This morning, my landlord (who is the daughter of the elderly owner of my unit) blindsided me by informing me that due to failing health, they will be putting the unit up for sale next week. Cash for keys hasn't come up yet, but I would love some advice on how it works, what is a fair amount, etc.

I have a good relationship with my landlord - I've been here for just over a year and a half, keep the place clean and have always paid my rent early.

This is my first time being a tenant in over 20 years, so this stuff is new to me - what I do know, is that a property shows better and sells faster when it is vacant and staged.

I am meeting with the landlord in a few days so they can have a look around and discuss some things. Frankly, I don't want to spend my summer having to vacate the apartment - which could be mulitple times a day.

I think the best option for all involved is for me to move out as soon as possilbe, which is where cash for keys would come in. I would love to get some opinions/feedback on what a fair amount would be to expedite moving out of the unit - my move in anniversary is October 1, so my initial thought was asking for 5 months rent - this would provide me with first and last on a place, plus some extra for my compliance and hardship.

Look forward to your thoughts! Thanks everyone!!

Hello all

I live in a house with a garage that has a garage door opener and the landlord says it was installed by the previous tenant. There isn’t any man door access and the garage door is the only way to access the garage. It recently died and I reached out to some garage door repair people and they advised me that it was too old and not worth fixing. One garage door repair person mentioned there was a sale going on and to grab that one before the sale was over. I purchased the garage door opener and requested my landlord to cover the coast of the garage door opener but they denied the reimbursement saying they weren’t the ones who installed in the first place so they’re not responsible.

My question is should the landlord be responsible for the repairs or replacement because it was a fixed feature apart of the home before I moved in.

Update may 12 2026 1:01am

Ps

I’m sorry I didn’t add this information originally.

Many months before prior before the old garage door opener died, I asked other questions relating to the garage door open like having a dedicated electrical outlet installed to power it but was denied and was told the same thing hinge ( the previous tenant installed it and it not their responsibility ) one of the reason why I tried to take advantage of the sale so it would be less money and didn’t want to have anyone try to break into my garage and stealing stuff.

The property management company that runs my building has been increasingly limiting tenants’ access to/making it difficult to use the amenities in our building that are included in our rent.

There is a pool, party room, and media room that tenants used to be able to access anytime. In the past years, they have limited the pool to only certain hours. Most recently, they told us in order to use the media or party room they require a certified cheque in advance for $250 and lengthy signed contract.

Most residents in the building are retired and elderly and getting together with the building community is important to them. It is overly arduous for most of them to go to this effort, so these amenities are sitting empty. It does not seem reasonable for tenants to be forced to leave their residence to go to the bank any time they want to use the amenities in their building.

My question is, A) is it legal for the landlord to start asking for a deposit to use amenities we pay for as past of our rent? B) Is it legal for the landlord to reduce our access to these amenities? TAI for your insight.

Edit add to post, ; upon my research and me recalling my past convo with her she mentioned that the house will used a model house as she works for that builders, i looked it up and indeed it is now being used as model house. NOT SURE IF THIS matters but thought of adding this

Hi everyone,

Looking for some insight on an upcoming LTB case.

Our former landlord filed a ~$9k damage claim after we moved out of a brand new builder-grade townhouse we rented for about 2 years (Sept 2023 – Oct 2025). The case was initially in Small Claims but got moved to LTB for jurisdiction after we filed a defence.

Background:

• No move-in inspection report

Main claims:

• Replace all cabinet doors (~$
• Repaint entire unit (~$
• Mirrors “chemically damaged”
• Rusted fixtures/range hood
• Plus smaller items (window, screens, insulation, etc.)

Our position:

• We’re willing to take responsibility for a few localized items (insulation damage, minor stair scratch, possibly smoke alarm)
• But most of the claim seems like:
  • builder-grade material deterioration (cabinet edges, mirrors, etc.)
  • or maintenance-related issues during tenancy

Questions:

1. Are full replacements (all cabinet doors, full repaint) typically awarded, or just partial repairs?
2. How important is no move-in inspection report?
3. Does the delay in raising issues after move-out matter?

Just trying to understand what’s realistic here.

