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My Tenants Sucked!!! 3 Things I Learned About Screening Tenants!
- Thread starter MatPiche
- Start date
Mat in the event you get another tardy tenant in the future, it does happen even when properly screening, the LTB has a excellent tenant teaching tool that I have found to be very effective. The first time a tenant pays late tell them you have financial obligations and that if it ever happens again you will be filing a L9. I like to also tell them any reason they have for paying late is there personal business and I am not interested in hearing it.
Then if it does happen again on the second of the month go directly to a Service Ontario office and file the L9. At that point it will be too late for the tenant and it will cost them an additional $170 on top of the rent they owe. The $170 is the filing fee you pay to file the L9 and the Adjudicator will always order the tenant to reimburse you along with paying all rent owed. This process may stall your receiving of the rent owed but from my experience I have never had a tenant pay late a second time. Also if they want to pay the rent prior to the hearing they still have to pay you the $170.
Some landlords may say this will your cause ill will between you and your tenant but the fact is that happened the second there rent was late. Tenants that pay late are not worth having as tenants and should be treated accordingly in my opinion. They pay on time every time or they pay me more later. NSFs are treated the same way-- L9 plus a $20 admin fee and bank charges.
I have had tenants pay the rent but refuse to pay the $170 resulting in a board hearing where they are ordered to pay me my $170. It can be time consuming but teaching people to be good tenants is worth the inconvenience of one visit to the LTB.
I strongly advise against ever filing a N8 simply for late payment as all that will accomplish is allow your tenant to vacate before 14 days pass and they will not owe you any rent. In addition if they do stay and you end up at a hearing your application will be denied and you will have wasted the $170 filing fee. The tenant simply is ordered to pay the rent owing or be evicted. This is how professional tenants live rent free for months on end. Don't play the N8 card unless you are very serious about evicting and your tenant has at the very least killed another tenant. Anything less than that and you will not win an eviction in Ontario..
Then if it does happen again on the second of the month go directly to a Service Ontario office and file the L9. At that point it will be too late for the tenant and it will cost them an additional $170 on top of the rent they owe. The $170 is the filing fee you pay to file the L9 and the Adjudicator will always order the tenant to reimburse you along with paying all rent owed. This process may stall your receiving of the rent owed but from my experience I have never had a tenant pay late a second time. Also if they want to pay the rent prior to the hearing they still have to pay you the $170.
Some landlords may say this will your cause ill will between you and your tenant but the fact is that happened the second there rent was late. Tenants that pay late are not worth having as tenants and should be treated accordingly in my opinion. They pay on time every time or they pay me more later. NSFs are treated the same way-- L9 plus a $20 admin fee and bank charges.
I have had tenants pay the rent but refuse to pay the $170 resulting in a board hearing where they are ordered to pay me my $170. It can be time consuming but teaching people to be good tenants is worth the inconvenience of one visit to the LTB.
I strongly advise against ever filing a N8 simply for late payment as all that will accomplish is allow your tenant to vacate before 14 days pass and they will not owe you any rent. In addition if they do stay and you end up at a hearing your application will be denied and you will have wasted the $170 filing fee. The tenant simply is ordered to pay the rent owing or be evicted. This is how professional tenants live rent free for months on end. Don't play the N8 card unless you are very serious about evicting and your tenant has at the very least killed another tenant. Anything less than that and you will not win an eviction in Ontario..
Awesome tips here, thanks! I only had issues with these tenants when I first started and had no idea what I was doing.
It's been 3 years and I've had amazing tenants ever since and 0% vacancy. All is good and my clients use these tips as well with great results. I'll definitely remember your tips because you just never know!
It's been 3 years and I've had amazing tenants ever since and 0% vacancy. All is good and my clients use these tips as well with great results. I'll definitely remember your tips because you just never know!
Correction to my original post. I meant N4 not N8.
The N4 is a eviction notice allowing tenants 14 days to pay the rent owing. It is ridicules for a landlord to actually issue a tenant a N4 as all it does is legally allow a tenant to delay rent payment for 14 days. In addition it actually allows your tenant to vacate the property without paying the rent owed. It is a pay "or" vacate order not a request to actually pay rent. Plus the LTB never upholds landlords applications based on a N4 if the tenant chooses to pay and stay. As I have stated it is a process where by tenants can stop paying and remain in the unit for possibly as long as 6 months before they walk away. When they do your only option is then small claims court.
Small Claims court is far easier and fairer than the LTB for landlords to collect but your tenant must be employed to collect. This is the primary reason I never rent to anyone on Welfare or Government disability benefits (ODSP).
The N4 is a eviction notice allowing tenants 14 days to pay the rent owing. It is ridicules for a landlord to actually issue a tenant a N4 as all it does is legally allow a tenant to delay rent payment for 14 days. In addition it actually allows your tenant to vacate the property without paying the rent owed. It is a pay "or" vacate order not a request to actually pay rent. Plus the LTB never upholds landlords applications based on a N4 if the tenant chooses to pay and stay. As I have stated it is a process where by tenants can stop paying and remain in the unit for possibly as long as 6 months before they walk away. When they do your only option is then small claims court.
Small Claims court is far easier and fairer than the LTB for landlords to collect but your tenant must be employed to collect. This is the primary reason I never rent to anyone on Welfare or Government disability benefits (ODSP).
The L9 sounds amazing!
However, you will need to think twice if you are renting including utilities.
They may ended up opening the window and jack up the heat at the same time.
If you having a duplex with only one meter. What are your best opitions to pave you a path of using the L9 in the future?
However, you will need to think twice if you are renting including utilities.
They may ended up opening the window and jack up the heat at the same time.
If you having a duplex with only one meter. What are your best opitions to pave you a path of using the L9 in the future?
Never make business decisions out of fear that a tenant may act negatively. If that is your intent you might as well just hand them the keys and have them let you know when they are done with the place.
If they do as you suggest your only option is to find proof of their criminal actions and serve them with a eviction notice.
Then you can try to take them to Small Claims Court for the hydro costs.
In the future do not rent inclusive. Either bill them separately for the hydro or have one tenant put the utilities in their name and collect a percentage from the other tenant.
If tenants owe you for hydro take them to small claims court- it's easier and more effective than the LTB.
If they do as you suggest your only option is to find proof of their criminal actions and serve them with a eviction notice.
Then you can try to take them to Small Claims Court for the hydro costs.
In the future do not rent inclusive. Either bill them separately for the hydro or have one tenant put the utilities in their name and collect a percentage from the other tenant.
If tenants owe you for hydro take them to small claims court- it's easier and more effective than the LTB.