're on a 12-month lease the landlord assumes
that their rental continues so please be aware of that.
If you've lived in a place for more than a 12-month lease
then you can pay under paying rent month-to-month
you can give 60 days notice.
So for more about this please go
online to CLEO, Community Legal Education Ontario
or talk to a licensed legal professional.
Next, Landlord Rights.
They have the right to collect the rent deposit but it cannot be more than last
month's rent and they should not be collecting a deposit that's sometimes
referred to as a damage deposit.
That's actually not we go under The Residential
Tenancies Act and that deposit that you do pay should just be used for pay last month's rents.
So please be aware of that.
Next, landlord does have the right to increase rent.
So this is limited by special rules.
So they can't just increase your rent suddenly by like a hundred and fifty
dollars or by 50 percent of your total rent.
There are specific rules.
So if your landlord gives you notice that your rent is going to increase it should be
at least 90 days notice and it shouldn't be a massive increase.
So if your landlord is telling you they're going to increase your rent and you're not sure
whether or not it's legally permitted talk to a legal professional and also
you can come talk to me the International Transition Coordinator for
basic information about this.
Alright. Next, we're going to talk about Landlord Responsibilities.
So they have to keep the rental property in a good state
of repair and they have to obey basic health and safety and maintenance
standards including making sure that there's smoke detectors in the house.
They need to provide you with a written copy of your tenancy agreement within 20
days after you signed it. Ideally though you should try to get your lease or your
tenancy agreement right after you sign it that is the most ideal scenario.
Next, Landlords cannot shut off or interfere with supply of vital services such as your water.
They cannot take your personal property if you don't pay rent or if you're late on payment.
They cannot lock you out of your rental unit unless your landlord has an eviction order
through the Landlord and Tenant Board and a sheriff comes to your rental unit to enforce it.
So if you are renting an apartment they can't just tell you leave tomorrow.
The process for an eviction takes a few steps and
usually one of the steps will involve a hearing so you have to go to an
appointment at the landlord and Tenant Board.
Again this is very specific information that you probably hopefully will never need to know or use but just
know that when it comes to being asked to leave the unit it's not like your
landlord if you're renting an apartment can send you an email saying leave tomorrow.
So if you ever find yourself in a situation where your landlord is
either hinting or directly saying then they need you to move out prior to the
end of your lease then please make sure you seek out legal advice through the
Legal Protection Plan.
Your landlord do not insist that you pay rent by post-dated
checks or an automatic debit so that's another thing.
Next
So there are reasons they can end a tendency- not paying your rent in full, causing damage, disturbing
other tenants or illegal activity.
So those are reasons they could evict you
that are considered "for cause".
There are other reasons that are maybe not your
faults they could evict you as well.
So next we'll talk about other reasons.
So if they plan to do major repairs and renovations that require a
building permit, then the work and the work cannot be done unless the unit is
empty that's a reason they can ask you to leave.
If they are wanting to live in
the unit themselves or have a member of their family move in or if they sell the
home and the person who bought the home wants to move in or have their family move in.
They could ask you to leave for those reasons and those are nothing
to do with you they're not your fault but they are legally permitted reasons
why landlord can ask you to leave they have nothing to do with you.
Next
Legal Protection Plan.
So I mentioned this a few times but under your CSI health and dental plan,
there is access to a free helpline where you can access
advice around many different areas of law and you can also get representation
in the areas of housing, employment or academic concerns.
So for more information about the Legal Protection Plan you can just search the CSI health
and dental plan website and you'll get more information about this at
orientation as well just know that there's legal help that's available to you.
Alright. Next.
Remember, you should start your housing search as soon as possible.
It takes time and it does take a lot of
sometimes a fair bit of energy to find a place that suits you but there's help
available and guidance if you're looking for something make sure you're
contacting landlords directly to find housing and maybe not just putting
general messages out on Facebook groups.
I do see a lot of that and maybe you
will get some helpful leads if you put out messages on Facebook groups but
that's not the most effective way to look for housing.
You have to be contacting landlords directly and booking appointments.
Ask questions if you're not sure.
You can contact me, Kendra through internationaltransition@conestogac.on.ca
and keep in mind that just it takes time and effort but I know you can do it and
you'll be very proud of yourself once you have.