Renter Neglecting Home - Can We Do Anything? (Pickering, Ontario)

Some of you must live like slobs - no pride of ownership - even in a rental

Disgusting.

Frankly... OP probably shouldnt do anything if its simply just a messy tenant. Even if they are a reeeeallly messy tenant (except some examples).

Why.... the most civilized and best course of action can have repercussions. “Excuse me sir. Can you please be more tidy?”.

Another civilized way... write letters and documentation giving them “friendly reminders”

“Hello. Just a friendly reminder that keeping hallways and entry ways free of clutter prevents fire hazards. Please ensure your home is free of excess clutter in order to avoid fire hazzards.this is to protect your safety, as well as the safety of other occupants.

And ensure garbage is tied up and taken out frequently to assist us in preventing peat infestations.”

That can insult them. And they actually don’t have to comply if its just a messy tenant.

The only instances where you can do anything, is if the messiness actually causes damage/dangers. It seems like it doesnt because other wise OP would mention it. He is just bothered by someone being messy in his rental property.

Example

-the garbage is rotting food or exposed food. But if it causes pest infestations
A few sandwich crust and greasy pizza boxes with crust isnt gonna do it. The bar in ontario is rotting food EVERY where with flies and roaches climbing out of it.

-if clutter or garbage is impeding fire exits inside the unit, or if garbage/clutter is in common areas.

@ the end of the day... it seems really just a lifestyle choice of theirs that doesnt align with yours.

Send written documentation like the above and keep records of it all. Time, date, delivery time etc.
That way if you ever do need to evict them for actual damage, you have something to go by.


This is going by my experience when i worked as a social housing administrator (think landlord for government housing). So i’ve seen the worst of the worst.
One with literally thousands of roaches everywhere... and dead cats believe it or not. It was horrifying that one was being eaten by roaches.

Thats why i have little faith that you can do anything except in an actual extenuating circumstance.

superscoots wrote: ↑ Some of you must live like slobs - no pride of ownership - even in a rental

Disgusting.

pride of ownership?
what pride does a renter have of completing his landlords ownership?,,,if you play the game...you live with the score

Furcorn wrote: ↑ You want to tell them how they should live? That seems presumptuous on your part. They are adults, they pay rent, it's their home to do as they please.

If it becomes a liability to the facility then you might be able to request an intervention from the LTB. Call them?

No it's not their home to do as they please just because they are paying rent. What bad logic. It is owner's property, not the renter's and it's being devalued. I can only imagine the pest infestation problem that will ultimately arise from, rodents can do a lot of damage and they're pretty hard to get rid of, as are roaches.

IHavocI wrote: ↑ I found this in the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006

"The tenant is responsible for ordinary cleanliness of the rental unit, except to the extent that the tenancy agreement requires the landlord to clean it. 2006, c. 17, s. 33."

They had some clause like this when you buy homes as well. People will still leave it in shit. I had a lawyer and it still didn't help

This is why I don't do home landlording, condos are small and you can only trash them so much. Also hard to have a grow op in 350 sq ft. Lol

Clutter alone is a minor issue and can be easily cleaned for the most part. I have nieces and nephews, so I understand first hand that homes will have clutter. The major issue is the unsanitary dirtiness of the home. Old garbage laying around all over the home. Dirt, filth, grease, and stains everywhere. When I first saw the condition of the home, I almost refused to believe that a family could live here.

And for some reason, every air vent cover (that I saw) was in a closed clear plastic bag and then on top of the air vent. I have no idea why.

You can't tell your tenants how to live, unfortunately. And the LTB isn't taking hearings at this point unless something extreme is happening.

For your sake, I hope you took good pictures before the tenants moved in, and you can try to claim damages from them when they move out.

C

This are rough & bad times for landlords, big and small, not sure if you aware of what's going on with the industry. If you're tennant would stop paying you rent, it can take you a year to evict him! If you're tenant pays the rent I would leave him alone,you risk loosing many thousands of dollars and many headaches.

IHavocI wrote: ↑ And for some reason, every air vent cover (that I saw) was in a closed clear plastic bag and then on top of the air vent. I have no idea why.

Like I wrote in a separate reply, do not step on you're tenant toes at this era, he could stop paying you rent whatsoever, it's a very shitty situation for landlords really get now.

OP, this is the risk of being a landlord in Ontario. Renters have rights and it will be an uphill battle for you to ask the tenant to change their way of living.

You should have accounted for this type of behaviour and charged the appropriate rent to cover any damages by the tenant. If that doesn't make you happy, find a rental property in a landlord friendly province/state. Ontario ain't it.

My first step would be to talk to the tenant and gently asking them what's the issue with the neglect.
Messy & dirty is subjective to people's standard but you can explain to them that it impacts the property and can damage it
Then take it from there

vbomb wrote: ↑ My first step would be to talk to the tenant and gently asking them what's the issue with the neglect.
Messy & dirty is subjective to people's standard but you can explain to them that it impacts the property and can damage it
Then take it from there

I sent them an email yesterday. I made sure it was friendly reminder. I explained that clutter can be a fire hazard and that a clean unit prevents infestation of rodents. Also, showed that (based on the Residential Tenancies Act) they are responsible for the cleanliness of the unit.

James Stonehenge wrote: ↑ Of course not, no one wants to search for prospective tenants during a pandemic, and the money is good too isnt it?

Chalk it up to part of the rental business. Once they leave start the deep clean. If they dont leave, explore what others said.

Yup. Btw how long has tenant been there? If 10-20 years then u really shouldn t rock the boat.

tempperm wrote: ↑ Yup. Btw how long has tenant been there? If 10-20 years then u really shouldn t rock the boat.

1.5 years.

Pay for a cleaning service if you're this bothered by it.

IHavocI wrote: ↑ 1.5 years.

Yikes. Not sure what else u can do but ask nicely.

Just reading some of these comments and some people must be teenagers or something, only lived in a place their parents cleaned for them. How can an unkempt home become damaged? Seriously? Roaches, mice, rats they can all cause serious damage to a home. Not to mention the damage that can be done to the HVAC system or drains.

OP give them 24 hours notice, take pictures, you do not need their permission, you tell them you are coming. Then start the eviction process.

mazerbeaner wrote: ↑ Just reading some of these comments and some people must be teenagers or something, only lived in a place their parents cleaned for them. How can an unkempt home become damaged? Seriously? Roaches, mice, rats they can all cause serious damage to a home. Not to mention the damage that can be done to the HVAC system or drains.

OP give them 24 hours notice, take pictures, you do not need their permission, you tell them you are coming. Then start the eviction process.

It's clear you're not a landlord at least not one in Ontario.