Rant: Landlords and your data. | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Rant: Landlords and your data.

I have two different buddies who got completely screwed by scamming tenants, and both thought they'd done due diligence by checking employment references and pay stubs.

In the first case from a few years ago, landlord owned a townhouse in Oshawa, but ended up moving to BC for work. Rented to a family in the spring, everything seemed above board, called employer reference and got a pay stub, all good. Rent stopped being paid a few months in. After a couple of months of broken promises (yes, naive), it becomes clear they won't pay. Serves eviction notice, which is ignored. Has to apply for the sheriff to evict, more time. Gets approval for sheriff, but adjudicator delays eviction date because it's winter. All told, almost eight months without seeing a penny. Shows up with sheriff, tenants are gone, but townhouse is trashed and a dumpster's worth of garbage is left behind. All told, damage is in excess of $20k, plus ~$16k in lost rent.
Exact same thing happened to my buddy, took forever to get them out. House and garage completely full of junk. Damage to every floor, baseboard door, and every other surface. Was pretty much a complete gut inside.
 
I don't wish misery and misfortune on anyone. My experience is biased because it's limited to being a tenant, and it's been a questionable experience at best. I'm sure there are fair and honest landlords out there.

I'm going to be as ****** and indignant about this as anyone else might be about groceries (or gas). If being a landlord is turning out to be a difficult investment, stop being a landlord (I'm being very tone deaf and myopic, I'm aware). If the only answer is to assume that everyone is a potential crook, and treat them as such, maybe we need better laws. If the problem with tenants not paying up is this widespread then maybe rent is too high.

The alternative is that everyone is terrible and we all deserve eachother.
 
Everything sucks. Renting sucks. Landlords suck, but I understand their position.

@monkeyfarm just make sure (if you're cosigning) that your lil sis is moving somewhere the landlord isn't ******. Also that the place isn't a scam of course lol. I've seen some too-good-to-be-trues listed on kijiji that are obviously scams to get info.
Yeah, were trying to find other options within her price range but it's been a lot of disappointment with listings advertising rents $300-400 below what they ask for once you contact them.

It's a university town and apparently over-enrollment is a thing. I'm sure that's heating up the rental market.
 
Exact same thing happened to my buddy, took forever to get them out. House and garage completely full of junk. Damage to every floor, baseboard door, and every other surface. Was pretty much a complete gut inside.

There was so much garbage in the house I was talking about that my buddy was convinced they actually brought extra in to spite him. He refused to believe that anyone could actually live that way.

I don't wish misery and misfortune on anyone. My experience is biased because it's limited to being a tenant, and it's been a questionable experience at best. I'm sure there are fair and honest landlords out there.

I'm going to be as ****** and indignant about this as anyone else might be about groceries (or gas). If being a landlord is turning out to be a difficult investment, stop being a landlord (I'm being very tone deaf and myopic, I'm aware). If the only answer is to assume that everyone is a potential crook, and treat them as such, maybe we need better laws. If the problem with tenants not paying up is this widespread then maybe rent is too high.

The alternative is that everyone is terrible and we all deserve eachother.

Neither of the guys I referred to will ever rent again. Some people aren't cut out for the harsh side of being a landlord. In the first case, he wasn't even trying to be a landlord, he just didn't want to sell his house and couldn't afford to pay rent in BC and a mortgage in Ontario.

As for rent being too (damn) high (someone has to post the meme), that's not a factor in either situation. In the first situation, it was over ten years ago, so everything related to housing was less insane. In the latter case, he actually listed lower than market in hopes of attracting solid, long term tenants. Not a good plan, in hindsight.

Where I will agree is the tenant law in Ontario doesn't serve anyone not well versed in the system. Professional landlords seem to navigate the system okay, and professional scam tenants know how to manipulate things to their advantage. The people who get screwed are the amateur landlords and well-meaning tenants. In BC, tenants have a lot less protection. For example, damage deposits are the norm, with unscrupulous landlords being expert at finding ways to hang onto it, regardless of actual damage.