Thanks in advance 🙏

Just looking for some general advice here. I just started renting a condo in Toronto and have only been in the unit about 2 months. Since living there I have already had a handful of issues including smoke detectors, landlords being unresponsive, HVAC not working, etc. The building is marketed as a “luxury” condo and is only a few years old so I was not expecting to have so many problems so quickly and unfortunately majority of the repair/maintenance responsibilities fall on the owner (LL) of each unit and not the building management. For context, the owners are a married couple and I was told the husband is a trades worker.

Most recently was the HVAC, I had tried to turn on the AC (included in my rent) and discovered it was not working. Since letting the landlord know immediately about a week ago, my landlord and a “technician” who I believe to be a friend of his have spent approximately 12 hours across 4 separate visits in my unit attempting to repair it. This has been incredibly disruptive as I work from home most of the time, and I have been getting increasingly frustrated as I believe they could have just hired an HVAC company to have the problem diagnosed on the first visit and resolved very quickly. As disruptive as this has been I prefer to be home while they are in the unit as the idea of them being in my space when I’m not there, especially as a woman, makes me uncomfortable.

During the last visit I was working in my office and heard a clanging noise and looked up to see the technician using a cast iron pan that I had left out from breakfast that morning. I got up to see what was going on and he had put it back on the stovetop, stating that he needed to use it for water. I was immediately annoyed because a) cast iron pans really shouldn’t be submerged in water and b) I was sitting right there and he didn’t ask if he could use my personal property, but I was busy and just returned to what I was doing. This was not the first time I had witnessed them being careless with my stuff: they were standing on my barstools to access vents and hanging things off of my TV mount, all without asking.

They leave again that day with the unit still not being fixed. Later that night as I was using the stovetop to cook dinner, I heard a cracking noise and discovered the glass stovetop had a large crack in it running all across the bottom. I immediately turned the stove off and took photo/video for my landlord. I then went to the sink to clean the dishes and discovered that when I went to drain the sink that had been plugged, the plumbing below was leaking a ton of water (only when draining, not while running water normally). I immediately took photo/video again and started cleaning up with towels to try to prevent damage to the cupboards. I sent my landlord all of the photo/video from the stove and the sink and explained that I was feeling very stressed due to the amount of issues I had experienced in such a short time. I made sure to mention that the technician had also been using a very heavy pan on my stovetop, which may not have been smart since they seem to know him personally, but I was trying to think of any reason this would possibly have happened when I’ve been using it with no issues for two months. All power was turned off for the stovetop and I have not used the kitchen sink since, despite there not being an active leak.

My landlord responded and was apologetic about the issues and about the AC still not being fixed. She requested that they come look at the kitchen today to inspect the damage, to which I responded I had to go into the office but they were welcome to come when I got home that afternoon. She requested permission to come while I wasn’t home, to which I responded I would be more comfortable if they came while I was there (I considered letting them go briefly but given the circumstances I felt uncomfortable with it - if I hadn’t been home yesterday I wouldn’t have even known that the technician was touching my pan/stovetop).

I am still at work now and my landlord just emailed me a “friendly reminder” with maintenance tips for all of the appliances in the unit. I understand the sentiment but I am getting nervous that they are going to try to blame any of these issues on me, and if that’s the case I’m not sure what to do, as I can’t prove the technician actually did anything to the stovetop.

I am also curious about the timelines for repairs. It has now been 10 days since I reported the AC was not working; the weather is not quite hot enough yet for it to be an issue but it will be soon. At what point is it unreasonable for them to keep bringing the same person over who doesn’t seem to be able to fix the problem? And given how long this has taken I am expecting the stovetop to not be repaired quickly, but at what point do I have recourse to be able to file against them if it becomes an issue? I am really stressed about this, I have never had an issue with a landlord before and I don’t want to cause a bad relationship but I feel they are trying to cut corners and I pay a lot of money to live here.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

Looking for advice for a friend.

Backstory: Tenant gave 30 day notice they are out at the end of May paid both May and June rent in full. They have a month to month lease. Normally no pets on lease landlord made exception though as tenant is leaving come May, tenant got kitten last week.
Landlord is now stating the kitten must go as it is causing a disturbance to other tenants in other units however no other tenants are in the unit. Landlord uses unit directly above my friend unit. Landlord does not have allergies, but is claiming that the new potential person renting does.

Seeking advice on what her rights as a tenant are. Can the landlord kick my friend out even though she has already paid last month’s rent and is moving out in 3 weeks.

