Posted in Building Code, Building Maintenance, Capital Expenditures, City of Toronto, Health Concerns, Problem Landlords, Ranee Management, Residential Tenancies Act, Second-hand smoke, Smoke free housing, T2, T6, Tenancy Agreement, Tenants boot camp | Tagged Building Code, City of Toronto, Compensation, Health Concerns, Property Standards, Ranee Management, Repairs, Residential Tenancies Act, Second-hand smoke, T2 Application, Tenancy Agreement, Tenants boot camp | 2 Comments »
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 Continue Reading »
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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 | Leave a Comment »
390 Dawes Road - Cold lodgings
The tenants of 390 Dawes Road (a METCAP managed building) are without adequate heating for yet another winter.
Our sources tell us that the radiators give off faint warmth but nothing that would produce the “minimum air temperature of 21 degrees Celsius is maintained in all areas of the dwelling unit from the 15th day of September in each year to the 1st day of June in the following year” required by the City’s bylaw on apartment temperature.
Tenants have been complaining about the lack of heating to the City’s Municipal Licensing and Standards and Health departments but so far have not seen the situation get better.
Just not good enough.
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Posted in Apartment Issues, Building Maintenance, Heating issues, Landlord Licensing and Standards, METCAP, Utilities | Tagged Apartment Issues, bad landlords, heating | 6 Comments »
(NOTE – refer to our post on Balcony Renovations at this link for relevant information on issues related to repairs: https://eastyorktenantsgroup.com/2019/09/12/balcony-renovations-and-above-guideline-increases/ )
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Many tenants in Beaches-East York have relayed frustrating experiences with ‘problem landlords’ and property managers when requesting needed repairs to their apartment or when they complain about poor building maintenance. Unresolved complaints for outstanding repairs and building maintenance issues seem to be the bane of the existence of many tenants in the City of Toronto. Although your rental agreement clearly outlines the rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and the landlord, some landlords and property managers do not comply with the regulations set out in the “RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES ACT”
Here is what tenants have been telling us:
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Absence of tenant associations – The most common concern is the challenges faced when attempting to establish a tenants association in order to help tenants resolve complaints and violations. Tenants tell us landlords do not encourage this activity and that landlords remove any notices related to organizing tenants from the communal notice board. The security guards are also instructed to remove any pamphlets and flyers related to this activity. It was suggested that since the security guards remove these while doing their rounds between 4:00 pm and midnight the tenants should deliver the flyers either after midnight or around 6:00 am and that flyers should be inserted carefully so that they are not visible from outside the doors. The Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 clearly states that: “It is an offence to try to prevent a tenant from forming a tenants’ association or taking part in one.”
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Violations by landlords and property managers – Tenants are confused by the longwinded process in place to resolve offences and/or violations committed by landlords. They feel helpless about the delaying tactics used by landlords when needed repairs are requested. Continue Reading »
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Posted in Above Guideline increase, Activism, Auditing programme, Bed bugs, Capital Expenditures, City Inspectors, CMHC, Compensation, Complaints letter, Elevators, Eviction, Garbage, Garbage disposal, Landlord and Tenant Board, Last Month Rent (LMR), Municipal Licensing and Standards, Noise, Noise Complaints, Problem Landlords, Repairs, Repairs and maintenance, Residential Tenancies Act, Security, Security Camera, Soundproof, T2, T6, Tenant Association, Tenants boot camp | Tagged Auditing programme, Bed bugs, Building Maintenance, City Inspectors, CMHC, Complaints letter, Elevators, Eviction, Garbage disposal, Municipal Licensing and Standards, Noise Complaints, Repairs, Sample complaint letter, Soundproof, T2 Application, T6 Application, Tenants Associations, Tenants boot camp | 15 Comments »
The City of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Office has been involved in various housing initiatives to make life easier for renters in the GTA with low or modest incomes . The initiatives include various strategies that would increase the supply of affordable rental housing and also provide opportunities for low-income renters to purchase a home. Here are some examples of the City’s affordable housing initiatives:
1. Rental Housing
The City of Toronto’s Affordable Housing Office has a project in place to increase the number of affordable rental units available to renters with modest incomes. This ‘affordable rental housing’ project consists of 35 rental buildings under development and as of September 2008 a total 6 were completed. You can view a list of the ongoing building and Continue Reading »
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Posted in Affordable housing, Building Maintenance, Canada's Housing Policy, City Hall, City of Toronto, Developers, Economy, Home ownership, Housing waiting list, Rent-geared-to-income, Subsidized housing, Tax breaks | Tagged Affordable housing, Building Maintenance, Canada's Housing Policy, Developers, Economy, Home ownership, Tax breaks | 2 Comments »
Toronto’s Municipal Licensing and Standards Department’s proposed auditing strategy was voted in (with some amendments) on Monday (10 November) by the City’s Executive Committee over the criticism and objections of tenants and advocacy groups such as The Federation of Metropolitan Tenants’ Association, The Parkdale Tenants’ Association, ACORN, The South Etobicoke Tenants Association, and the Parkdale Community Legal Services – Tenant’s Advocacy Division who wanted stronger, more tenant-focused regulation.
The new strategy will go into effect on December 1st, 2008. You can read the full recommendation, that the City’s Executive Commitee reviewed, here.
More later on what the new programme may mean to you and what you can do to help ensure that it is implemented well.
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Posted in Activism, Auditing programme, City of Toronto Executive Committee, Landlord licensing, Landlord Licensing and Standards, Municipal Licensing, Politics | Tagged Auditing programme, Landlord licensing, Municipal Licensing and Standards | Leave a Comment »
So, today is the day that the Toronto’s Executive Committee will evaluate and vote on a proposal for a new Municipal Licensing and Standards strategy.
As noted in earlier posts, it looks as if they will approve an auditing plan proposed by the department.
From a tenant perspective (and examined in detail in earlier posts) this proposal is little more than a slightly enhanced version of the status quo.
In earlier posts, we mentioned a meeting that took place yesterday afternoon to show support for landlord licensing – the proposal initially being investigated by the City.
This meeting was well attended (with approximately 40 people present, albeit mostly members from the organizing group, ACORN) and drew a camera crew from Global TV and two newspaper reporters. Three city Continue Reading »
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Posted in Activism, Landlord licensing, Politics, Toronto City Council | Tagged Landlord licensing, Politics, Toronto City Council | Leave a Comment »
Toronto city councillor, Howard Moscoe has done a complete about turn from his former support for landlord licensing (as weakened as his version was) in favor of an even weaker auditing plan put forth by head of the City’s Municipal Licensing and Standards Department, Jim Hart.
The new auditing plan will be the only fleshed-out proposal to go before the Mayor’s Executive Committee for a vote on Monday, November 10th and if passed, as is likely with no other real proposals on the table, would take effect on Dec. 1st.
According to The Toronto Sun, the auditing scheme would be ‘operated by a team of 12 MLS officers with a background in building audits — will proactively inspect 176 rental (private and social housing) buildings Continue Reading »
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Posted in Activism, Auditing programme, Landlord licensing, Politics | Tagged Auditing programme, Howard Moscoe, Jim Hart, Landlord licensing, landlords, Toronto politics | Leave a Comment »