If your sister is looking in Guelph, you have my sympathy. My son is looking for something for just the fall semester (he'll be an RA in January), and there's almost zero available, especially for short-term. What does come up is either insanely expensive or super picky (lots of female only requirements), and is typically rented almost instantly. Apparently UofG over-enrolled for first year (whoops, shame about that extra cash), overflowing res and putting extra pressure on an already slammed rental market. It's actually getting to the point where he may just skip the fall semester.
 
And when my landlord asked to raise the rent (for the first time in 6 years) $50/month she seemed so upset about it...

I feel sorry for you guys, damn.
 
There was so much garbage in the house I was talking about that my buddy was convinced they actually brought extra in to spite him. He refused to believe that anyone could actually live that way.



Neither of the guys I referred to will ever rent again. Some people aren't cut out for the harsh side of being a landlord. In the first case, he wasn't even trying to be a landlord, he just didn't want to sell his house and couldn't afford to pay rent in BC and a mortgage in Ontario.

As for rent being too (damn) high (someone has to post the meme), that's not a factor in either situation. In the first situation, it was over ten years ago, so everything related to housing was less insane. In the latter case, he actually listed lower than market in hopes of attracting solid, long term tenants. Not a good plan, in hindsight.

Where I will agree is the tenant law in Ontario doesn't serve anyone not well versed in the system. Professional landlords seem to navigate the system okay, and professional scam tenants know how to manipulate things to their advantage. The people who get screwed are the amateur landlords and well-meaning tenants. In BC, tenants have a lot less protection. For example, damage deposits are the norm, with unscrupulous landlords being expert at finding ways to hang onto it, regardless of actual damage.

If your sister is looking in Guelph, you have my sympathy. My son is looking for something for just the fall semester (he'll be an RA in January), and there's almost zero available, especially for short-term. What does come up is either insanely expensive or super picky (lots of female only requirements), and is typically rented almost instantly. Apparently UofG over-enrolled for first year (whoops, shame about that extra cash), overflowing res and putting extra pressure on an already slammed rental market. It's actually getting to the point where he may just skip the fall semester.
Yeah I read a couple of articles detailing the UofG situation. That whole thing is crazy, including the bit about converting hotels/motels into student housing. Shes at Western where they apparently have had a %3 drop in enrolment year-over-year, but still not much luck. We ran into the same females-only requirements, but she lives with her boyfriend in Scarborough, so that wasn't an option as they wanted to move out there together. She took a break for a year as online classes didn't work out as envisioned.
 
And when my landlord asked to raise the rent (for the first time in 6 years) $50/month she seemed so upset about it...

I feel sorry for you guys, damn.
$50 over 6 years? At that point I would ask her if she's sure I shouldn't be paying more.

My in-laws are landlords, bumped rent of tenants by $300/month because "that's fair for downtown Toronto, in this market and I'm sure they can afford it"...
 
$50 over 6 years? At that point I would ask her if she's sure I shouldn't be paying more.

My in-laws are landlords, bumped rent of tenants by $300/month because "that's fair for downtown Toronto, in this market and I'm sure they can afford it"...
Oh certainly she knows.

It was a steal when we moved in, back in 2016. She told us when we first came to look at the place that she doesn't raise rent, preferring to keep good tenants over being greedy and having to look for new ones every year.

We're in no hurry to leave lol.
 
I don't wish misery and misfortune on anyone. My experience is biased because it's limited to being a tenant, and it's been a questionable experience at best. I'm sure there are fair and honest landlords out there.

I'm going to be as ****** and indignant about this as anyone else might be about groceries (or gas). If being a landlord is turning out to be a difficult investment, stop being a landlord (I'm being very tone deaf and myopic, I'm aware). If the only answer is to assume that everyone is a potential crook, and treat them as such, maybe we need better laws. If the problem with tenants not paying up is this widespread then maybe rent is too high.

The alternative is that everyone is terrible and we all deserve eachother.
Laws generally favor renters, landlords have a very small box of tools.

