Landlord Self Help Centre

Tenant Screening Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module on tenant screening. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act is the provincial law that governs most residential rental agreements. It defines the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants and outlines appropriate reasons for giving a notice of termination. It also identifies a prescribed class which requires a specific tenancy agreement form. Ontario Human Rights Code Landlords must also be in compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. The Code is a provincial law which assures equal rights and opportunities for all people. It allows landlords to request credit references, and rental history information from prospective tenants, but it restricts how this information is used. What can a landlord ask a prospective tenant (applicant)? When looking for a prospective tenant, landlords can ask for specific information in a rental application. This information can include, personal contact information, income, employment, rental history, banking information, credit references and/or guarantors. Landlord’s Obligation to Protect Information PIPEDA, or the Personal Information Protection […]

This is Sound Advice for Landlords, a podcast project for small-scale landlords across Ontario. Sound Advice offers information on a range of topics and issues related to residential tenancies. Through one-on-one interviews with experts, landlords learn more about their rights and responsibilities. A transcript for each podcast is posted to our web site. I’m Susan Wankiewicz and in this podcast we discuss Entering a Tenant’s Rental Unit. Welcome to Sound Advice for Landlords, Silvana you’ve worked at Landlord’s Self-Help Centre for a long time. Yes I have, and this issue comes up on a regular basis. Do landlords have a lot of problems when it comes to entering a rental unit? They do because they’re not aware that Residential Tenancies Act sets out circumstances the landlord is allowed to enter a rental unit. There are different rules for entering in different situations, can you outline the three basic areas? Well a landlord can enter a rental unit without notice, with verbal notice and with written notice, depending on the landlord’s reasons for entering the rental unit. And are landlords restricted from entering the rental unit at certain times? Landlords can only enter the rental unit between 8 am or 8 pm.  […]

N1- Notice of Rent Increase (Guideline Increase) Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about the N1 notice for rent increase.  The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. Important information There are important things to consider when serving a Form N1 to your tenant: This notice can only be served to the tenant once every 12 months; You can only increase by the approved guideline, unless you obtain special permission from the Landlord and Tenant Board to increase by a higher amount; Do not round up! Use the exact amount calculated or round down. Rounding up would mean an illegal rent increase; and Make sure to serve the notice properly so that you don’t waste time. Rent According to the Residential Tenancies Act, rent is an amount of money given to a landlord or landlord’s agent in exchange for the right to occupy the rental unit, and a tenant is a person who pays rent for the right to occupy the unit. Extra People You cannot increase the rent  because the tenant brought extra people into the unit. Under […]

How to properly prepare for your N4/L1 hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about preparing for your N4/L1 hearing at the Landlord and Tenant Board. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. For detailed information about the forms, please refer to the other landlord learning modules. Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act is the provincial law that governs most residential rental agreements. It defines the rights and responsibilities of both landlords and tenants and outlines appropriate reasons for giving a notice of termination. It also establishes rules and framework for the adjudicators and Landlord and Tenant Board procedures. Preparing for Your Hearing Day When preparing for your hearing day, it is important that all of your documentation and evidence is in order. Contact a legal service provider if you require legal advice before your Landlord and Tenant Board hearing. The Landlord and Tenant Board rules, practice directions and guidelines are helpful to review as they can assist you in understanding how the Adjudicators decide specific issues in […]

N5 – Notice to End your Tenancy for Interfering with Others, Damage or Overcrowding Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s webinar about the N5 notice to end your tenancy for interference, damage or overcrowding.  The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider.Important information If your tenant is causing damages in the rental unit, owes money for unpaid utilities, is interfering with another tenant in the building, using something that they shouldn’t be such as a parking spot or storage space, or has too many people living with them in the unit, it is very important that you take action right away. DO NOT wait months before you do something. If serving this notice for damages, get at least two written estimates and do not wait until the tenant is moving out before starting this process.  If you know about damage while the tenancy is in place and you don’t do anything about it until the tenant moves out, you risk not being able to file the application. The application process can take 4 to 8 months or longer, so make […]

