New Rules for Condo Landlords in Ontario

New rules regarding tenant evictions in condominiums have come into place in Ontario as of September 1, 2017. All landlords and property managers must adhere to stricter rules involving the eviction of a tenant; failing to do so can result in fines of up to $25,000.

These new rules are  a part of the Ontario government’s new Fair Housing Plan. The Fair Housing Plan also includes  greater rent control and a standard lease proposal on all condominiums. The new rules involving the eviction of tenants make the action harder for property managers and safer for tenants.

For more information about how these new rules may affect you, call your condo property management company in Toronto. Keep reading to learn more about the new rules.

New Rules for Landlords From the Ontario Fair Housing Plan

If a landlord wants to evict a tenant for personal use of the unit, (moving themselves or a family member into the unit) then the landlord must do the following:

1) The landlord must provide the tenant’s first month’s rent in compensation for the eviction.

2) Or, the landlord must offer the tenant a similar unit in the same or a different condominium managed by the same property management company.

3) The landlord must provide proof of an intention to live in that unit for at least 1 year upon the  eviction date. A standard 60 days advance notice of eviction still applies.

4) If the landlord fails to follow these rules, such as relisting, converting, or demolishing the unit within 1 year of the eviction, the landlord may be fined a fee of to $25,000.

These new rules apply only to landlords who are seeking to evict a tenant from a unit in order to use if for personal use. These rules do not apply to evictions regarding bad tenants who have failed to pay rent or have damaged the property in some way. These situations will continue to go to the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Why have these new landlord rules come into place?

These new rules have come into place in order to protect tenants from unjust evictions. There has been an increasing number of reported incidents in which some landlords have evicted perfectly good tenants to turn a larger profit. This means that tenants who always pay rent on time, respect the condominium, have kept their unit clean, and have never had any problems are suddenly given an eviction notice. The reason most often found was that the landlord was planning to move in themselves into the unit.

The tenants then moves out, and in a few weeks or months the unit re-listed at a higher price or is scheduled for demolition. Relisted rental prices are often increased to reflect current market value, to which the previous tenant might have been paying a much lower rate. In many cases it was found that the new listing was asking for much more above the market value. The new rule requiring the landlord to occupy the unit for at least one year is to prevent immediate re-listings and the evictions of good tenants for unjust reasons.

For fair and lawful condo property management services in Toronto, call Mareka Property Management at  (416) 255-7300 today!