Thank you!

Hi all! I'll try and layout the situation as best I can.

In May or June of 2024 (I don't remember exactly when), my husband was outside of our buidling with our dog who suddenly pulled on his leash causing my husband to lose his balance. Husband ended up falling into one of the balcony support legs and the whole leg broke in half. He immediately notified the landlord who had all the balconies inspected. As it turns out, the wood in that particular leg was rotten and many of the other balconies were found to be rotten as well. This lead to all the balconies on the front of the building being replaced entirely in June 2025 (4 in total) and they decided to redo the flooring on the back balconies at the same time.

The same year (2024), the landlord began a process with the LTB as the calculation used to account for the reduction in property taxes was incorrect meaning the rent increase needed to be changed. This went through, their request was approved, and we paid as requested.

In September 2025, the landlord submitted to the LTB again for a larger rent increase to account for the capital expenditure of repairing the balconies. A virtual hearing was held earlier this year, which neither my husband nor I were able to attend. All of the paperwork surrounding this hearing indicated that the work that was done was "necessary to protect or restore the physical integrity" of the building and that the front balconies were "at the end of their useful life" with the flooring on the back balconies also being "at the end of their useful life". Everything was "replaced due to unreliability." This leads me to believe that all the work needed to be done regardless, it was just unfortunately my husband who sped up the timeline.

Now in current time. We ran into a neighbour (another tenant, not the landlord) who told us that as a result of that hearing, if the requested rent increase is not approved by the LTB then the landlord plans to hold us liable. We do not have tenant insurance. But before anyone says it, we're getting some now. We know it won't help us with this, but it will protect us in the future. All of this was just told to us by the other tenant, not the landlord.

After all that, I'm just wondering if anyone can help us understand whether or not we could actually be held liable for the repair costs to all the balconies?

Thanks in advance!

Here's the important info:

- standalone unit

- separate leases

- Niagara area

My roommate has let her bf stay the night when she wasn't there. I did talk with the roommate about this and stated that I do not feel comfortable with that as I do not know the boyfriend that well and it essentially feels like a stranger staying here and that it makes me quite uncomfortable.

Now my roommate is leaving for a week and just told me that her bf is going to stay the whole time to watch her pets while she is gone. I understand if the bf stops by during the day to check on the pets, but I do not feel comfortable at all with the bf staying here the whole time. I know that in my lease there is a section that states "the tenant agrees not to do anything or omit to do anything in the premises or its environs which impairs the safety or other bona fide and lawful right, privilege or interest of any other tenants, nor permit any persons allowed in the premises by the tenants to do anything or omit to do anything".

I am thinking about emailing my landlords about this issue. What should I do?

I lon onna first floor unit and I can't have my windows open at night due to skunks. Can I request pest control to put down traps and try to eliminate the number of skunks in the area?

It's nauseating.

I lived on the 1st floor for two years prior to this across the street and only had this issue once or twice in the two years across the street

Here it's every night. From mid April til December .

Is being able to have my windows open at night part of reasonable enjoyment?

Edit: beginning of post due to autocorrect some how screwing up badly it should say "I live in a..."

Hello I just have a question. I overpaid my landlord this month by around 50 ish dollars. Asked landlord for a refund on May 1st and said he’s gonna give my money back by EOD. By the end of that day LL didn’t give my money back and said he will refund me the next day. Now I sill haven’t received the money yet and he hasn’t been a very responsive landlord throughout my tenancy.

What should I do now? Thanks

Edit: I got the refund

Hi everyone!

I’m in a bit of a weird situation and I’m not sure what to do.

My 3 person household informed my landlord in April that we needed to end the lease early as jobs have changed/people graduated and it’s no longer viable to be in the university area we live in. 2 of us have been living here for 5 years and he has drafted a new lease every year (preventing month to month). This is stupid on our parts, but 3rd roommates have come and gone and my landlord was ‘unfamiliar’ with adding a tenant.

I requested for him to sign an N11 to end the lease early and he sent back an AI written email saying we can either assign or stay on the lease. When I spoke to him in person about this, he did not seem to know what assigning a lease actually meant (did not know he cannot jack up the rent for the assigned tenants).

