Landlords, help your own cause.

Landlords and agents representing landlords. You're not helping your cause at all when looking for (tenancy) law abiding tenants if your lease applications and agreements demonstrate you're either ignorant of the tenancy laws or shadiness.

I submit that some of the problems we read about in media and in this forum can be significantly minimized when clauses such as follows are never used in any form. These are actual clauses pertaining to just one building’s rental listings. Attracting the better tenants starts with putting your best self forward.
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This clause is meaningless - the tenant in default at expiration of the lease term will remain in possession until they are evicted by an order

Tenant, if not in default hereunder, shall have the option, by written notice, given to the Landlord at least 60 days before the end of the lease term, to renew the lease for a further year term or on a month to month basis.

There is no excuse for ignorance by anyone especially that of an agent who is supposed to know better and not place their client at risk of fines for breaking the ACT.

Tenant agrees not to have any pets of any kind on the subject property.

Placing a clause with verbiage like this into an agreement that is given to a tenant to sign is a landlord imposed/coerced term and is not being voluntarily offered by the tenant..

The Tenant to voluntarily provide ten (10) post dated cheques for the balance of the lease, on or before the occupancy.

Ditto! Agent obviously doesn’t understand the difference between ‘shall’ and ‘voluntarily.’

Tenant shall, for the convenience of both parties, voluntarily provide the Landlord with… and ten (10) post dated cheques covering the remainder ten months upon occupancy.

This is a ridiculous clause, requiring the tenant to set up utilities in their name but to provide the landlord with a deposit for same for which the LL is not responsible..

Tenant also agrees to set up account with electricity/utilities company concerned for the electricity/other energy used before the commencement date and agrees to provide ______________MANAGEMENT with confirmation by the electricity/utilities company before the lease commencement date. Tenant agrees to pay a $200 non interest bearing deposit in the form of certified cheque made payable to ____________MANAGEMENT for the utility consumption before the commencement date of the lease and this deposit is refundable by the landlord, less deduction, at the expiry date of the lease.

This lease management company was the worst clause offender and has no clue what they’re doing. There is a prescribed maximum and this is not it!

Tenant/s agrees: To pay $50.00 for any NSF rent cheque.

If you don’t know this one is unenforceable, you’ve never acquainted yourself with tenant rights.

Tenant/s agrees: Not to keep Pets in the suite.

Worse is if you don’t know this breaks the law

Tenant and Landlord agree that an accepted Agreement to Lease shall form a completed lease, Residential Tenancy agreement (standard form of lease) and no other lease will be signed between the Parties.

The Key/fob deposit is the only deposit a landlord may collect and it cannot exceed the actually cost of the keys. Even if the “deduction” was allowed, it would be unenforceable here because of its ambiguity. Agents shouldn’t be writing ambiguous clauses.

Tenant/s agrees: To pay a $200 non interest bearing deposit for each set of keys (maximum 2 sets); such deposit is refundable by the landlord, less deduction, at the expiry of the lease.

Fees are the same for all units and cannot be applied against damages to the unit.

TENANT agrees to provide the landlord $300 (Three Hundred Dollars) as Key Deposit and the landlord shall provide 1 (One) set(s) of keys at the start of the lease: 1 (One) Key(s) of unit door, 1 (One) FOB for building and garage , 1(One) Key(s) of Mail Box , 1(One) Key(s) of Locker. The deposit will be returned to the tenant upon all the key(s)/Fobs are returned to the landlord at the end of lease if nothing damaged when the tenants move out except naturally wears and tears out.

Another illegal fee and for an obligation that is solely the landlord’s

TENANT shall be responsible for all minor repairs to all fixtures and appliances provided by the Landlord up to and including the first $100.00 per item repair and the Landlord shall pay for the balance. Any repairs required and reported to the Landlord on the first month of occupancy will be exempt from $100.00 deduction

Similar attempt, this one expects tenant to take the unit as is but pony up for wear and tear.

Tenant agrees to perform minor maintenance of the premises at his/her own expense, such as replacing burnt light bulbs and rubber washer of water faucet at the cost up to $100. Tenant warrants all above noted all chattels and fixtures should be in working condition upon termination of this lease. …Tenant agrees to take the premises in "as is, where is" condition.

Not enforceable no matter the wording

The Tenant acknowledges they are responsible to check, clean and replace the following at their own expense as often as required: ● the filter in the furnace, ● the lint traps in the dryer, and ● damaged light bulbs.

Rent covers a 24/7 service which the LL cannot opt out of

Tenant agrees that no actions, claims, rent abatement, liens, charges or application should be against the Landlord due to any inconvenience or failure of any mechanical, electrical or water system arising which may have been or may hereafter be sustained in connection with the building or leased property beyond Landlord's control.

Another

Tenant hereby agrees to pay for all cost, legal and otherwise, incurred by the Landlords in the collection of overdue and prepaid rent but not limited to all cost of service of documents, location of tenant and legal fees incurred by the landlords.

