March 16th, 2012
Turner continues to describe situations he has faced as a small unit landlord:
As a small-unit landlord, I have been in similar circumstances. Several years ago I went through the proscribed eviction process for a deadbeat tenant. In the remarkably short time of three months, by the bureaucratic standards of the landlord-tenant board, I was able, with the help of a sheriff, to evict the tenant – but not before they damaged the apartment to the tune of $20,000, not including $4,000 in unpaid rent.
Turner explained landlords are just like small businesses, like any independent store. Landlords provide living space in exchange for payment. Landlords pay taxes and even support other local businesses like suppliers…just like other small businesses.
Turner goes on to explain if you go to any store, take an item without paying, the owner will call the police and the thief will be arrested! This is the same as tenants moving in to a unit and not paying, yet tenants are offered special legal protections no one else gets!
He says the Residential Tenancies Act favors tenants over the landlord by a wide margin. According to Turner, even if you receive an eviction notice from the Landlord and Tenant Board you still have to pay the Sheriff to enforce it.
