I am wanting to know if my landlord can make rules that limit our access to shared laundry when it isn’t stated in the lease agreement. It does state “The Tenant will obey all rules and regulations of the Landlord regarding the Property”. Can these rules be enforced mid lease if we haven’t done anything to violate our lease agreement?
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation.
Your landlord is responsible to address issues related to their tenants and issues. This is sometimes called “interfering with other people’s reasonable enjoyment”. Section 22 of the Residential Tenancies Act in Ontario states that a landlord shall not at any time during a tenant’s occupancy of a rental unit substantially interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of the rental unit or the residential complex for all usual purposes by a tenant or the tenant’s household. In terms of the situation you have described, it is best that you contact a community legal clinic for some advice regarding your situation. You may also wish to call the Landlord and Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234 or 416-645-8080 (in the GTA) for information specific to your situation. The landlord and tenant board resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants.
StepstoJustice has an article that answers the question, Can my landlord cut my electricity or other utilities? Here is an excerpt:
It may also help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search for legal services. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service. Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET.
I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.
Sincerely,
Your Settlement.Org team