All Forum Posts by: Salma Valimohamed

Hi there, Rent is due on the 1st and therefore, the tenant is well within his rights to pay on the 1st. Just because he knows that doesn't necessarily mean he is a professional tenant, just an informed one. As a new owner, establishing relationships with existing tenants, I would choose my battles carefully. If your tenant is happy to pay on the 1st, I'd say be grateful that this is the case. Sure it would be great if all our tenants paid a day or two early and made our lives super easy, but that's not likely. It would be fine to ask them to accommodate a new arrangement if they're willing to sign a new lease with you, but this is not something you can obligate them to do if you are inheriting them from the previous landlord. Out of curiosity, were you requesting payment earlier because you were going to be at the property on that day? Do you collect payment in person? Perhaps asking for postdated cheques would be an option (again, you cannot obligate them to do this but you can certainly propose the option to make rent day smoother going forward). Alternatively, you could set up an electronic method of collecting rent with a service such as TenantPay. It's a very effective, low cost ($1/payment - no cost to tenant) option. This would be my preferred method. I'd be happy to discuss more with you if interested. Are there other concerns you have with this tenant? I understand he's been there 5 yrs paying below market value, so I get your frustration there. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot you can do about that with ontario's strict rent control. But that aside, if he's paying his rent and respecting your property then take it. There are other ways he may be "encouraged to move on" if that's what you'd like to see happen. That's a whole other conversation though. For now, I would let this issue be and focus on other ways of improving your property's efficiencies. Good luck to you with your new venture!

Thomas S. and Matt Geerts Thanks so much for the info. I wasn't aware that in Ontario, you could not gather history on tenants' previous evictions, or criminal record. Definitely important information! And Matt, thanks for breaking down your process. I will be sure to implement your tips. Love your candid responses! The properties are located in Colborne, ON.

Hello All, With regards to the critical step of tenant screening, I am considering using a tenant screening service for new applications. I have 2 apartment buildings (closing next month) in a small town in Ontario, Canada. Currently the properties are fully tenanted, which means I will be inheriting all the current tenants. Moving forward though, I would like to implement more comprehensive screening procedures. I have come across various services (Buildium, Naborly, Tenant Verification Services) but I am not familiar with any of them. Combined, there are 32 residential units, so I think it may be worth outsourcing the checks. Are you using any of the above? Is it worth the $30-50/ screening? What is the quality of screening like? How broad is the Canadian database? Thanks in advance for the insight!

That's fantastic! Way to go, with the tech savvy agent. This is a great way to keep listing costs low, while maximizing your rehab efforts. Thanks for sharing. Do you mind sharing the software/service you used for virtual staging? I'd love to try this out.

Hey Everyone,

Along the way in my exhaustive quest for good, credible and useful information pertaining to Ontario Landlord and Tenant matters, I came across a blog, written by a Residential Landlord and Tenant Lawyer in Ottawa, Michael Thiele.

He has a variety of blog posts that will give you some good, accurate information on landlord-tenant matters from a legal perspective.  After reading a number of posts, I discovered that there is also a wealth if information if you continue to read the continuation of discussion pertaining to that post in the comments section. 

It covers everything from stressing the importance of good tenant selection, step-by-step of what to do if rent is late, how to deal with bedbugs and other tenant challenges, how to PROPERLY fill out LTB forms so that your files are not rejected, and so on.

I should mention that recently, he doesn't appear to have too many new posts, but there is a wealth of information in previous years when he was contributing to the blog more actively.  It is a lot of reading, but if you are anything like me, and you really want to wrap your head around Ontario's various (and sometimes perplexing, and sometimes outrageously biased) laws affecting landlords, then you will very likely find some very useful information:

https://ontariolandlordandtenantlaw.blogspot.ca

Happy investing all!

@Steven B. Thanks for the contact - will check it out!

@Luc Boiron  Hey Luc, I read about your meet ups recently, and was very interested in coming out last week.  Unfortunately, Wednesdays are super tight scheduling-wise on my end (why are so many of these meet ups on Wednesdays?? ) I would definitely like to check it out though.  Perhaps I can arrange to make the next one....it sounds like a great format for new and experienced investors alike.  

Greg S. Thanks for all the info Greg, I have spent a good deal of time poring over the RTA, and yes, Ontario is notoriously pro-tenant! I've also spent a lot of time researching Landlord Tenant case law. It can be a little daunting to read all of the horror stories, especially to new investors. But, I really think if you are equipped with the right tools, knowledge and a strong network, and you do your due diligence, you can realize some great success. As an added note, I came across a blog, by Michael Thiele, a Residential Landlord and Tenant lawyer in Ottawa: http://ontariolandlordandtenantlaw.blogspot.ca/?m=1 Some really good insights into the legal aspects of this business....especially if you read through the comments portion of the various blog posts. Check it out. In the meantime, I will take your suggestion and attend some hearings to get more of a feel for what we are up against as Ontario Landlords. Thanks again and best of luck to everyone!

Michala Vander Ploeg Thanks Michala, I too am interested in discovering what's out there!

Shawn Allen hey Shawn, the properties are in Northumberland County...other direction! But thank you and I'll be sure to keep you in mind if I ever need any resources out your way

Hello All,

I'm looking for some advice on local landlord clubs/associations.  I recently acquired 2 multi tenant properties in South Eastern Ontario, and I am looking for some good resources for things like credit checks, tenant screening, help with rental agreements, etc..

As this is my first investment, I am looking at building my entire process from the bottom up.  Needless to say, any help and support out there in the community would be fantastic.  I'm looking for landlord clubs/ resources/ networks.

Everything I research on-line seems to loop me back to the Ontario Landlord Association.  http://ontariolandlords.org/about/

Has anyone registered for/used this service? The promise of what they deliver sounds great, but I don't actually find that their site has a lot of information, nor does it offer any real resources other than links to register.  Additionally, the links they have listed to local landlord communities all come back to the same page prompting a registration. http://servicesforlandlords.com/ontario/

As for the registration, there is a big gap between the Beginner service at a one time fee of $99 and the Expert registration at $500 annually.  If you have any feedback about this, I would much appreciate it.  I would be willing to register for a membership, but wanted to first check in with others that have some experience with this association. I want to know that they are not only legit, but also a valuable resource.  I must say, I find it odd that there is no contact information, other than an email, and they specifically say that they will NOT reply to specific questions via email.  Rather they direct to you the forums, but the only users who have access to the forum are the highest tiered members, paying annual fees. 

Anyone have any experience with the Landlord Self-help Centre in Toronto? http://landlordselfhelp.com

If you can provide me with your feedback, great! As well, if you have suggestions for other useful resources out there, I would love to hear about them.

Thanks in advance for your help!