Posted in Affordable housing, Economy, Ontario Provincial election 2011, Residential Tenancies Act, Seniors housing, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged Affordable housing, Economy, Ontario Provincial election 2011, Residential Tenancies Act, Seniors housing, Vacancy Decontrol on September 22, 2011| 4 Comments »
The 2011 Ontario Provincial election will take place October 6, 2011
At this time of fiscal constraints, inflation, jobless rate, environmental concerns and continuing economic uncertainties, the daily lives of many Ontarians are affected adversely. In particular, many tenants seeking affordable housing face tough choices trying to keep a roof over their heads and feeding their families. In this election it is critical that candidates seeking your support find creative (more…)
Posted in 2011 Rent Increase Guideline, Apartment Issues, Auditing programme, Building Maintenance, HST, Jim Hart, MLS Building Audit, MRAB, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Property standards violations, Repairs and maintenance, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged Auditing programme, Building Maintenance, Jim Hart, MLS Building audit, MRAB, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Property standards violations, Repairs, Vacancy Decontrol on January 28, 2011| 10 Comments »
For the current year and commencing January 2011, the Municipal Licencing and Standards department (MLS) has provided updated information on the resumption of the audit program in multi-residential apartment buildings (MRAB). MLS has included a list of buildings scheduled for auditing as well as specific items to be targeted in their audits. For example, the audits will include ‘common areas, mechanical systems and grounds of the building’ for property standard violations. Refer to this link for details: http://www.toronto.ca/licensing/mrab/audit_activity_by_ward.htm
According to the article “Inspectors to probe city’s 5,000 rental buildings” published in April 2010, Jim Hart (Executive Director of MLS) stated: ” We’re actually going to get our own staff to go out there effectively with a checklist and do every single (rental) building in the city and kind of rate them,” and that “he’s determined to send out about 100 inspectors to give nearly 5,000 buildings a once-over, so his 12-member audit team can better focus its efforts on the buildings most in need of improvements”. Refer to this link for the full article: (more…)
Posted in 2011 Rent Increase Guideline, Above Guideline increase, HST, Last Month Rent (LMR), Vacancy Decontrol, tagged 2011 Rent Increase Guideline, Above Guideline increase, Vacancy Decontrol on July 14, 2010| 3 Comments »
The Annual Guideline Rent Increase for 2011 is being described as the lowest guideline increase in the 35-year history of rent regulation in Ontario. It has been set at 0.7% and is the maximum a landlord can increase the rent of existing tenants. The landlord will have to seek the approval of the Landlord and Tenant Board to increase rents above the guideline of (more…)
Posted in 2010 Rent Increase Guideline, Above Guideline increase, Annual Guideline Rent Increase, Capital Expenditures, Consumer Price Index, Economy, Landlord and Tenant Board, Last Month Rent (LMR), Ontario Tenants Rights, Residential Tenancies Act, Smart meters, Statistics Canada, Utilities, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged 2010 Rent Increase Guideline, Above Guideline increase, Annual Guideline Rent Increase, Capital Expenditures, Consumer Price Index, Ontario Tenants Rights, Residential Tenancies Act, Utilities, Vacancy Decontrol on October 9, 2009| 5 Comments »
The Annual Rent Increase Guideline and the Above Guideline Increase for 2010 have been announced. Much to no one’s surprise both rent increase guidelines are greater than those of 2009. The Annual Rent Increase Guideline has been raised from 1.8% to 2.1% and applies to a rent increase that begins any time between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2010. This annual increase is intended to cover the (more…)
Posted in Above Guideline increase, Annual Guideline Rent Increase, Bed bugs, Eviction, Landlord and Tenant Board, Lease Agreement, Legal Assistance, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Noise bylaw, Noise Complaints, Ontario Tenants Rights, Pests, Problem Landlords, Problem tenant, Rent Bank Program, Rental Lease Agreement, Tenancy Agreement, Tenants boot camp, Terminating Lease agreement, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged Affordable housing, Bed bugs, Eviction, Lease Agreement, Noise Complaints, pests, Residential Tenancies Act, T2 Application, Tenants boot camp, Terminate lease agreement, Vacancy Decontrol on January 10, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation that is beyond our control and have to terminate a rental lease agreement early. In the present economic climate there will probably be an increasing number of renters needing to end their lease/ tenancy agreement early. It could be that laid off or underemployed renters will be seeking less expensive accommodation to survive the downturn in the economy. Some tenants may have found more suitable accommodations and others may be faced with the prospect of becoming homeless due to the economic downturn. Tenants may have to relocate for a new job. It may be that they want to move because of NOISY TENANTS or ‘harassment by a tenant’ and the fact that the landlord is not taking their complaints seriously. Check Municipal Licensing & Standards (Chapter 591 Noise Bylaw) for more detailed information on noise violation.
A tenant may also be concerned about safety and security in their building if they have been a victim of robbery, burglary or break-in and the landlord has not responded adequately. Or there may be existing tensions or conflicts due to other violations of the RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT such as malfunctioning utilities and outstanding major repairs, or Cockroach and bed bug infestation that the landlord ignores. There violations can make your unit uninhabitable. Naturally tenants would want out of their lease/tenancy agreement as soon as possible. There could also be any number of personal (more…)
Posted in Activism, Politics, Queen's Park, Rent Control, Residential Tenancies Act, Toronto City Council, Vacancy Decontrol, tagged Dalton McGuinty, Frances Nunziata, Ontario, Politics, Provincial government, Rent Control, Toronto City Council, Vacancy Decontrol on September 11, 2008| Leave a Comment »
In mid-July of this year the City Council voted to refer a motion (initiated by Ward 22 – St. Paul’s Michael Walker and seconded by Ward 11- South Weston’s Frances Nunziata) to Toronto’s Executive Council to request that the Provincial Government support a return to what they termed ‘real’ Rent Control and the end of Vacancy Decontrol in the province.
In and of itself, the Council motion was not very meaningful and does not seem to have been picked up by the media. It did certainly raised concerns though that are important to us as tenants.
So, what were the Councillors supporting and what impact would the (more…)
East York Tenants Group 