TikToker's Legit Advice For Ontario Renters Dealing With Pushy Landlords Is Going Viral
They're helping renters understand their rights.
Christine explaining renter rights in video. Right: Condo building in Toronto.
Finding affordable housing in Ontario's real estate market has become increasingly difficult, with rental prices soaring and vacancies at an all-time low.
It can lead to renters feeling pressured into signing rental agreements and leases without fully understanding their rights. Enter an Ontario TikToker and realtor named Christine, whose game-changing tips for renters recently went viral on the platform.
In a video, Christine reenacts a scenario where a landlord shows up unannounced at their home and calmly educates the landlord about their renter rights in Ontario.
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Here are the three major takeaways from Christine's video that Narcity has verified with Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act.
Landlords can't show up unannounced
In Ontario, Christine points out that landlords are generally not allowed to show up unannounced to rental homes or apartments.
According to the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords are required to give tenants notice before entering the rental unit, except in emergency situations. The notice must be given in writing and typically needs to be provided at least 24 hours in advance.
Additionally, the notice must include the reason for entry, the date and time of entry, and contact information for the landlord or property manager.
Landlords can't include "no-pet" clauses
In Christine's video, their landlord is caught by surprise by seeing a cat in their condo and reminds Christine of the "no-pet" rental agreement.
However, in Ontario, landlords are generally not allowed to include "no pet" clauses in rental agreements under the Residential Tenancies Act.
Christine notes that there is an exception if the rental property is a condominium and the condominium corporation's declaration explicitly prohibits pets, which wasn't the case in Christine's situation.
Landlords can't prevent guests
Christine's landlord also notices that there is a guest in her home that they weren't previously informed about and tries to intervene.
But, in Ontario, landlords are legally prohibited from preventing tenants from having overnight guests at their rental property, regardless of any clauses in the rental agreement.
Christine reminds their viewers that as a tenant, you have the right to decide who you invite to visit and stay at your place, despite any objections or attempts to restrict this right by the landlord.
No need to notify landlord when a roommate/partner moves in
Christine also informed the landlord that the guest was their wife, who then immediately pointed out how they weren't included in the lease.
But, according to the standard Ontario lease, all tenants are allowed to have roommates, guests, and additional occupants without a landlord's permission.
"As long as it doesn't result in overcrowding and disruption or damages to the property," Christine said in her video.