I have been advertising the apartment for lease takeover and had several viewings. I sent him a woman that was very interested in the apartment but he said he only wants student tenants and wants multiple applicants to choose from. From my understanding, he cannot arbitrarily deny an assignment and I can submit an N9 to terminate the lease if he does not respond to an application within 7 days but he never actually got to the point of receiving an application from the potential tenant. He never denied or accepted her, just said he wants multiple applicants-specifically students. He also wants the assignee to front first/last as a deposit-I have no idea what the common practice is for this but it seems a bit unreasonable for a 5/6 month lease.

My landlord doesn’t speak the best English so communication has been difficult. Some of his responses are clearly AI so I’m not sure what he actually knows about the assignment process etc.. He has also neglected to fix several things in the apartment over the years (we had no lights in the living room, a few in the kitchen/bathroom went out, there is paint peeling from the bathroom from a vent issue). He is fixing them now that we have been essentially harassing him about it but is trying to charge us/the condominium management for it. The rent is also higher than market value although he insists it is not and he tried to suddenly increase the rent by $450/month during one of our lease changes (third roommate informed him he was moving out and therefore broke the lease). He has also been illegally charging us for pet fee/key deposit (we were young and naive when we first signed and it has not been worth the uphill battle since).

Any help would be appreciated! I would love to send an N9 and move out to my new place without worrying about any of this, but I’m unsure if I actually have the grounds to do so.

tldr: landlord wants multiple applicants for lease assignment, hasn’t actually denied any applicants

Hey all,
We have a dual income household and 2 kids. We were doing fine until I lost my job 8 months ago. I didn’t get severance beyond the legal requirement but I was lucky to pick up some freelance work which had us a week or two late on the rent for a few months, but it was always paid before the month was up.

Unfortunately my freelance work dried up. My spouse is working 2 jobs, but with bills and rent were falling terribly short.

We are now 2 months ($3500 each) plus $1600, for a total of $8600 behind. We’re in York region. We were able to get assistance from LEAP for utilities, and applied for the Homeless Prevention Program. In order to get a decision on our application to assist with our arrears we have to prove we can pay June’s rent …well by paying it when it’s due.

I’ve spoken to the landlord who is understandably antsy and has threatened to evict us more than once. She’s agreed to hold off on this and asked for us to sign a repayment plan, she also wanted the HPP to provide a signed confirmation they will pay the arrears (which they won’t do as the application is still pending)

I suppose I’m looking to see if there any other resources in York region that we haven’t thought of? Taking out credit, and family aren’t options we’re really on our own in this scenario. Also not too familiar with the law as it regards to evictions - does signing any repayment plan etc allow her to bypass the landlord tenant board process?

Also any leads on work? I work corporate marketing but at this point willing to do anything to support my family

Hi there.. so, my landlord has a small shop they work in that’s underneath our unit. Our garbage bins are located behind her business and we are able to take our bags there through stairs that go down the back of the building.

Since being here for a few years now she has been taking the garbage bins to the main street on garbage days by taking them through her business. The only other way they can be taken there is all the way through the back alley almost a whole block, then up to the main street and then back up the block..

She has been mentioning lately to us that she is getting tired taking the garbage to the street and that she wants us to possibly take turns with our neighbour alternating weeks that we take it ourselves all the way around the block like I previously explained. She said either that or she will give us tags or we buy tags for our garbage bags (I don’t currently know much about this process.

So my question is basically if we have been having this arrangement the whole time we’ve been here (her dealing with the garbage) should it not remain that way? Especially since we don’t have a good way of taking it to the main street as we don’t have access to the ground floor..

ALSO, on a side note:

She is going away on vacation for a month and asked us to take care of the garbage for her and is only offering $60. She said either do this or to come talk to her about garbage tags.. we are wary of going that route because we feel she will just continue to do it that way after coming back

any advice, insight, or help on this would be greatly appreciated.

Hi! I am wondering if it is worth filing with the LTB to get partial rent refund because I lived in a place that had bed bugs for 8 months. We noticed them around a month or two after we moved in and had them until the day we moved out(thankfully they let us move out early). The property manager set up treatments but the issue was never resolved.

From memory, probably like 5 individual apartment chemical treatments and 3 full building ones.

At one point an employee/ our down stairs neighbour mentioned to us that there was bed bugs in the unit before we moved in but we don’t have that in writing.

