- holes in your walls, floors or ceiling
- broken or leaking sinks, faucets, or toilets
- broken stoves or refrigerators
- broken windows or screens
- electrical problems
- cockroach, insect or rodent infestation
- lack of heat or hot water
- broken elevators
- broken intercom system
- other repair problems
and your landlord fails to make the necessary repairs, take the steps listed below. They will help you
a) get the repairs done, b) get compensation for any hardship and expense you have experienced because of the disrepair and
c) terminate your lease if you decide you want to find a new place to live before your lease has expired.
STEP 1 - Call or contact your landlord requesting immediate repairs. Write down what you said and your landlord's response.
If repairs are made promptly and you've suffered no damages, you're done!
If the landlord fails to make repairs then...
STEP 2 - Write a letter to your landlord outlining what is wrong and requesting repairs. Photocopy and keep a copy for yourself. If the repair problem is serious, don't wait long; write your landlord right away.
This is an important step. If you do not write your landlord about the problems, you may not ba able to get help from the city inspectors or the Tribunal to deal with your disrepair. If your landlord fixes the problem after you write the letter and you have'nt suffered any losses, your'e done! If your landlord does not fix the problems...
STEP 3 - Begin a journal outlining the nature of the disrepair from the begining of the problem. Everyday write the date and any problem that remains unfixed. If insuffucient heat is a problem, get a thermometer and take daily readings. Also write down any action taken by your landlord to fix the situation. See a sample of a journal at the end of this section of the kit.
STEP 4 - Take a picture of any direpair from all angles. If your camera has a date stamp, activate it to show the date that the picture was taken. Otherwise, write down when and where you took the picture. Keep your pictures in your journal.
If the repairs are not made promptly, you have two choices. You can do the repairs yourself and apply to The Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal for reimbursement (STEP 5) or you can egt a City of Toronto Inspector to order your landlord to make the repairs (STEP 6).
STEP 5 - If the conditions at your apartment are too much to bear and you feel that you must make repairs and can afford it, you can do so but be sure that you can keep receipts. The receipts for money you spend on necessary repairs can be submitted at the hearing and you can be reimbursed for those expenses. STEP 7 - 10 explain how to file and seve an application.
Before you get repairs done, call around and get an estimate from at least two repair companies. Write down estimates, the name and number of each company and the people you spoke to. Keep this information in your journal. This will show to the Tribunal that you investigated the most cost-effective way of getting the repairs done.
Remember: Keep all reciepts and write any action you take about the disrepair into your journal. If you do repairs, take pictures before and after the repairs are done.
STEP 6 - Call the Municipal Licensing and Standards office and ask for the City Inspector to come to see the problem. The number to call is 416 394-2535. You must call the Inspector first thing in the morning to set up an appointment. The inspector is usually only in his or her office between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. Ask to have an inspector come to your apartment, examine the disrepair and write a work order against your landlord. Usually, an inspector's name to arrange for an inspection. Make sure you ask for and write down the inspector's name and phone number and be sure to get the proper spelling. Put this information in your journal.
During the inspection, show the inspector the disrepair problem. Ask what the inspector will do to help. If the inspector agrees the problem is in violation of municipal property standards, the inpspector can issue a Notice of Violation or a Work Order. A work order is better, so ask the inspector to issue this. Expalin that your landlord has already ignored several request to fix the problem and should not be given any more time. Ask the inspector to give you a copy of anything sent to the landlord.
This can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. Sometimes your landlord will make the repairs when ordered to do so by the inspector. If you don't wish to take further action, you're done!
If the repairs are not done quickly, you may apply to the Tribunal for an abatement (a temporary reduction) of rent You may do this before or after the inspector's report arrives.
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