There is an election coming up – Letter to Doug Ford.

There is an election coming up.

We urge the Political Parties to listen to the urgent concerns of  Rental Housing providers and those affected by current unjust Legislation. These pertinent issues affect all Ontarians, landlords and tenants alike. Assist our housing providers by giving them back more control in their owned homes. Owners worked hard to buy these rental properties and have provided funds to invest in Ontario and much needed housing. The pendulum has swung too far on the tenants side. Non paying tenants are holding rental homes hostage for far too long. Rent theft seems to be tolerated by Ontario government for too long causing undue hardship to small Landlords.

Those providing housing should be encouraged to continue, because they ultimately take the burden of providing  housing off the Government and Government housing. By changing the RTA and LTB legislation to be more equitable and supportive of Rental housing providers, it will diminish the housing crisis that has been worsened by the current government robbing one party to provide support to another. Many Rental Housing providers are currently being forced by unfair Legislation, long wait times at LTB to provide their homes and services for free.

No one works for free.

Where then, is the incentive to provide rental housing?

Ontario Government needs to respect the issues that property owners face and not allow tenants to have more rightsin the rented property than the owner of the property. Money must come in to pay for the tenants use. It’s theft otherwise. This should always be the law and the mindset. Make providing housing a safe and profitable business that investment Property owners will WANT to invest in. As you may be aware, currently, investors can see Ontario is not a sound business investment risk and are deterred from investing. Some tenants have demanded $50 000 or more to leave their rented home. “Cash for keys” is extortion any way you look at it. This practice should immediately be stopped and made illegal.

No one lives for free, the housing provider doesn’t get to live for free  during the Pandemic or otherwise. .

Why do you assume Landlords can afford to pay their tenants costs incurred? Any owner who invested in Ontario housing provided a down payment, services the property,  pays the mortgage with no “forgiveness” offered, high property tax and yet hasn’t received any breaks. This is discrimination when tenants weren’t forced to pay rent yet the owner was still required to paying full even during the Pandemic.

When a legally binding rental contract is broken by a tenant not paying rent it is theft plain and simple. When you don’t pay your bill at a hotel, the Police are called to lay charges for theft. Why is it somehow justified to steal housing, and the services provided. It take many months or longer to recover or receive any (hopefully)  LTB justice.

Landlords should have equal to tenant LTB filing fees and not have wait time to receive fair payment for services provided. Providers should be allowed to cease rental services within a 60 day period with no hardship incurred to the provider. There’s a dire need for our Government to support Rental housing providers better or we risk losing more rental housing. Housing providers provide a service in exchange for payment,  just like the utility companies, the grocery store etc. Yes housing may be an essential right,  but that’s for our government to cover. You are not asking the grocery stores to give away free groceries or the cable/phone company to provide free services..

Small Landlords don’t have deep pockets like the government to pay for others.

1) Have rent paid directly to the landlord for tenants on support to avoid tenants not paying rent or spending that money on other things rather than prioritizing rent

2) Stricter, faster consequences for tenants not following their lease agreements ex- not paying rent or damaging a rental home. Timely and effective recourse is desperately needed to deter these injustices.

Property investors and housing providers poured their life savings into providing a rental home to another in exchange for expected fair compensation.

Tenant should be held accountable to pay their arrears, garnished if necessary by Legislation. Free housing is a Government responsibility, not private citizens. Landlords are not a social service charity. Ontario citizens should never be asked to pay for another person’s responsibility. Our government needs to provide direct rent support not housing providers supporting others against their will.

The same level of support needs to be offered to both parties. Right now Landlords are feeling unheard and unsupported.

Many are discouraged from taking the risk to provide rentals, when you hear of Cash for keys, thousands in damages not recovered, the Hamilton Landlord that did not receive any justice from multiple LTB hearings.. Their tenant caused them such hardship the Landlord saw no way out and committed suicide as he could not get the non paying tenant to leave.

LTB did not serve this Landlord justice.

Ontario has become common place for ‘Cash for Keys” and “Keep Your Renters” to feel justified to use someone else’s home for free or demand thousands to leave someone else’s home. Providing rental housing was once a small business opportunity to invest wisely in our province. Let’s bring that back. Private Rental Housing needs to a be profitable, fair business for people to want to invest in Ontario housing.

It currently is not.

Other provinces have much fairer Legislation. As a result, these other provinces have less issues with rental housing than Ontario currently. Housing providers need more control  in their OWNED properties. Tenants should not be allowed to get away with not paying or holding someone’s home  hostage. ONTARIO Legislation is too biased toward the tenant,

Please, let’s make it fair for both parties

Consult SOLO and other housing providers to address these issues that will make providing quality housing feasible.

