Posts Tagged ‘ontario landlords help’

Landlord & Tenant Board News For Small Landlords

Thursday, April 7th, 2022

TO:                  Ontario Landlord Association Stakeholders

SUBJECT:   Scheduling Update

 We are writing to provide you with an update on scheduling at the Landlord and Tenant Board.

We continue to hear all types of applications. In addition to scheduling previously adjourned matters and tenant merit applications, we are also scheduling merits hearings for newly filed landlord applications. We’d like to advise you of the following details:

  • Urgent matters will continue to be scheduled on a priority basis. If you believe your matter warrants an earlier hearing date, you can file a Request to Extend/Shorten Time.
  • Tenant merits hearings will continue to be scheduled in smaller blocks.

One adjudicator will be assigned to each block. One moderator and one dispute resolution officer will support each tenant merits block, allowing for same-day mediation.

  • L1s and L2s will also be scheduled in smaller blocks to ensure all matters get heard in the allotted time. The size of the blocks will increase incrementally over the summer and leading into the fall, and we will continue to monitor them to ensure that the appropriate number of matters are being scheduled for the allotted time.

One adjudicator will be assigned to each block. One moderator and one dispute resolution officer will support each block, allowing for same-day mediation.

  • Approximately 9-10 blocks will be scheduled each day, Monday to Thursday. L1s, and L2s and tenant merits, will be scheduled on alternating weeks (for example, week 1 will consist of L1 blocks, and week 2 will consist of L2 and tenant merit blocks).
  • Case management hearings and merits hearings for Above Guideline Increase applications continue to be scheduled.
  • Motions, reviews, and co-operative housing hearings also continue to be part of the schedule as required, as well as weekly French/bilingual hearings.
  • Online dispute resolution continues to be available for all applications filed in the Tribunals Ontario Portal. Routine mediation also continues to be available upon request for all application types. If you filed your application in the Tribunals Ontario Portal, you can make a request for routine mediation through the portal. For all other applications, you can email or mail your request to the applicable regional office.

Thank you for your continued patience as we work on service improvements. We are in the process of refining our scheduling model, and the updates provided above are part of that process.

In the coming weeks, we will be holding a stakeholder meeting where we will discuss our future scheduling plans and our work to improve service standards. As always, you’ll have an opportunity to provide feedback and ask questions at that meeting.

Ontario Landlord PROTECTION MEMBERSHIP Is Now Available!

Tuesday, October 16th, 2018

Due To The Huge Challenges Ontario Landlords Are Facing We Have Created A New Level Of Membership

Get Tools and Services You Need To Succeed For A One-Time Registration Fee

We have received thousands of replies from small landlords who took part in our campaign to put the issue of marijuana smoking and growing on the forefront of the provincial housing file.

It shows how concerned people are about this issue (and for good reason.) While other provinces took action, our members have been informed the ministry will watch what happens and address the issue if they see evidence of major problems arising.

We keep hearing from landlords across Ontario about the challenges and problems they face beyond even the marijuana issue.

And the stories are scary. 

Yes there are a lot of great tenants out there. But there also many tenants who are abusing the system and destroying the financial futures of so many honest, ethical and hard working residential property investors.

These investors are not billion dollar corporations.  We are working people. We are teachers, doctors, plumbers, electricians, firefighters, professors, scientists, chefs, taxi drivers, engineers, secretaries, retired people, contractors, etc.

We are ethical people who have invested in creating high quality rental housing.  We have invested our savings and we need to not only be protected, we need to be encouraged to continue to invest in Ontario rentals.  To  be frank many people are looking to invest in more business-friendly environments, such as in the USA, these days. 

If Ontario is truly “open for business” then Ontario landlords need the rules to be changed!

It could be stories about first time landlords losing over $40,000 due to a bad tenant who not only made huge damages, but stole the appliances (and the police said it was a ‘civil matter’).

Or about renters who go “on strike” instead of paying their rent. They think a landlord following rules to get a rent increase is the reason they should “join together” and all decide to not pay rent (and break the law).

Savvy tenants have also learned how to manipulate the system to break fixed term leases leaving landlords hung out to dry. For these tricky tenants signing a lease for a one year term means nothing to them.

Ontario Landlords Face Overwhelming Challenges…And We Are Here To Help

Even our most experienced landlords say things are different these days. We have veteran expert landlords who have been in the industry for ages saying “you need to be so careful these days because one slip up can bankrupt you.”

