Posts Tagged ‘Property Management’

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Barrie Ontario – Tenant Allegedly Assaulted Landlord with a Punch…and a Broom and Knife!

Thursday, February 28th, 2013
March 1st, 2013
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Barrie landlord tenant broom attack
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Barrie Ontario Landlord Was Assaulted with a Broom and a Knife!

According to a report at Simcoe.com, police officers from Barrie, Ontario had to go to an apartment on Stanley St. because of a physical show-down between the landlord and his tenant.
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The landlord and tenant fight was on
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According to the Simcoe report, the tenant first allegedly punched the landlord.
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…Then came the broom…
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The said he was then hit with the handle of a broom.
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…Then came the knife…
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The landlord alleges the tenant then threw a knife at him.
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When police arrived the 20 year old tenant was given 4 counts of assault with a weapon. She was also charge for failing to comply with probation and a recognizance order and was held until her bail hearing.
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The Importance Of Being a Successful Landlord:  Be Professional, Try to Avoid Conflict and Don’t Take the Law Into Your Own Hands
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Unfortunately, we’ve seen landlords have these types of situations with tenants before:
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For example, remember the story of My Renter Bit Me
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We’ve also seen landlords get in trouble with the law:

Remember this where an Ontario Landlord was Arrested For Assaulting Tenant’s Friend During Move-Out

These problems involving violence have also happened in other provinces in Canada, such as in British Columbia.

What Can A Landlord Do To Protect Ourselves?

1. The best way to protect yourself is to make sure you carefully screen tenants and know who you are putting in your   rental property.

2. Make sure you do a credit check to get information about your potential tenants financial history.

3. Many landlords and property managers are now conducting criminal checks on all prospective tenants.

4. Request for former landlord references and check each reference out carefully.

5. Study the Ontario Residential Tenancy Act and always follow the rules.

A Barrie Ontario Landlord Was Allegedly Punched, Hit With A Broom and Had a Knife Thrown At Him. This is Yet Another Example of Why Landlords Must Be Careful At All Times. Discus this at the Ontario Landlords Forum, the #1 Landlord Forum in Canada.

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Posted in Barrie Ontario Landlords | 10 Comments »

Tenants Start a Grow Op? In Ontario, the Landlord Pays the Bill! 10 Tips To Protect Yourself and Save You Money

Saturday, November 24th, 2012

 November 24th, 2012

If Your Tenants Get Charged For Having a Grow Op in Ontario the Bill Will Go to the Landlord So Make Sure You Read These Tips to Save You a Headache and Money

According to a news article at Yorkregion.com, councillors in Markham, Ontario and York Region Police have come up with a new plan to get landlords to pay the bill for tenants who start grow-ops in a rental property. This is another reason why tenant screening is of vital importance for small landlords.

What are the Details of this Plan?

The goal of the plan is to stop the number of grow-ops in the region.

York Regional Police will first charge the landlord an administration fee of $1,000. This will be part of the fees paid to remove any illegal drugs, fix any tampering with hydro metres, remove booby-traps and vent the home to improve the quality of air in the unit.

Will the Landlord Have to Pay for The Actual Investigation?

No.

The Mayor of Markham Frank Scarpittle said the fees will only be charged for the actual ‘clean up’ of the property

What if the Landlord Doesn’t Pay?

The fees will be sent to the landlord. If the landlord doesn’t pay voluntarily, the bill will be put on their property taxes.

Are Grow Ops a Big Problem in York Region?

Yes.

In 2010 there were 39 grow-ops growign marijuana in York Region.  There were 30 last year and already 23 this year.

Also, there have been 9 illegal chemical grow ops found in the past three years.

How Can A Landlord Know Their Tenants Have a Grow-Op?

A few councillors were hesitant to make landlords responsible when it’s the tenants who control their own utilities. This makes it difficult for landlords to know if there are grow ops in their investment properties.