There are still long delayed LTB Hearings, often there are stay orders for tenants who promise to pay yet never do, time and time again many hearings get delayed and the Landlord is still stuck providing free services and housing, in contradiction of their rights and a legally binding lease. Our Government should provide funds directly to the housing provider if they want no evictions for non payment.

Never expect the housing provider running a small business to give free services. The Government gave support to Tenants but now it’s time to pay Housing providers. Private citizens money should NOT foot the bill for non paying tenants. Landlords are getting out of the housing provider business due to unfair Legislation.

Would you be in any business to lose money?

For example, Many are hesitant to want to rent to someone with pets, knowing pets can easily cause damages since providers have to pay out of pocket and wait for LTB ruling for damages with no guarantee of ever recouping costs, Instead of just asking for a simple damage deposit. Make it simple!

It would be cheaper and more equitable for all if the RTA went back to  allowing the following to help providers feel safer their investment was protected by:

Damage deposits being permitted

Pet deposits

Allowing Landlords to request tenants to leave with 60 days notice.

No monetary bribes tolerated to get tenant to vacate no cash for keys allowed. No 1 mt compensation required.

(what is happening now, extortion by entitled tenants acting as if it was their owned home and refusing to leave without being given thousands)

That property belongs to the owner. He should be able to chose the usage of his own property and have at least some control over it. Or the result becomes, investors put their investment elsewhere.. MORE of a housing crisis has been created,  due to current unfair legislation that helps no one secure a rental home. The current RTA and LTB legislation is grossly unfair and goes against our constitutional rights. It has created undue hardship for many rental housing providers.

Also needed are:

*Quicker, low cost and simple evictions of arrears tenants or those breaking their lease contract rules repeatedly.

1)  Have any tenants on Government assistance or EI have their rent portion go directly to the housing provider.

2) Owners need to be able to quickly remove/evict non paying or abusive tenants damaging the owners home to preserve their investment and their rental business.  A hotel would not keep a non paying guest.

Police are normally called for theft…But currently rent theft is happening every day and is tolerated by our government..

Small owners should never be stuck carrying the non paying tenants bills out of the owners personal money. Please make some real change to swing the pendulum back to fair for ALL then we will all be on the way to fix the housing crisis. This is how you will win the votes of the community on both sides.  Listen to those  providing the rental housing. Their concerns,  get some input what is needed.

*Contact SOLO for more info if you want the vote of the 67% of Ontarians that are property owners.

According to Stats,  33% currently rent . Your majority votes are with Rental Housing Providers and home owners. Doug Fords current unfair bias  protecting tenants but not Landlords Housing providers often wait for multiple LTB hearings or longer. This is a waste of taxpayer money. Too many small Landlords  have been left broke waiting for justice. Those providing homes to others need to be in more control of their homes to minimize being destroyed in bankruptcy from tenants being allowed to stay who should not.

Some tenants got CERB, yet still didn’t pay rent.  Pay rent to Landlords directly Landlords need that same Government support just as much as tenants.. There’s currently more home owners than renters in Ont. that’s where your votes will come from!  Help tenants have more availability of rentals by standing behind, listening to and supporting Rental housing providers investing their money here in Ontario or they will certainly invest elsewhere. Make it a safe, decent living for providers and less risky to provide housing by changing LTB unfair biases.

3)  Eliminate ‘Cash for keys” and the absurd RTA Legislation of having to PAY a tenant at least 1 mts rent to leave someone else’s home. Give owners some rights  in their hard earned property!

Housing providers pay ALOT in taxes and property tax that goes to helping provide the services that makes all of  Ontario great.

Be assured, Property owners and Housing providers  will vote for the political party that helps protect rental housing providers and their investments. Change Ontario legislation to be similar the other provinces such as Alberta for Rental housing legislation. More and more providers of rental housing have gotten out of providing housing. Let’s fix the reasons why.

Any Political party could be heroes if they made it more enticing for owners to provide this desperately needed housing. Support is currently available to tenants but not Landlords. Tenants even get free Legal counsel. Filing with LTB should cost the same for everyone- Tenant and Landlord. Currently, there is discrimination. Expecting property owners to cover for their tenant when a tenant is in arrears is unjust and against our rights to have this forced upon any Landlord.

The eviction ban when yet Landlords still had to pay in full property tax, mortgages and insurance was unjust. Some landlords were left homeless instead and still paying for their tenant.  This should never happen. Some tenants and Keep Your Renters chose not to pay rent and destroyed someone else’s investment and livelihood.

LTB needs to change fast to support property owners and Landlords. It will also helps take the housing burden off the Government.

Political Parties… are you listening to how to create MORE housing?

How will you make it fair for ALL and not give support to one group at the expense of the other?

We are interested in hearing how all parties will receive equal support and investing in Ontario becomes a good business opportunity again.

Thank you.