L2- Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant for Interference, Damage or Overcrowding (N5) Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about terminating a tenancy for interference, damage or overcrowding. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. After serving the N5 notice to your tenant, the next step is to file the L2 application with the Landlord and Tenant board to schedule your hearing date. It’s important to note that the N5 notice becomes void if the landlord does not apply to the Board within 30 days of the termination date.  Filing the L2 application As of September 1, 2021, there is an updated L2 application. Landlords must now use the new version of this form. The landlord can file an L2 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board only at specific times depending on the type of notice served to the tenant.  For a first N5, the landlord can file the application only after the correction period has passed, if the tenant has not voided the notice by correcting their behaviour or paying for damages. For […]

N7- Notice to End your Tenancy for Causing Serious Problems in the Rental Unit or Residential Complex TRANSCRIPT Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about the N7 notice to end your tenancy for serious problems caused in the rental unit or residential complex.  The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. Important information If your tenant or their guest is impairing the safety of others in the rental unit or causing wilful damage, it is very important that you take action right away. DO NOT wait months before you do something. You will need strong evidence to present to the adjudicator at the Landlord and Tenant Board. If you can’t prove whether the person who caused damage did so wilfully, it’s best to proceed with the N5 notice instead. If you live in the same building as the tenant and there are 3 or fewer units, Form N7 can be used if you want to end the tenancy for interference without giving the tenant an opportunity to correct their behaviour. The application process can take months or longer, so make […]

N8- Notice to End your Tenancy at the End of the Term Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about the N8 Notice to End a Tenancy at the End of the Term. This notice is commonly used by landlords to deal with persistent late rental payments and this is the termination reason that will be focussed on in this learning module. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. Important information If the tenant has been paying rent persistently late throughout their tenancy, the N8 notice of termination can be served. Typically, you should be able to show the Landlord and Tenant Board that the tenant has been paying the rent late at least 7 or 8 times within a consecutive 12 month period. Keep in mind that the Landlord and Tenant Board does not usually terminate a tenancy initially, instead it is likely that a payment plan will be ordered for your tenant which would require them to make payments by certain dates. If the tenant doesn’t follow the payment plan ordered by the Board, follow the instructions […]

L2- Application to End a Tenancy and Evict a Tenant (for N8) Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about terminating a tenancy for persistent late payments. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. After serving the N8 notice to your tenant, the next step is to file the L2 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board to schedule your hearing date. It’s important to note that the N8 notice becomes void if the landlord does not apply to the Board within 30 days of the termination date.  Filing the L2 application The landlord can file an L2 application with the Landlord and Tenant Board right after serving the tenant with the N8 notice. The application should be filed as soon as possible in order to save time. The L2 application can be filed in-person at designated Service Ontario locations, or online through the Landlord and Tenant Board’s portal option. The Landlord and Tenant Board website has links to instructions for many of their notices and applications, so make sure to read through them and use them to help […]

N12 – Terminating a Tenancy for Landlord’s Own Use Transcript Introduction Welcome to Landlord’s Self-Help Centre’s module about terminating a tenancy for landlord’s own use. The information offered in this presentation is intended as general information, it is not legal advice. If you need more information, please contact a legal service provider. Landlord’s Own Use Landlord’s own use means that the rental unit is required for the residential use by: The landlord or their spouse; A child or parent of the landlord or their spouse; or A person who will provide care services to one of these individuals. Purchaser’s Own Use Purchaser’s own use means that when a unit is sold, the landlord can give a notice of termination on behalf of a purchaser if the rental unit is required for residential use by: The purchaser or their spouse; A child or parent of the purchaser or their spouse; or A person who will provide care services to one of these individuals. When to serve the N12 There are important differences between the two notices for own use. With respect to landlord’s own use, a landlord can only provide a tenant with this notice if the landlord or their immediate […]