We rented a home to a single mother with 5 children in March 2018. Due to a career winding down outside of Canada, an application for the owner to move back to property was filed with the Board in November 2019.
Originally, rental payments in 2018 paid by the tenant were very good but at the beginning of 2019 payments started being late. N4s were sent and finally in the second half of the year, due to the career change, we gave the tenant an N12 in August 2019 and filed the L2 with the Board in November 2019. The first hearing was scheduled for February 4, 2020 and was dismissed due to not submitting an affidavit. We reapplied February 10, 2020. Then the Covid shutdown happened.
The Tenant did not pay in August 2019 but accepted the compensation of one month’s rent and we gave the 60 days notice. The Tenant waited until just before the 60 days was up and said she was not moving.
On May 10, 2021 we attended a property inspection along with a property manager and found holes in the walls the size of a TV and sometimes 10 holes per room. The tenant refused to let pictures be taken however, we have the Property Manager as a witness. After the inspection, I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown. My property was being deliberately damaged.
From January 2021 to May 25,2021, I called the LTB 3 times a week, would cry on the phone to the ltb and wanted to know if the file was lost. They said the file is not lost and their customer staff told me to send emails to a specific ltb email address. I wanted to know if this was going to take 25 years to resolve. I tried an Urgent Hearing request which was declined, then was told to send a shortened hearing request, I checked the check your status link every day and hired a paralegal 2 months ago in April 2021. More stress, more time, more money. My paralegal said all I can do is wait. On May 20, 2021 I finally received a hearing date for early July 2021 and the hearing is supposed to be for both applications. This is a 1 year and 5 month wait for a hearing date.
The tenant’s application demonstrated benefits from OW at $4,000/month. They had funds to pay the rent and the occupants have additional children meaning more benefits are coming into the home. Fortunately, after contacting OW three quarters of the rent was sent between Feb 2020 to Feb 2021 but as of March 2021 all payments stopped. To date the tenant owes $10,000 in arrears.
Bylaw has sent notices for excessive garbage at the property and as you know, if the garbage isn’t cleaned up a fine is sent to the owner. The neigbours have contacted the Police multiple times for issues at the property relating to the activities of the unsupervised kids and relating to damage.
At the home inspection, not only were there significant damages inside the home, approximately 20 people were at the property and the entrance to the furnace room was blocked and entry was refused.
The room where very young children live was filled with garbage, with pizza on the floor and only a small area for the children, Most of the bedroom was full of garbage. A week or so after the neighbours called the Police, some of the kids were throwing eggs at their house.
If the Government wants landlords in my position to rent, someone will have to take the initiative and supervise these families who do not have a standard for cleanliness and respect for the homes they live in and their neighbours. The children are living in squalor. Who is protecting them? Who is going to teach the adults the required skills to assist them in maintaining a roof over their head? The type of assistance they need cannot be done from sitting at a desk in an office. Wake up! Rental stock is depleting
