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Archive for December, 2011

Property Taxes Decrease and Rent Reduction in 2012

Posted in 2012 Rent Increase Guideline, Property tax decrease, Rent reduction 2012, Residential Tenancies Act, tagged , , , on December 18, 2011| 4 Comments »

UPDATE: A reduction in rent will also apply for the year 2013. For more details refer to this link: http://www.eastyorktenantsgroup.com/2012/12/13/automatic-rent-reduction-in-2013/
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The decrease in municipal property taxes will result in a reduction in rent for tenants in residential properties. This means that  tenants can look forward  to a small reduction in their monthly rental payments effective December 31, 2011.  Although the decrease in rent of 0.79% seems to be an insignificant amount most of us will welcome any reduction in rental payments in these troubled economic times. This modest decrease comes at an opportune time for tenants since the 2012 Rent Increase Guideline of 3.1% is a substantial increase compared to what was allowed in recent memory.

Tenants should note that they do not require permission from the landlord or the Landlord and Tenant Board to reduce their rent by 0.79%.  However, as a courtesy, you should discuss how the reduction will be done with your landlord.

Incidentally, not all residential properties are affected by this rent reduction. Information about this decrease in property taxes and the reduction in rent has been mailed out by City of Toronto only to tenants who qualify for the reduction.  The  properties excluded from the reduction include public housing, non-profit housing, etc.  For more details on how this reduction is to be applied and to see if you qualify for a rent reduction you should check:  http://www.toronto.ca/housing/rent-lower.htm.   For your convenience a sample calculation is provided at that website.  You can also phone City of Toronto hotline 311 if you have questions.

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NOTES
1.  The Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA) has posted a Q & A that provides clarification about the rent reduction. Check this link:  http://www.torontotenants.org/news/automatic-rent-reductions-2012-questions-and-answers
2. This reduction in rent is covered under Section 131 of the Residential Tenancies Act. Refer to this link:  www.ltb.gov.on.ca

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Fire Safety in Apartment Buildings

Posted in 2012 Rent Increase Guideline, Apartment Safety, Building Code, Fire regulations, Fire safety, Second-hand smoke, Smoke free housing, tagged , , , , , on December 18, 2011| 4 Comments »

The recent fire at 500 Dawes Road once again raises the issue of adequate fire safety regulations in apartment buildings, especially older buildings that might not meet current City of Toronto building regulations. 

According to news reports, the fire started in the elevator shaft of the building where the superintendent and a maintenance man were working on the elevators with a soldering gun. There was an explosion and a fire started in the elevator sending plumes of black smoke up to every floor.  This particular building is an older building with no roof hatches to vent the smoke so thick plumes of smoke wend their way through apartment units, windows, hallways and balconies. Some tenants were unable to exit the building quickly and had to be treated for smoke inhalation. Those in the elevator in question received serious injuries and had to be treated in hospital.  Clearly this building needs to be evaluated for fire safety code compliance.

Recently there was also a serious fire occurring on one of the balconies at 165 Barrington Avenue. That fire has been attributed to discarding lighted cigarette butts over balconies. Damage to the balcony in question was extensive and the heavy smoke emanating from that fire inconvenienced tenants on several floors. Fortunately there were no injuries but several tenants who were affected by the smoke seeping into their units and the hallways remain very concerned about this incident.  Tenants in this building frequently complain of finding butts on their balconies. Notices have been posted by management cautioning tenants about discarding lighted cigarette butts over their balconies and also encouraging tenants to forward any information they have about this incident.

Most us in the GTA  recall that massive fire that occurred at a TCHC apartment building on Wellesley Street last year.  Many of the residents were stranded for days and unable to return to their units.  That fire was also attibuted to a lighted cigarette butt that landed on a balcony packed with various items that included combustible materials stored there.  Massive hoarding of all kinds of stuff in apartments and balconies is neither safe nor healthy and has become somewhat of an epidemic nowadays. In addition to being  a serious fire hazard there are unpleasant outcomes from this practice.  Many of the hoarded items are scavenged either from the street or from items discarded at the rear of apartment buildings. These scavenged items often bring unwanted visitors such as bed bugs, cockroaches, and who knows what else, to apartments !  All the excess items that tenants hoard should be stored either in apartment lockers or in a public storage facility.

The fires caused by careless discarding of cigarette butts brings us back to the issue of the rights of  ‘smokers’ versus ‘non-smokers’. (Refer to our post on this issue:  Smoke Free Housing).  This is not only safety issue but also a health issue as it is well-documented that smoking can damage a person’s health.  Cigarette smoke infiltrating through electrical outlets and other crevices in poorly insulated buildings exposes non-smoking tenants to second-hand smoke.  Perhaps it is time reconsider whether or not tenants have a right to smoke in their unit or on their balcony since that activity can compromise both the safety and health of other tenants.

Tenants should take note that the property managers/landlords are required to perform  annual fire safety checks to ensure the building meets the municipal building code. If buildings are up to code and the fire/smoke alarms are operating then tenants are assured that they will be made aware of a fire in a timely manner and can protect themselves accordingly.

For your own benefit and safety it is recommended that  you check out the City of Toronto fire Safety and Fire prevention tips http://www.toronto.ca/fire/prevention/

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