Posted by G on 3/26/2010, 2:19 pm, in reply to "Re: 'Tenants from hell' stories are hate speech"
Dan,
I see no problem with landlords having to get licensed. As well as their properties. Human rights and safety are the most important issues in my respect. While looking for our first home, we ran into "rentable" spaces inside of the homes, with ceilings under 6' high, single means of egress etc...
This by no means is acceptable as per the Ontario Building Code. Nor should any good tenant be renting these spaces.
I have been a renter for over a decade here in Toronto alone, thus have been subject to both great landlords and not so great landlords. I know what it is like to pay rent and do realize that some landlords do take advantage of the income they make on their properties. But renters also have to be aware that there is much more at stake other than being late or not paying rent. If the owner goes in areers on their mortgage, is the tenant at fault for not paying rent? No the owner is subject to the burden.
I am aware that there are many great tenants. Have you ever heard the saying that "Nothing travels faster than light, with the possible exception of bad news, which follows its own rules” This is true about anything. The millions of good tenants/landlords get overshadowed with the few bad apples that are out there.
But the rotten apples are the ones everyone talks about.
As in my case, the "professional tenant" is alive an well, when you find out about 2 other cases involving the same tenant with very similar situaions, in less than a 2 year span, it becomes quite relevant and plausible. All this aside, there should be a list of both good and bad tenants and landlords.
You can't get buy a car, TV without a credit check, bank approval etc unless you have cash....If a tenant want to pay 12 months up front that could alleviate many situations. This is why landlords need to do background checks or this may become reality.
Maybe tenants should also be required to get a license or creditation. This would help clear up many sticky situations with the LTB.
--Previous Message--
: It would be nice if these landlords and their
: apologists would recognize the more than a
: million great people who rent their homes
: and stretch their budgets to pay the rents
: that landlords demand.
:
: It would also be nice if they acknowledged
: that anybody can be a landlord whether they
: know the laws or follow the laws or not.
:
: The FMTA along with tenant advocates across
: the Province stood for homeowner's rights to
: rent their homes or parts of it anywhere
: they like.
: Because of that there are many very good
: people who provide accomodation (often at a
: better price than the corporate landlords)to
: other good people who can not afford to own
: property. Unfortunately, not all homeowners
: and not all residents are good people. Ever
: heard the one about the landlord who rented
: the same place to several people after
: collecting their deposits?
:
: Any way, as stated before, we do not condone
: "professional" tenants, although I
: doubt that they are as prevalent as some
: claim. On the other hand, we would like to
: see more "professional" landlords.
:
: You can not drive a car in Ontario without
: passing a licencing test and paying a small
: fee. Why can you be a landlord without a
: licence? Any good landlord will have no
: problem getting and retaining a licence. As
: any good tenant should have no problem
: renting an apartment home especially if the
: human rights code is respected.
:
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I completely agree with your comment Gerry.
: As
: a first time home buyer and still renter
: (till I move into my first home). I have
: come to find out that our inherited tenant
: with the property has been involved in
: numerous cases (professional tenant).
:
: I have learnt very quickly what it is to be
: a landlord, and feel that problem tenants
: should be included in a list. Screening, as
: I have come to be aware of, is necessary and
: crucial in determining who a good tenant
: should be.
:
: As a current renter myself, those who feel
: that a landlord should be taken for, should
: realize that many of whom put their life
: saving into a property and provide shelter
: for a fee. This fee (rent) is not for income
: of the landlord, but for many it helps cover
: the mortgage, taxes and vital services that
: they are providing the tenant. Those tenants
: who decide to play the system, not pay their
: rent or damage the property should be aware
: that this just costs a landlord/owner of a
: house much more than their rent is worth.
:
: As for the "tenants from hell",
: they have played the system for not only
: personal and financial gain. They have also
: caused much grief financially and
: emotionally for the owners/landlords of the
: properties in which they have spread their
: corruption upon.
:
: I myself am in a similar situation with my
: inherited tenant, and wish that those who
: play the system are eventually caught. If
: you steal a candy bar you can get charged.
: If you steal rent & utilites, you can
: get away with it. How is this fair?
:
: I don't make millions, and neither do most
: landlords (excluding thos corporations who
: run large complexes). Just wish that tenants
: see that their landlords are expecting the
: money from their tenants to cover their own
: costs (for the most part). The landlords
: take the liability of the property and some
: tenants take full advantage of the
: situation.
:
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: I am in agreement Dan that landlords should
: be
: doing more thorough screening. This will
: restrict or prevent many tenants from
: private rentals but will increase the value
: of good tenants. This could go a long way to
: improve tenant/landlord relations.
: What is truly need is cooperation in
: creating a good/bad tenant data base which I
: believe would ultimately benefit all good
: tenants. Access to the list could be
: restricted to proven responsible landlords.
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: The story focussed on one tenant couple who
: had stiffed 5 landlords.
:
: the Star does have a weekly tenant article
: in the Saturday classifieds...but more would
: be welcome.
:
: I don't think the story demonizes all
: tenants...but some landlords demonize most
: tenants and these stories do fuel their
: fire.
:
: For the record, we at the FMTA do not
: condone not paying your lawful rent.....we
: are here to help tenants who do pay or who
: do want to pay. In fact, this couple surely
: doesn't help our cause.
:
: And one more thing about that story. I feel
: very bad for the first landlord....but the
: next four could have been warned by due
: diligence. It is still wrong, but many
: landlords are their own worst enemy. There
: are many places where landlords can get
: educated.....as we provide education for
: tenants.
:
:
: I should add that telling a factual
: story.....even if somebody doesn't like
: it..is not hate speech.
:
:
: -Previous Message--
: The Toronto Star seems to go in waves from
: time to time publishing 'Tenants from hell'
: horror stories as they have done again
: today.
:
: Usually after a few of these they are
: followed by an editorial calling for an end
: to rent control for the sake of tenants!
: What right wing propaganda.
:
: The phrase 'Tenants from hell' demonizes all
: tenants and is used by landlord lobbyists
: for that purpose.
:
: We need to write to the Star
: lettertoed@thestar.ca to point this out and
: that these stories are not acceptable.
:
: They need to make up for this lack of
: balance. How about a weekly column on
: tenants affairs by the Federation of Metro
: Tenants' Associations?
:
: The Star may be promoting this because some
: of their biggest advertisers are landlords
: and developers but then half of all their
: readers are tenants and we need to remind
: them of that with lots of letters to the
: editor right away.
:
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