The Landlords and Tenants Board (LTB) needs to be fair to landlords and tenants, as it is now it is a dysfunctional process that in reality increases the rental cost the good tenants need to pay; decreases available rental properties, decreases affordable rental properties, increases the landlord tenant evictions before the Board, increases irresponsible tenants, promotes non-payment of rent, provides money for alcohol, drug and other expensive practices to continue at the cost of the landlords , province and good tenants. Inflation and lack of affordable rentals should not be put onto the landlords. Our government needs to provide those on assistance the money to live, pay their bills and pay rents directly to the landlords.
Non-payment of rent, destruction of property and improper pet care costs landlords who must recapture this loss by increasing rents from the next tenant. I give my tenants a good clean accommodation at an affordable rent but this has become difficult. A home is an investment and responsibility but should not be a nightmare but for many landlords is a living nightmare! A landlord who can’t pay his own hydro or gas must continue to pay for a tenant who is not paying their rent, the tenant who is causing this lack of money is warm and has lights.
Increases in operating costs such as taxes, hydro, heat, interest rates and wages need to be included in the rent then when rent is not obtained becomes a business loss that must be addressed and obtained. If a person can live cheaper in a rental, why purchase and invest in a property? Sell, become a tenant and decrease your stress and accommodations. If a property is running at a loss, at some time this loss must be stopped.
How many properties are vacant and the cities are trying to force the owner to open this property to renters by creating an additional tax, fine or expense? A tenant who may not pay their rent, destroy the property or use it as a party house is a risk these property owners are not willing to risk. I know my expense with the house empty and not so when renting. One bad tenant can cause damages and expenses several years of renting will not pay for. I can have short term rentals, rent to students, charge larger rents with little risk and not be under the Rental Tenant Act. Why rent for long term? If cities want to crack down on short term rentals, fix the present RTA law, provide a system that is fair. Landlords are the solution give them a law that treats them with respect and not the bad guy.
It is stated that landlords are running a business, if so a business should make a profit and return on investment. If a business is not profitable, the business must become profitable or cut losses by closing. That affordable rental unit is now empty or has been sold to another investor, home owner or family. The new owner must charge more rent to help pay his additional costs from the purchase. The former landlord who was forced to sell now has money in the bank creating a return in place of a money pit property from lost income from non-payment of rent and or destruction of property. Why can a bank evict a tenant on a foreclosure faster and be successful and the owner of the property can’t? Theft is the taking of goods or services without paying for them but NOT if it is a rental and you are a tenant. If a tenant is evicted and must move out on a date, enforce the trespass laws and eliminate the additional fees to obtain the sheriff. Renting under the current system rewards theft by not paying rent. We protect the identity of the tenant, give them support payments for the rent but they don’t need to pay this to he landlord. I rented to a person before COVID with a very expensive car, well dressed and gave the appearance and documents of employed and financially secure but in reality paid first and last month’s rent and never again. The eviction took four months then, was required to move out but didn’t. Went to jail getting him out. REALITY IS I was paying for his car, clothes and accommodations! I have presently 3 rental units that are vacant because the risk of a bad tenant is greater than the return achievable with renting. 4 + years profit can be wiped out with one bad tenant. One tenant had a roommate that shared the rent, when the roommate moved out only wanted to pay half the rent; when the eviction notice was obtained, turned the shower hose on to the floor, flooding out the two lower units. One mother rented a unit for her son moving back into the city. The son had just been released from Kingston prison for selling drugs and after moving in returned to his former profession of selling drugs.
If our government paid the rent and damages owing to landlords that received a judgement and collected this money from the tenant, it would not be long before the laws changed, more units became available and rents decrease. Bad tenants would decrease and I think landlords would help fund this by paying a percentage of the judgement.
Our Ontario Government will not rent to tenants under the same laws we landlords are required to comply with. WHY?
Tom Lehan is a Solo landlord in Saint-Catharines, Ontario This article is a personal opinion of the author.