That’s Right. And Tenants Can Take the Landlord To the Landlord and Tenant Board For Harassment

There are sure signs of an illegal grow-op, such as blacked out windows, no garbage or recycling placed on the curb, lack of snow on the roof and frequent visitors at irregular hours. If you have tenants who you suspect may be up to no good it’s important to get experienced professionals to help you deal with them…before the police do (and you pay).

Here are some tips:

1. Tenant Screening

Make sure you know who you are renting to. If possible, do a check on the potential tenant to see if they have any criminal background.

2. Tenant Insurance

Make sure you see proof tenants have insurance before handing over the key. Put this in your lease.

3. Monitor Your Rental Property

Do regular drive-bys. Make regular inspections part of your lease.

4. Utilities

If your tenants are going to pay for their own utility usage, make sure you know which tenant is going to have the account in their name.

5. Neighbours

Get to know your neighbours. Give them your contact information in case they see anything suspicious going on.

Here are some suspicious things you should always be aware of:

6. Is Anyone Home

If your rental property doesn’t look like anyone is actually living there, it’s a red flag.

7. Visitors

Are there visitors at strange hours?

8. Windows

Are windows (especially in the basement) boarded up?

9. What Stinks?

Are there any strange smells coming from the property?  Particularly anything smelling something similar to a skunk.

10. Hydro Metres

Has anyone messed with the hydro metres?

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The Message is Clear: Ontario Landlords Have More Responsibilities Than Ever Before. Tenants Start a Grow Op and the Landlord Pays. Use these 10 Tips to Avoid Grow Ops In Your Investment Property!

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Posted in Grow Op | 4 Comments »

Ontario Landlord Angry As Tenant Leaves a Disaster

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

November 15th, 2012

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 Ontario Landlord Is Left With Huge Damages As Tenant Runs and Leaves a Disaster Behind

Meet landlord Jean-Guy Lecours. He’s a small business landlord with only one rental property.

What Happened?

Jen-Guy entered his rental property last month and was shocked at what he saw.

Oh No, I’ve Heard This Story Before

1 – He entered his house and saw the new light carpet he bought  now looked like  dirty soot.

2 – He saw the handles for the new windows he installed were ripped off. (And windows aren’t cheap!)

3 – He saw cigarette buttes mashed in the property furnace vents.

What Did He Do?

He told the tenants the property was a ‘pigpen’ and demanded they clean in and do the repairs.

Did They Do It?

No.

The landlord was forced to evict the tenants.

Who Were the Tenants?

They were a single mom with two kids and her ‘partner.’  The landlord eventually managed to evict them.

So His Problem Was Solved With the Eviction?

No, not at all.

The tenants left major damage to the property. The landlord has quotes of between $12,000 to up to $15,000 to get the property back to how it was before those tenants moved in. We’ve seen these kind of issues before.

Anything Else?

Yes.

The tenants owe him nearly $500 for the hydro bill and the city of Sarnia is going to charge him for collecting all the garbage.

How Much Garbage Was There?

Sarnia garbage collectors had to haul over sixty bags of garbage and old abandoned furniture after neighbours were disgusted and demanded it be cleaned up.

Surely He Can Get the Ex-Tenants to Pay for What They Did

The landlord is very pessimistic of every collecting.

Why Not Go the the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board?

When a tenant leaves a rental, the landlord can no longer go to the LTB.

So What Can He Do?

His only option is to go to Small Claims Court. However that is very difficult because the landlord must now track down the tenants to serve them.

Why Did Lecours Rent to These Tenants?

The landlord and his wife knew the tenants from their local church. The told him they needed a home to live in and assured him they would be great tenants. He fell for all the tricks which he would have avoided with a professional property management firm.

Despite some conflict during their tenancy, the landlord tried to be flexible to the tenants.  He even loaned them his mobile home so they could have a nice summer vacation.

What’s the State of the Property Now?

The landlords’ wife has been spending her days getting rid of garbage and cleaning the pigpen.

Will Lecours Continue to Be a Landlord?

Yes, although he promises to be careful when choosing tenants. He will begin doing employment and credit checks.

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This Is Another Warning Call to Ontario Landlords! Make Sure You Do Proper Tenant Screening and Do Credit Checks Before Handing Over the Key!

