When do you have to vacate a rental unit in Ontario?

Hotels typically let you check in by 3 p.m. and ask you to check out by noon. This gives staff time to make the room ready for the next guest. Do the same sorts of rules apply when a tenant moves out of a rental unit? Will it make a difference if the owner is selling the home to someone who wants to move in on the same day?

Here are the answers to those questions.

Ontario tenancies are usually for a year, so if yours started on August 1, 2012, then it will end at 11:59 pm on July 31, 2013. However, if the tenant doesn’t give notice, the tenancy will automatically renew as a month-to-month arrangement, meaning the end of any term is the end of any month.

If you have a month-to-month arrangement you must give 60 days’ notice before the end of your term. In the above example, it would be the end of any month. For example, if today is April 8, 2013 and you pay rent on the first of every month, the earliest you can end your tenancy is June 30, 2013.

You must leave before midnight on the last day, in this example, on the last day of the month. (If you pay your rent on the 15th of the month, then the end of your term would have been June 14th.)

If you’ve bought a home or found another apartment, but can’t get in until July 1st, you may have no choice but to stay in a hotel or with friends overnight on June 30. You’d also have to store your belongings for a night.

You have no right to stay until July 1, but if you have a good relationship with your landlord, he’ll probably let you stay until the morning, so long as you’re gone before noon. Remember, the landlord has to make sure that the unit is clean before the new tenant takes over.

It gets even more complicated if you are buying a property with a sitting tenant and you want to move in. If you schedule closing on the same day the tenant is supposed to leave, you may not get possession until late at night. Buyers and sellers should try to schedule the closing date so that it takes into account when the tenant will be leaving, unless separate arrangements can be made with the tenant to leave the unit earlier. This can be done by typically assisting the tenant to find another place to live.

Landlords may run into a situation where an existing tenant does not leave on time, or even on the day that they are supposed to. If vacant possession is not given as promised and someone is waiting to move in, then the tenant who has been inconvenienced can sue for any costs incurred in storing their personal effects and for hotel bills. In Ontario, apartments are not like hotels and tenants cannot be forcibly evicted. Landlords can consider inserting a clause in their lease that says if possession is delayed for any reason, the tenant only receives a rent credit for the days lost.

Tenants should make sure to check whether special arrangements need to be made to reserve any elevators for moving purposes, especially in a condominium, which typically only permits moves to take place during specific times and only after timely notice has been given to the condominium management company.

By communicating early in the process, both landlords and tenants should be able to end their relationship in a positive manner.

Originally Posted by Toronto Star

Preventing Winter Water Damage to Your Home

Water damage is the top claim item that insurance companies see, and in the winter, its root cause is usually pipes that burst from freezing. Make protecting your plumbing and appliances one of the maintenance items on your fall “tucking away for winter” list to avoid water damage in your home.

Check That Pipes are Properly Insulated

Some plumbing pipes are located in areas of the home that are prone to cooling down quickly if the heat goes off, such as a basement or close to an outside wall. Cover these pipes with inexpensive pipe insulation that you can get from the local hardware store. Even if you are in an urban area with reliable power, you need to prepare for a situation where your heat may be off for a day or two. If you can manage it, consider insulating all of your plumbing pipes for an added layer of security.

Although there is nothing really attractive about insulating pipes, it can save you money... and saving money is attractive!  

If some of your plumbing is located under the house or in an unheated location, they’re probably already insulated. Check that the insulation hasn’t worn away or has been damaged by wildlife before winter, and consider installing self-regulated heat cable or heat tracing on outdoor piping for better protection.

Keep Your Home Heated

If you’re going away on vacation, don’t turn off the heat, and don’t turn it down lower than 10 or 12 degrees Celsius. Unless you have a very fancy thermostat, the temperature may get lower in outlying areas of your house not in the vicinity of the thermostat. It’s worth it to pay a bit more on your heating bill than deal with burst pipes.

You may also want to consider purchasing an alarm system that alerts you to temperature variances in your home, or the NEST thermostat which has the added bonus of being extremely cool. You can check up on most alarm systems or the NEST remotely from your smartphone, and even turn the heat up or down remotely. If you’re concerned about specific areas of your home, the alarm system may be a better choice as you can purchase temperature sensors that are installed directly in areas you choose, such as a poorly heated crawlspace or beside your furnace.

Check Pipes From Appliances

Make sure connections are tight on the water pipes leading to and from your washing machine, dishwasher, and any other appliances that use large volumes of water. Both appliances can vibrate when in use, which can easily shake loose seals and connections. Also be sure to check your hot water heater and dehumidifier if you have one and perform any maintenance items that the manufacturer recommends.

Check The Roof and Skylights

Have a look at the shingles on your roof to see if any are in need of replacement or repair. If they’re curling up at the edges, or you can easily see a bad patch in the roof, you may want to get a professional roofer in or, if you’re handy, replace them yourself. Make sure skylights and windows that may be covered in snow are sealed tight so water from melting snow can’t drip into your home.

If you’re too busy to perform any of these maintenance checks, consider hiring a reputable handyman or contractor to do it for you...

Fixing problems in the winter is much harder than preventing them in the fall!