We moved out less than a year ago.

Even though there was treatments, do we still have a case for partial rent return?

My landlord took a very large illegal pet deposit from me in 2022. I did not know it was illegal. I recently moved out and asked for the deposit back. She forgot the amount and when I reminded her, she immediately stated that I had to pay to have the floors refinished and that would be taken from the deposit. (So at least a couple thousand.) I have photos and I think I can prove that there is in fact no damage to the floors, but can I even file a T1 since the deposit was taken several years ago? Thanks.

I just moved into this apartment, but my landlord keeps asking me to arrange and conduct viewings for potential tenants. Do I have the right to say no? I’m okay with the landlord coming into the unit to do the viewings, but having to open the door and show potential tenants around myself is getting a bit annoying.

Hi everyone,

I’m a tenant in Ontario and I’m posting anonymously because I want practical advice on how to document everything and prepare myself in case this turns into a liability claim, insurance issue, N5/N7 notice, or LTB matter.

I will not be sharing my building name, exact address, landlord/company name, staff names, or anything that can identify me. I’m mainly looking for Ontario-specific advice on evidence, documentation, and how to protect myself.

Here is what happened.

I came home from work around 8:00 a.m. and discovered water in my apartment. I was shocked and immediately started trying to deal with the situation. The issue involved the toilet. I used my own plunger right away and acted immediately to reduce the water and prevent further damage.

Around 8:27 a.m., site staff knocked on my door and said there was a leakage complaint from another tenant. At that point, I was already distressed, overwhelmed, and trying to clean up water in my unit.

Later, property management emailed me and said that when staff entered my unit, they observed that the toilet was “malfunctioning, continuously running, and clogged,” and that these were conditions I was aware of. They also said the flooding was not reported directly by me, but came to their attention through a neighbouring unit.

They then said I would be held responsible for cleanup and damages.

I strongly dispute that.

My position is that I did not knowingly ignore a clogged, continuously running, or malfunctioning toilet. I did not know there was a plumbing issue that could cause flooding. When I came home and discovered the situation, I acted immediately.

I had previously mentioned that, on some occasions, the toilet tank/water system would briefly continue running after flushing but then stop on its own. Property management is now using that statement to suggest I knew there was a malfunctioning flow valve and should have reported it.

My concern is that a brief running sound after flushing, which stops on its own, does not necessarily present to an ordinary tenant as an active plumbing emergency, clog, overflow risk, or serious defect. The toilet otherwise flushed and functioned normally. I am not a plumber, and I did not know or reasonably understand that this could suddenly cause a flood.

Property management also later claimed that although I “attempted” to clear the clog, a partial blockage remained and staff had to use a toilet auger to resolve it.

I dispute that too.

I have asked them to confirm who allegedly used the auger, when it was allegedly used, and where this was documented. I also asked for staff reports, maintenance records, plumbing records, contractor findings, photos, invoices, and any evidence they are relying on to say I caused or negligently contributed to the flood.

Their response was that they cannot share internal documentation such as incident reports, photos, contractor assessments, or details related to neighbouring units due to confidentiality. They said the information can be made available to my insurance company once a claim is started, or through the LTB if required.

This is one of my biggest concerns. They are making serious allegations and saying I am financially responsible, but they will not provide the evidence or documents they are relying on.

Another issue is the drying equipment. More than 20 fans/dehumidifiers were placed in my apartment on May 1, and they have been plugged in since then. My apartment does not include hydro, so the equipment is using electricity that I pay for. The equipment has caused heat, noise, discomfort, headaches, stress, and major disruption in my home. I have asked about the hydro cost, the timeline for removal, and what they intend to do about the disruption, but I have not received a clear answer.

The contractor was supposed to return to check moisture levels, and management said the unit remains habitable. But even if they consider it “habitable,” living with that many fans/dehumidifiers running continuously is extremely disruptive, especially when the electricity is being charged to my own hydro account.

I have lived in the unit since late 2023, and I have kept my notices of entry. Based on my records, I do not recall any plumbing inspection or plumbing maintenance being done inside my unit since I moved in. I am also wondering whether this matters if they are now trying to blame me for a plumbing issue.