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Posted in Bad Tenants | 6 Comments »

Ontario Landlord Arrested For Assaulting Tenant’s Friend During Move-Out

Friday, October 26th, 2012

October 26th, 2012

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Landlords Make Sure You Always Keep Your Cool Dealing With Tenants!

A Campbellford, Ontario landlord was charged with criminal assault after an argument with her former tenant.

What Happened?

A tenant was moving out of an apartment located on Ireton Street. According to Northumberlandview.ca  this led to an argument began between the landlord and the exiting tenant. The landlord lost her cool and bad things happened. She should have hired professional help.

Was the Tenant Breaking the Lease? Damaged the Property? Something Else?

It wasn’t mentioned. She could have done nothing wrong. Or she could have been another Tenant from Hell. The tenant’s friend was helping her move and waiting in a car when the argument began.

I Hope She Waited in the Car Because the Landlord/Tenant Dispute Was None of Her Business, Right?

The tenant’s friend went to see what was going on and also began arguing with the landlord.

Did The Tenant’s Friend Know the Landlord?

No. They had never met before.

What Happened During the Argument Leading to an Arrest?

During the argument the 74 year old landlord, Priscilla Duff, apparently “slapped” the tenant’s friend on her face during the argument.

The landlord is a 74 Years Old Woman?  Did the Tenant’s Friend Require Medical Attention?

No.

What Happened Next?

The tenant’s friend went to the Ontario Provincial Police.

And…

Landlord Priscilla Duff was arrested. and will appear at the Ontario Court of Justice on Tuesday December 4th 2012 in Brighton, Ontario at 9:30 am.

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Ontario Landlords this is a wake-up call. Protect yourself and keep your emotions in check. Keep cool with your tenants no matter what happens. Always use proper channels such as Small Claims Court to seek justice against bad tenants.

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Posted in Crime, Landlord and Tenant News | 4 Comments »

Rental Property Fire! House Burns Down! Landlord Fined! Tenants No Insurance!

Wednesday, July 18th, 2012

July 18th, 2012

 

Fire Chief: Landlords Are Responsible for Working Fire Alarms

What Happened?

On July 4th, 2012 the Georgina Fire Department responded to a fire in a residential house in Keswick, Ontario.

How Strong was the Fire?

There are reports from witnesses the flames were rising more than 20 feet above the house.

Was Anyone Hurt?

All occupants, including a child, who were renting the Keswick home were out of the house with no injuries when the fire department arrived.

What Was the Cause of the Fire?

According to Deputy Fire Chief Steve Richardson, an extension cored plugged into a portable air condition unit was the cause of the fire.

No Smoke Detectors?

Richardson states his crew found the property lacked any functional smoke detectors.  Because of this the landlord was fined for “failing to install working smoke detectors” under the Ontario Fire Code.

Did the Family Have Contents Insurance?

The fire was especially harmful to the tenants.  All of their belongings were lost and they did not have contents insurance.

Richardson states this “acts as a stern warning to homeowners when it comes to smoke detectors.”

Why is the Landlord Being Fined When it was the Tenants Fault?

Richardson states: “Owners and landlords are responsible for ensuring working smoke alarms are installed in all rental properties.”

He asks:  What would have happened if this fire had occurred during the night when everyone would be sleeping?  There likely would have been seriously injuries…or even a death.

What Does the Ontario Fire Code Require?

Richardson states what the Ontario Fire Code requires.  You need working smoke alarms  installed on every story of your home.  You also need smoke alarms outside all sleeping areas.

If a landlord doesn’t have these the law can result in a ticket of $235 or fines up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.

How Can Landlords Protect Ourselves?

It’s important to do regular checks on your rental properties to ensure the smoke detectors work.  When you do this, make sure your tenants sign off that the smoke detectors are working.

How Can I Get Them to Sign Off Agreeing to it?

In the Ontario Landlords Association Rental Kit there is a ready made document for you to give to your tenants.

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Posted in Ontario Fire Code | 6 Comments »

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