Seven Steps to Solving Tenancy Problems CALC Tenant School Hastings, Prince Edward, Lennox & Addington Counties 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 1
The Community Advocacy & Legal Centre Tenant School is a public legal education initiative inspired by Halton Tenant School. This project is partially funded by the County of Hastings. The views expressed in this material are the views of Community Advocacy & Legal Centre and do not necessarily reflect those of the funders. Community Advocacy & Legal Centre thanks our articling students, summer students and volunteers who worked with us on this project and the Halton Community Legal Services for allowing us to reproduce this material. Seven Steps to Solving Tenancy Problems was adapted from Advicenow s Seven Steps to Solving a Problem Guide http://www.advicenow.org.uk/how-to/seven-steps-to-solving-aproblem/ Graphic design and illustration by Tony Biddle, www.perfectworlddesign.ca Graphics Copyright 2013, Tony Biddle Community Advocacy & Legal Centre 158 George Street, Level 1 Belleville ON K8N 3H2 Phone: 613-966-8686 / Toll Free: 1-877-966-8686 TTY (for the deaf): 613-966-8714 / Toll Free TTY: 1-877-966-8714 www.communitylegalcentre.ca 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 2
Tenancy problems... where do I start? Hastings, Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington Counties are great places to call home, but finding and keeping a rental unit that is affordable and in a good state of repair is a challenge. Every tenancy has a life cycle. Legal problems can arise at any stage. When they do, can you stand up for yourself? Moving out Needing housing Looking for housing Ending your tenancy Life cycle of a tenancy Maintaining your tenancy Becoming a tenant and moving in While there are laws that protect tenants from being treated unfairly, it s often hard to know who is in the right, where to start or what to do. The way to begin to solve tenant problems is to follow the steps in this guide. If you feel overwhelmed or do not know what to do, Community Advocacy & Legal Centre can help. 1 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 3
Seven steps to solving tenancy problems Use these seven steps to help you recognize and deal with tenancy problems. The examples show how each step can be used. Remember, if at any time you feel unsure or need help, you can seek legal advice. 1 Discover your problem You will need to figure out what your problem is. Often the problem is clear but sometimes many problems can add up. It is best to deal with each problem separately. Dealing with all your problems at once can be overwhelming and makes it difficult to figure things out. Example Susan had been asking her landlord to fix a dripping tap for over two months. Then a pipe started to leak too. Not only was it causing a mess, it damaged some of her belongings. Last month, she decided not to pay rent until everything was fixed and now she has received an eviction notice for non-payment of rent. Susan got legal advice and found out that she still needed to pay her rent even if the landlord hadn t fixed her leaking pipe and dripping tap. She paid her rent and avoided eviction. She then applied to the Landlord and Tenant Board and got an order for her landlord to do the necessary repairs and to reimburse her for her costs from the leaking pipe 2 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 4
2 Know your rights Knowing your rights is important. There are many great information resources in your community and on the Internet to help you discover your rights. It is best to rely on reputable sources. We have listed some of them for you on pages 9 to 11. A friend or co-worker may have great intentions but their advice may be more of a legal myth than fact. Example Jacob rented a basement apartment in a house. The landlord owned the house and lived on the main floor. The landlord told Jacob that he had to leave at the end of the month because one of the landlord s friends needed a place to stay. The landlord didn t think that he needed to give Jacob any notice because it was his house. Jacob did some research and found out that he could not be evicted by the landlord on such short notice just because it was the landlord s house. Since Jacob had his own kitchen and bathroom that he did not share with the landlord, he had rights under the Residential Tenancies Act and the landlord had to give him the notice required by law. When he showed the landlord information about the Residential Tenancies Act, the landlord apologized; even landlords can get confused about the law. 3 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 5
