Toronto Landlords Need To Screen Our Tenants Carefully!

We’ve already discussed what options Toronto Landlords have to seek justice after your tenants move out.

Small Claims Court can be a long and complicated process but it’s an option for landlords if your tenants leave owing you rent or have damaged your rental property.

What If Your Tenants Won’t Move Out

The Huffington Post had a crazy story last week about a landlord in Calgary who faced a tenant who

1. Refused to pay the proper rent

2. Damaged the property

3. Changed the locks without permission

4. Painted the bedrooms black

5. Wouldn’t move out when asked

It’s a must read story for all Toronto investment property owners and potential investors.

Crazy, Crazy, Crazy!

The situation was explained at the Ontario Landlords Association website.

The Freeman Tenant said he was a handyman.

He received a recommendation from the landlady’s friend and persuaded the landlady to allow him to move in and make improvements to the unit in exchange for the three month’s rent.

It was too late for Rebekah Caverhill to discover that the tenant has replaced the locks, gutted the bathroom as well as the kitchen and more.

Your Basement Is Now My Embassy! I Own It!

Caverhill was afterwards informed that he was a Freeman-on-the-Land and he declared the property was his embassy.

No this isn’t a joke.

Freemen are so-called “sovereign citizens” who believe that they are free from the government’s restrictions and conspiracies.

The group believes laws only govern them if they agree to it.

The B.C. Law Society claims there might be 30,000 Freemen in Canada.

That’s 30,000 people who believe they don’t have to pay taxes, utility bills, mortgages, parking tickets…or rent!

Oh, By The Way You Owe Me $26,000 For the Damages I Did To Your Basement Apartment

She was also given an invoice of $26,000 from the tenant’s personal company for all the work done and a Land Titles Office notice for a $17,000 lien, a legal claim to secure the performance payments or a debt on the property.

Could This Happen in Toronto?

Yes, it could.

Furthermore, the laws in Alberta are for favourable to landlords and good tenants.

The laws in Alberta allow for quicker evictions which means landlords can evict bad tenants and create more options for good ones.

Things are very different in Ontario where the Residential Tenancies Act and the Landlord and Tenant Board reward bad tenant behaviour.

If this Freeman tenant rented a basement in Ontario who knows how long it would take to evict!

Tenant Screening

Toronto landlords this is a wake up call for all of us. Make sure you screen your tenants well including a credit check and a criminal check.