Yet another cash grab attempt. With very few exceptions, deposit institutions are barred from holding Canadian issued cheque funds for more than 8 business days and 0 day hold for wire transfers. The instant a tenant hands over a cheque to a brokerage they should not accept anything longer than 10 business days.

In the event a transaction is mutually released and becomes null and void, ________Group, Brokerage will issue a trust account Cheque for return of the deposit, to the party designated by the fully and properly executed mutual release, not before Ten (10) Business Days (for Certified Cheques or Bank Drafts) and not before Twenty One (21) Business Days (for Uncertified Cheques) from the date the funds were deposited into our trust account

One more Illegal fee

The Buyer must provide the deposit cheque in certified funds, bank draft, money order, direct deposit or electronic wire transfers. [uFor electronic wire transfers, the buyer agrees to a $20 service charge payable to the Deposit Holder. The $20 shall be added on top of the deposit amount.[/u]

Landlords don’t get a free pass to infringe upon any right to privacy without due cause. Plus it too is ambiguous.

The tenant agrees to allow a representative from ___________MANAGEMENT INC. to do a monthly inspection on the unit providing 24 hours notice to the tenant.

No they don’t, not ever!

Landlords shall also have the right for re-entry for non-payment of rent or non-performance of covenants.

Quoting the RTA incorrectly doesn’t help

Landlord retains the right to inspect and to do repairs inside the premises if necessary at least once in every three month period upon notice being given to the Tenant in accordance with the Residential Tenancies Act.

Rewriting the RTA doesn’t work either

Provided that the Landlord and Tenant have agreed to terminate…the Tenant agrees to allow the Landlord or his or her Agent to show property to potential Tenants/Buyers between 9am and 9pm…

Cute clause, better be accompanied by properly calculated rent if there’s to be any chance of enforcing it, which there isn’t

Tenant agrees on the termination date and time of the lease is 5:00pm on, unless the lease is extended.

Insipid clause

Tenant covenants with the Landlord that the Tenant will not keep any pets in the leased premises and do not smoke.

It’s been 4 years since such a clause was rendered moot. At the very least every landlord and agent should know about the no pet clause and this. Agents so seriously uninformed place their clients at risk for more serious offences they don’t know to protect against.

LANDLORD and TENANT agree that an accepted offer to lease shall form a completed lease and no other lease will be signed between parties.

And this tenant right has been around for decades

The regular occupant in the leased premises shall only be those persons whose names are provided in the rental application.

This LL and agent is being more egregious - deny rights and invade privacy too.

It is understood and agreed by the Landlord and the Tenants that only people listed on the rental application will be living in the premises during the entire lease term and renew term if applicable. It is also understood and agreed by the landlord and the Tenant that the entire premises is for tenant own use, no sub-lease is allowed. Tenant agrees to provide copies of passport photo page and driver's license of all occupants to landlord on or before closing.

Useless clause taking up space created by someone who should not be crafting clauses.

The Tenant shall cooperate with the Landlord to provide access for the Landlord's agent [ or any TREB agents in multiple listing system] to show the property to prospective purchasers or tenants [60 days before lease terminate for new Tenant ], prior to the Termination of the Lease term.

Another Useless clause that has no business being crafted. It gets the LL sued

Tenant covenants and agrees to abide by the Rules and Regulations of the Condominium Corporation as amended from time to time, and all requirements of the declaration/or by-law thereof; if applicable…If any of these rules are violated by the Tenant, the Landlord and the Management shall have the right to evict the Tenant with thirty [30] days notice.

And another but for the sheer stupidity and terrible wording of it, it would get the LL sued and charged for Human Rights Violations

Tenant agrees not to keep any pets, no smoking, and no intensive indoor cooking that yields any lasting odor including barbecue, grilling, etc. within the premises

Pure idiocy now! A 367 day insurance policy to make tenant liable for a unit they’re not in possession of

Tenant agrees to buy a insurance policy package effective starting from one day prior to the commencement of this Lease and expire one day after the expiration date of this lease with the liability converage

Real estate version of protection racketeering disguised as a volunteer yet illegal deposit

Tenants voluntarily agrees to provide a refundable $1,000.00 cleaning/demage deposit for the premises and furniture. Furniture & supplies include: - Hallway - entrance storage bench, white glossed cabinet - Hallway Closet - shoes rack, shoes placemat, fire extinguisher, shark vacuum cleaner and portable vacuum cleaner - Bedroom across from the bathroom with stand shower - queen size mattress with box - Berdoom with an ensuite bathroom - queen size mattress, white storage with 2 boxes, dark - Ensuite bathroom - bamboo towel rack, 2 laundry baskets, shower curtain - Dining room - extended glass dining table, two dining chairs, paper shredder, plates and glassware in the kitchen cabinets - Living room - L-shape cream colored couch, frame with 4 mesh baskets storage, floor lamp

Extortion - when you don’t know the RTA nor the Interest Act

Tenant agrees to pay a charge of 1% interest per month on late payments.