A Toronto tenant fears that her landlord is trying to evict her in order to increase the rental rate associated with the unit she lives in.
When Lorelie Borromeo was told her rent would increase by $200 a month, she knew her rent-controlled building would not allow the increase.
Not long after the landlord tried to raise his rent, he received an eviction notice (N12) saying he would have to move in order for the landlord’s family members to move out.
Borromeo was concerned that this was not true and suspected that the landlord wanted her to move so he could rent the unit to someone else at a higher price.
“I do not agree with this notice that his family is moving and I would prefer to take this to court to decide the outcome,” Borromeo said, ultimately deciding to take his case to court. Board of owners and tenants (LTB).
Borromeo said he did his homework before moving in and made sure to move into a building built before 2018, which means his landlord would have to meet the provincial rent increase guideline: 1.2 percent every twelve months. In his case, it meant the landlord could raise the rent by $37 a month.
“When I was looking for a unit, I was looking for a rent-controlled unit so I could avoid unexpected increases,” he said.
About 1.6 million people rent in Ontario, and as the housing market cools and interest rates rise, more people are looking to rent, which in turn drives up rental prices.
Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations, a group that advocates for tenants, said some landlords are trying to evict tenants by saying a family member needs the unit to live in or they need to renovate it. . a term known as “renewal”.
“This is extremely common right now in the city of Toronto. You are seeing a massive number of what we call fraudulent evictions,” Dent said.
Dent said that within rent-controlled buildings, a landlord can only raise the rent based on provincial guidelines once a year. However, if the tenant moves, they can increase the rent between tenants as much as they want.
“A lot of landlords are committing fraud right now and defrauding tenants,” Dent said. “There’s a real incentive for them to do it, because if they can kick you out, they can raise the rent.”
Buildings in Ontario built after November 2018 are not subject to rent control and may be subject to increases above the 1.2% guideline.
Earlier this year, CTV News Toronto interviewed a couple who were shocked when their rent was allowed to increase by $500 a month because their building wasn’t covered by rent controls.
As for Borromeo, he continues to pay rent every month and said he will accept the LTB rules in his case.
“It’s not just about the money, it’s the principle of the thing. So whatever the outcome is, I’m happy to go with it, as long as everyone follows the rules,” she said.
The Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario is still seriously behind schedule with many hearings months behind schedule. Rents will continue to rise next year, as the province has already approved its rent increase guideline for 2023: 2.5 percent.