3 Know what you want Be clear about what you want. Are you looking for a refund, a repair, or something else? If you don t know what you are entitled to as a remedy, you should seek legal advice or look up your rights. Don t simply trust the other party to tell you your rights or what you might get if you win your case at the Landlord and Tenant Board. Example José decided to rent an apartment. When José arrived to sign the lease, the landlord told him that he needed to give him a damage deposit of $1,000 in addition to a last month s rent deposit. José had already given notice to leave his current apartment and he needed a place to stay. He felt that he had no choice but to give the landlord the damage deposit even though he would have little money left to live on that month. A short time later, José talked with a lawyer who told him that asking for a damage deposit was illegal and he could apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to make the landlord return his damage deposit. José told the landlord that the damage deposit was an illegal charge but the landlord wouldn t return the money. José filed an application for the return of the deposit at the Landlord and Tenant Board. On the day of the hearing, José and the landlord agreed to meet with a mediator and the landlord agreed to give him back his damage deposit. 4 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 6
4 Know who to speak to Find out who you need to talk to in order to resolve your issue and try to talk or write to that person each time. It may be your landlord, a neighbour, a board/tribunal, police, or another party. If there is a set process to follow, become familiar with it to strengthen your position. Example Lena s neighbour seemed to be a nice guy, but he played his stereo loudly until all hours of the night. Lena couldn t sleep because of the noise. A few times Lena asked him to turn down the music but eventually it would get loud again. Lena didn t want to call the police about the noise problem and she didn t want to get her neighbour into trouble. Lena complained to the landlord and her landlord took steps to make sure that Lena s neighbour kept the music down. 5 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 7
5 Communicate clearly Communication is key to ensuring that your problems are heard and taken seriously. Here are a few tips for effective communication: Prepare by making notes of the key points you want to cover in your conversation and then tick them off as you cover them. This will help ensure that you do not miss any of your issues, and help you keep calm and stay organized. If you are writing a letter, double check to make sure you covered all your points. Try to stick to your points and have someone proof read your letter to make sure your point is coming across clearly. It can be difficult to put what is in your mind on paper. If you know the law supports your claim, let the other party know. Example Moe has a tendency to get upset when trying to resolve issues. Once he gets upset he has trouble focusing on his problem. In the last few months, Moe has become frustrated with the state of his apartment: he rarely has enough hot water to shower in the morning, his refrigerator stopped working twice last week and some of his food spoiled, and water leaks into his living room from his balcony whenever it rains. Moe decided to complain to his landlord and he wrote out a checklist of his complaints beforehand and brought it with him. Moe went over the checklist with his landlord and managed to remain calm and focused. His landlord understood Moe s complaints and agreed to fix the problems within a week. 6 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 8
6 Be organized Keeping records can be vital to successfully resolving your problem, especially when seeking advice or if the problem goes to the Landlord and Tenant Board or court. Keep letters you receive about the problem and copies of letters you send. If you provide any documents or evidence, get a receipt and keep it safe. Make notes of any discussions you had about your problem, what was discussed, what both parties will do next, and any deadlines set. Example Penelope faithfully paid her rent on the first of every month. She had receipts of her payments and had banking records to back it up. One day Penelope received a notice that her apartment building had been sold and she was told to pay her rent to the new landlord. About three months later, Penelope received a notice that she owed two months rent from last year. Penelope immediately contacted her new landlord and showed him copies of her rent receipts and banking records for the last year. It was clear that the new landlord had made a mistake and he agreed that her rent was paid up. 7 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 9
7 Know when to get help If your efforts to resolve the issues aren t going anywhere or if your issue seems too complicated and you feel overwhelmed, get help from a legal expert. They may step in to assist you, or help clarify your problem and point you in the right direction for a solution. Example When Sam changed jobs, his monthly payment schedule shifted from the last day of the month to the 15th. Rent was due at the beginning of the month, but Sam spoke to his landlord and the landlord said he would have no problem receiving the rent after the 15th. After several months, his landlord told him he was getting evicted for persistent late payment of rent. Sam felt overwhelmed and betrayed and did not know what to do. He called his local legal clinic and got the help and advice he needed to prevent eviction. 8 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 10
