Reading this post, the previous one, and all the comments has greatly informed me on this issue. Thank you very much!

Here is my situation, I’m not sure what to do next. Sorry it is so long….it just blew up on me yesterday…I hope you can offer some advice.

I currently rent the basement in a detached home that is separated into 3 separate units, each with their own entrance, kitchen, bathrooms, etc. I enter the basement through a door in the garage, the guy above me enters on the side of the house, and the woman on the top floor enters by the front. The owners live in Oakville.

After reading your post, it seems that this arrangement would be illegal UNLESS the house has special triplex zoning, right?

Now, my actual problem is that the landlord has been an absolute deadbeat.

First, there was a water puddle in the laundry area which he said he would fix. This past December, I signed a month-to-month tenancy agreement with his wife (in her name). She immediately gives me an envelope with a letter in it telling me I need to do any repairs, can’t have an air conditioner, and that he basically does not want to be bothered with any complaints.

Almost immediately, my bath tap began constantly leaking. Now it is a constant stream of (hot) water….the leaking tap in the laundry room and accompanying puddle is still there and has been for who knows how many months. Also, there are 3 separate drips in the water heater/furnace area (in my apartment). Lastly, the tenant on the top floor says her kitchen sink is basically useless because it leaks and backs up.

I only finally contacted him at the beginning of April when I’d had enough. Initially, he told me he was going to take care of it and strung me along until mid may… one of the other tenants had a plumber friend who was going to come in and look at my place….he had already said that her sink was not up to code…..that morning, he called her and threatened her to not have the guy in, his guys would come instead. He also told her she should leave and he will evict her…..then he backed off. He actually copied me on the email of him saying this to her.

So three guys showed up a few days later and said nothing (didn’t speak English I think)..and did nothing. He told me he would fix it within 2 weeks.

It has now been 3 weeks. I called him again yesterday about it and he started trying to put me off….I was supposed to do repairs, he’s too busy, oh they’ll come fix it in another 2 weeks… And finally, he’s saying “I don’t want to have this conversation….I keep the rent low and give month-to-month so I don’t have to hear any complaints or do anything for the house….I want you to find somewhere else to live…July is your last month. I have every legal right to make you leave.”

Obviously, he does not. However, now the water is becoming a big problem with the hot/humid weather….in the last 5 days or so, my apartment has begun smelling very strongly of mold. I have cleaned and looked everywhere for a source for it, but I think it is now in the walls, and the wet floor of the water heater/furnace area…my bathroom never dries…my towels never dry.

So, basically, he has left it with me that:

-he has no intention to pay for, nor do any repairs to the house.

-He has repeatedly threatened to evict me and the woman each time we have contacted him about repairs.

-I believe this house is an illegal triplex

-the tenant in the third unit is moving out at the end of June, and there is a craigslist ad for it)

-I need to get out of here as I believe it is hurting my health. In the beginning of May, I had a very severe lung infection and missed almost 2 weeks of work. In the winter, I also had the same illness.

-I want to move out, but I definitely want this guy to be as fined and screwed as possible for his slumlord actions.

Today I called Brampton Bylaw Enforcement….they told me that the house was registered for a basement apartment… but the woman on the phone didn’t know about 3 units. Also, that it would take up to 7 business days for an officer to even be assigned to my case and contact me.

Between now and then, are there any avenues of inquiry I can pursue?

I can think of:

-calling the provincial Investigation and Enforcement Unit

-calling Brampton Zoning

-calling some other city department?

-calling a legal clinic or other legal help (any suggestions?)

Is there any other advice you can give me?

I’m not sure yet if you have apartment listings, but I will check.

Again, thank you in advance.

Dan

Thank you so much for the kind words – glad my article was useful!

Lang

What an incredible article!
Very well written indeed.

I know a few friends who would benefit from reading this. One of them who in fact is a real estate investor, investing in Brampton.

Often times there is so much confusion with respect to this topic.

The flow of your article was so descriptive and informative.

Kudos for creating such quality content to educate your readers!

Best Regards,
Neil Uttamsingh.