I choose renters carefully. I prefer professions where integrity and trust are part of their game, and shoo off anyone that has less than stellar credit (I order a full Equifax report) or blemishes on their Tennant record. I set rent Below market rates and tell renters up front how much rents go up each year - 1%. I look after lawncare. For some renters I return last months rent if all has been good for 24 mos.

I also try to know them and treat them friendly. I know their birthdays so I always send something... a Tim's card, case of beer, something they appreciate.

In business I play hardball. Luckily my diligence and relationship approach has been good so far, I haven't lost a dimes rent ever.
 
Google the name Jim Regan , aka the professional renter.
I had to deal with this cat very briefly.

It’s guys like this , and there are a lot of them that makes landlords want everything from your shoe size to a dna sample on file .

Don’t want to provide everything asked ? Don’t . You just can’t rent from me.


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Oh certainly she knows.

It was a steal when we moved in, back in 2016. She told us when we first came to look at the place that she doesn't raise rent, preferring to keep good tenants over being greedy and having to look for new ones every year.

We're in no hurry to leave lol.
We never raised rent for our tenants until the year we decided to sell…probably cost me 100-200k in selling price, but I had good tenants.
 
$50 over 6 years? At that point I would ask her if she's sure I shouldn't be paying more.

My in-laws are landlords, bumped rent of tenants by $300/month because "that's fair for downtown Toronto, in this market and I'm sure they can afford it"...
That is illegal. There are set rates for which you are allowed to raise rental rates per year, and if you didn't raise the rate 1 year you cannot compound the rates together. What landlords have been doing is kicking out tenants and starting a new rental, which of course you can set it to be whatever you want at that point.
 
My current place was rented through a Realtor. Real PITA. Homeowner did everything through them.

Asked for a credit report from one of 2 companies. To get one quickly enough to apply I had to subscribe to their website and pay.
Letter of Employement. T4. Personal references and atleast one from a previous landlord.
The first and last months rent had to be a Bank Draft or Wire Transfer.
Post Dated Cheques for the entire lease duration had to be given a head of time, plus a cheque for the Key Deposit.

Thankfully the homeowner is super chill and doesn't mind me using half the garage for my bikes and stuff.
 
That is illegal. There are set rates for which you are allowed to raise rental rates per year, and if you didn't raise the rate 1 year you cannot compound the rates together. What landlords have been doing is kicking out tenants and starting a new rental, which of course you can set it to be whatever you want at that point.

As far as I can tell, it's not if the unit was first occupied as a rental after November 15, 2018. Our landlord raised our rent by 3.5% this past March for the same reason, it's a townhouse that was first occupied in 2019 (by the previous tenant). Our landlord doesn't intend on kicking us out, thankfully, he just occasionally (it's been 3 times in 1 year & six months) asks when we're moving out as he would like to raise rent competitively.
 
Security, key, any other deposits are illegal, the amount doesn't matter.
And I'm sure landlords are aware, at least my landlord's real estate agent should have been when she conducted the transaction. With the competitive nature of the market, I don't think they care because what am I going to do, not want a roof over my head?
 
In Australia there are from memory 3 Tenancy Databases (Blacklists) that realestates can check. If you have messed up and got yourself on one of those lists, you pretty much end up homeless or living with someone else for the 3 years it takes to get off it, as noone will rent to you, or you can pay off your debt and get your name removed earlier. Most agents will keep their own records for longer.

Realestates can put you on a database if you maliciously damage property, or don't pay rent. Utilities companies will also put you on there if you don't pay you phone, electricity etc.

System works somewhat, though you can still get some ****** tenants.
 
Security, key, any other deposits are illegal, the amount doesn't matter.

A reasonable key deposit is okay. But must be returned immediately at end of tenancy.

Basically anything more the $50 for a medeco key is thrown out by the LTB.
 
A bit of a high jack but I would often get asked to leave my driver's license when I needed service keys for a building.

No thanks. Maybe some other form of ID but if someone loses my DL I can't legally drive home or anywhere.
 
A bit of a high jack but I would often get asked to leave my driver's license when I needed service keys for a building.

Federal departments and Crown Corporations do that to me.

I go to leave my PAL. They end up saying "no need" and giving me the keys.
 

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