Important contacts Community Advocacy & Legal Centre (CALC) Low income residents of three counties may qualify for advice and services through Community Advocacy & Legal Centre. Funded by Legal Aid Ontario, the clinic provides services, information, and advice for Tenant Rights, Social Assistance (Ontario Works & Ontario Disability Support Plan Program), Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, Human Rights, Criminal Injuries Compensation, Employment Law, Canada Pension Plan-Disability, Special Education Issues and Consumer Law. 158 George Street, Level 1 Belleville ON K8N 3H2 Tenant Hotline Toll Free: 1-877-966-8686 TTY: 613-966-8714 TTY Toll Free: 1-877-966-8714 www.communitylegalcentre.ca Legal Aid Ontario Legal assistance for low-income people. Legal Aid Ontario can help you find a legal aid office or community legal clinic nearest you. Toll Free: 1-800-668-8258 TTY: 1-866-641-8867 www.legalaid.on.ca Landlord and Tenant Board Provides information about the Residential Tenancies Act. Toll Free: 1-888-332-3234 TTY: 1-800-268-9242 www.ltb.gov.on.ca Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario Works to better the housing situation of Ontario residents who have low incomes including tenants, co-op members and people who are homeless. Their website has informative tip sheets on a variety of tenant problems. www.acto.ca Community Legal Education Ontario Your Legal Rights A website of free legal information for people in Ontario. This site has free, practical and easy-to-find legal information produced by hundreds of organizations across Ontario. www.yourlegalrights.on.ca www.cleo.on.ca Landlord Self-Help Centre Provides referrals, general information and summary advice to small-scale landlords who own rental property in Ontario. Toll Free: 1-800-730-3218 www.landlordselfhelp.com Law Society Referral Services A free public service of the Law Society offering up to 30 minutes of free legal consultation. Toll Free: 1-800-268-8326 TTY Toll Free: 1-888-435-6086 www.lsuc.on.ca 9 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 11
Government Information Centres Can provide Landlord and Tenant Board forms. Some locations will not file LTB documents. Call for location nearest you and what service they can provide. Toll Free: 1-800-267-8097 TTY Toll Free: 1-800-268-7095 www.ontario.ca/serviceontario Investigation and Enforcement Unit Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Responds to complaints from tenants and landlords about alleged offences under the Residential Tenancies Act. Toll Free: 1-888-772-9277 Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) Is mandated to enhance public electrical safety in Ontario. Toll Free: 1-877-372-7233 www.esasafe.com Property Standards Contact your municipality or CALC to see if there is a municipal property standards bylaw where you live. Frequently called numbers: Bancroft 613-332-3331 Belleville 613-967-3204 Greater Napanee 613-354-3351 Loyalist Township 613-386-7351 Madoc 613-473-2677 Marmora & Lake 613-472-2629 or 613-472-1598 Quinte West 613-392-2841 ext. 4485 or 4424 Tweed 613-478-2535 Tyendinaga 613-396-1944 Some areas do not have a local by-law. Contact: Provincial Property Standards 1-888-772-9277 Health Units Bancroft 613-332-4555 Belleville 613-966-5500 Central Hastings 613-473-4247 Cloyne 613-336-8989 Napanee 613-354-3357 Prince Edward County 613-476-7471 Quinte West 613-394-4831 Hastings, Prince Edward 1-800-267-2803 www.hpechu.on.ca Lennox & Addington 1-800-267-7875 www.kflapublichealth.ca Hastings Housing Resource Centre Bancroft 613-332-8156 Belleville 613-969-1748 Madoc 613-473-0400 Quinte West 613-392-8317 www.hastingshousing.com 10 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 12
Hastings County Housing Programs Branch Provides affordable housing in Hastings County. Toll Free: 1-800-267-2804 www.hastingscounty.com/municipalservices/housing Hastings County After Hours Emergency Housing 1-866-414-0300 Hastings County Housing & Homelessness Fund Toll Free: 1-866-414-0300 613-771-9630 Hastings County Community Trust Belleville 613-962-3070 Centre Hastings 613-473-5258 North Hastings/Bancroft 613-339-1100 Quinte West 613-392-1387 Lennox & Addington Housing Support Community Health Centre Provides tenants with rental listings, community referrals, non-profit housing forms and ongoing support to help find or maintain housing. 613-354-8937, ext. 117 Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington Social Housing Toll Free: 1-866-716-7991 Prince Edward and Lennox & Addington Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative The fund may only be accessed once in a 12 month period. Toll Free: 1-866-354-0957 Energy Assistance Programs (LEAP, Winter Warmth Program, HAP) Go to our website (CALC) or call your utility provider for program details. www.communitylegalcentre.ca Ontario Works Hastings County 1-866-414-0300 Prince Edward/Lennox & Addington Counties 1-866-354-0957 K3C Credit Counselling Free assistance with budgeting and finances. Toll Free: 1-800-379-5556 11 7_steps_CALC-Hastings-final.indd 13
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