I am trying to be careful and factual, but I feel uncomfortable because:

• Management is saying I knew about a serious plumbing issue, which I dispute.
• They are saying I failed to report an emergency, but I only discovered the situation when I got home.
• They are claiming a partial blockage remained and an auger was used, which I dispute.
• They are refusing to give me the documents and evidence they are relying on.
• More than 20 fans/dehumidifiers have been plugged into my unit since May 1.
• I pay my own hydro, so I am concerned about the electricity cost.
• I am experiencing heat, noise, headaches, stress, and loss of reasonable enjoyment of my home.
• I am worried they are creating a written record to blame me before giving me any proof.

My questions are:

1. If a landlord in Ontario claims a tenant caused a flood, what do they generally need to prove?
2. Can they refuse to provide incident reports, contractor findings, photos, or maintenance records while still saying I am responsible?
3. Should I request redacted copies of documents related to my own unit?
4. How should I document their refusal to provide evidence?
5. Should I keep asking for the source of the allegation that I knew about the issue?
6. Is the hydro cost from the restoration equipment something I can ask to be reimbursed for?
7. Does the noise, heat, discomfort, and disruption from the fans/dehumidifiers support a reasonable enjoyment issue?
8. Is the lack of plumbing inspection or maintenance in my unit relevant?
9. Should I stop emailing and wait for them to issue a formal claim, invoice, notice, or LTB application?
10. What kind of evidence should I organize now in case this escalates?

I understand Reddit is not a substitute for legal advice. I’m mainly looking for practical Ontario-specific documentation advice so I can be prepared and protect myself.

Thank you.

Hi everyone, looking for advice on a rental situation in Oshawa, Ontario.

I was looking for a master bedroom to rent and found a house where the master bedroom was advertised/agreed at $1,250/month + utilities. I viewed the place, signed the rental agreement on April 15, and paid first and last month’s rent, so $2,500 total. My move-in date was May 1.

A day before move-in, the landlord called and said the previous tenant in the master bedroom wanted to stay for another month. I clearly told her no, I was not okay with that because I specifically agreed to rent the master bedroom. She said she would talk to the tenant.

The day before move-in, I messaged her again and clearly said I had signed for the master bedroom and was supposed to move in on May 1. She replied that I could move my stuff into the master bedroom, so I assumed the issue was resolved.

When I showed up, she told me the previous tenant was still living in the master bedroom and that I would have to stay in another room for the next three weeks.

I told her that was not okay because I did not agree to rent the other room. I said I could help the other tenant move into the other room, but I could not accept being placed in a different room.

I asked for my money back since she could not provide the room I paid for. She said she “doesn’t do refunds.”

When I said I would go to the Landlord and Tenant Board, she said the LTB would not apply because she has a room upstairs and a room downstairs and “lives here” / shares the kitchen and common areas. However, I feel that she is lying to prevent me from going to LTB. The house is rented out to multiple tenents and I think she lives nearby in another house.

UPDATE: she has two cases filed against her as a tenant of the house on CanLII. She probably does live in the house, so I guess this is a small claims court issue.

My main goal is just to get my $2,500 back. I did not move into the other room because that is not what I paid for or agreed to. I have all the communication, contract and emails saved.

Questions:

1. Should I file a T1 with the LTB for return of money owed, since she took first and last but did not provide the agreed-upon room?
2. If she claims she lives there and shares the kitchen/bathroom, does that automatically remove this from the LTB, or would the LTB decide whether the RTA applies?
3. If the LTB says they do not have jurisdiction, would Small Claims Court be the right next step?
4. Is there anything specific I should include in a demand letter before filing?
5. What evidence should I organize besides the contract, payment proof, and text messages showing I only agreed to the master bedroom?

Any advice from people familiar with Ontario tenant law / LTB / Small Claims would be appreciated.

I was subletting a room in Ontario. When I moved in, the place was already furnished from a previous tenant (bed, furniture, etc.), and none of those items belonged to me.
I’ve now moved out, and I left the room in the same condition I received it—clean, with all the same furniture that was already there. I didn’t leave behind any of my own belongings.
I checked my sublet agreement, and there’s nothing in it that says I’m required to clear out the unit or remove furniture when I leave.
Now I’m wondering:
Could I be held responsible for not removing the furniture?
Could the tenant I sublet from or the landlord try to charge me or take legal action?
From my understanding, I just returned the unit as I got it, but I want to make sure I’m not missing anything.