During the pandemic, there were massive backlogs at Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (OLTB), and wait times for hearings were taking as long as a year.
After clearing the backlog, the board can now hear a case within three to six months, but some landlords say tenants are still abusing the system.
According to one landlord group, there is a growing number of “professional” tenants who have found “loop holes” to delay proceedings.
“She won’t budge and the house is in complete disarray. It’s really bad,” landlord Danielle Breau of Sunderland, Ont. in Brock Township told CTV News.
Breau has a home in the area which she rents out, but she says for more than a year and a half, a woman who lives there has refused to pay rent.
The home is now a complete mess and overrun with garbage, according to Breau, and she says she is owed $25,000 in back rent.
Breau said she’s taken the tenant to the OLTB twice, but due to delays and issues in the proceedings, the tenant has been allowed to stay in her house free of charge.
“She’s paid zero dollars. So, we can’t do anything about it. Our hands are tied and we have tried every route,” said Breau.
Another landlord with a rental property told CTV News his tenant has not paid rent for almost two years and owes about $45,000.
Shawn Grewal of Brampton said he’s been before the Landlord and Tenant Board but he has also faced constant delays and the tenant continues to live in his house.
“These tenants know exactly what they are doing and they will use the system and all the delays to live for free as long as they can,” said Grewal.
Steps landlords can take
Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO) is a group dedicated to help small landlords. The group told CTV News professional tenants are creating havoc for families across the province.
“People who deliberately go in, rent a unit with no intention of paying and it keeps happening over and over again,” said Rose Marie with SOLO.
The group is now advising landlords to check the website, OpenRoom.
It’s a database where court orders regarding non-payment of rent and other issues can be uploaded so landlords and tenants can search to see if there is a history of problems.
“We want to be able to match the law-abiding tenants with the law-abiding housing providers,” said Marie.
The landlords CTV News spoke to say unless the rules change, it’s not worth taking a chance and having a bad tenant.
“There is a housing crisis and maybe this is why people don’t want to be landlords anymore,” said Breau. “We certainly don’t. It’s a headache.”