And one experienced and successful OLA member said, the issue of legal marijuana in rental properties is one of the “biggest landlord issues in 20 years.” He said this to Bloomberg News (Bloomberg International…so the whole world can see what we face!)

Let’s look at some of the biggest issues for landlords across Ontario:

1. Marijuana Is Legal (And Tenants Can Even Grow Plants in The Rental Property)

Many people are still unaware of the consequences of marijuana becoming legal. In Ontario the rules from the past Liberal government allow tenants to not only smoke weed, but to grow plants! Yes, grow plants in your rental property!

2. No Damage Deposit Can Equal Huge Financial Losses

We cannot charge a damage deposit in Ontario. That’s right, it’s illegal. Even if your renters volunteer to pay they can always go to the Landlord and Tenant Board and you will be forced to pay it back.

This means even good paying tenants seem to think it’s okay to leave a mess behind when they move out. And some tenants are actually happy to cause huge damages that can bankrupt landlords or at least end up costing us tens of thousands of dollars.

3. Even New Rentals Are Covered Under the Unfair Rent Guideline Now

Prior to April 2017 rental properties built after 1991 were exempt from the ridiculously low annual government rent increase guideline. Now even these properties are covered.  The 2018 Ontario landlord rent increase guideline is only 1.8%. Will this cover your increasing costs?

4. Evictions for Renters Simply Not Paying Rent Can Take Months

Did you know if your renter doesn’t pay rent they get a two week delay to pay? And after those two weeks if they don’t pay you have to pay to take them to a “hearing” which can take 2-6 months. The at the hearing the tenant gets free government legal help to fight you or to “play the system” to let the tenant live rent-free in your property for even longer.

5. Tenants Are Networking And Educating Each Other How To Abuse the System

Tenants are networking and teaching each other how to manipulate the system. And with the current rules,that can means months and months of living ‘rent free’, breaking leases, or leaving your property in horrible shape costing you tens of thousands of dollars.

Ontario Landlord PROTECTION Membership Is Now Available To Help Landlords Succeed In These Difficult Times

Become a Landlord PROTECTION Member and get access to the services you need to run a successful and profitable rental business. For only a one time fee start using our services to protect your business. Join us in making our landlord voices heard (and a loud voice will help make the system more fair.)  

Here’s what you get:

Rental Kit

Get access to applications, notices and everything you need in our online library that is available to you 24/7.

Access To the Forums, Including the Private Members Forum (for verified landlords only)

Network with other landlords and property managers to help you and your rental business succeed. In our private forum only verified landlords are allowed to enter. This means you are networking and getting help from real landlords, including many veteran experts.

Discounted Credit Checks

Get huge discounts on excellent credit check services.

An OLA member wrote: “I’ve actually made money by joining the OLA! Just the savings on credit checks over the past couple years adds up to way more than the one-time registration fee. It’s a deal that can’t be beat!”

Tenant Friendly Credit Checks (With Risk Scores From Transunion)

These days good tenants are very concerned about providing their personal information to a potential landlord. Get access to tenant friendly credit checks where tenants do not need to provide private information to you…and tenants can even pay for it online.

This makes running credit checks an easy and non-confrontational process.

Criminal Checks

Many experienced and successful landlords are now including criminal checks as part of their professional landlord tenant screening system. Now you can too for a huge discount for OLA members.

The “Top 100 Lease Clauses You Need” CD

The new government Ontario Standard Lease doesn’t protect landlords. The document gives lots of help for tenant to “learn there rights” while leaving landlords dangerously vulnerable.  You need to protect yourself especially if you end up at the Landlord and Tenant Board or Ontario Small Claims Court.

How To Protect Yourself From Tenants Smoking and Growing Marijuana CD

While other provinces have made changes to protect landlords Ontario has not. Learn how to protect yourself and your rental from tenants smoking marijuana and growing marijuana plants! Filled with “landlord tips and tricks” from experienced landlords across the province.

Insurance

Get access to one of the best rental insurance packages in Canada. Also covers student rentals! You get a big discount as a member.

Property Management Software

Get discounts on premium property management software to take control over your rental business.

Become a Landlord PROTECTION Member and Get the Services You Need To Succeed…ALL FOR A LOW ONE TIME FEE!

In these difficult times landlords need to come together and help each other get our voice heard and succeed and run profitable rental businesses. 

Become an Ontario PROTECTION MEMBER and Get Amazing Tools and Services To Help Your Rental Business Succeed and Make Profits!