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I have several first problem my landlord has been billing us…

I have several first...

I have several first problem my landlord has been billing us more than the other renters for electricity for the last three years because I put a modem in my room. But since I left in 2018 to take care of my mom we disconnected it and have not been using it since. My landlord increased our rent for using a modem. But we have not been using it for the last two years. Should we be still penalized for that?

Lawyer's Assistant: What province are you in? It matters because laws vary by location.

Ontario

Lawyer's Assistant: What steps have you taken so far?

There are many issues with this landlord. I work in Toronto and live in Toronto while my wife lives there as she works in Oakville. We have been paying this landlord and we have talked to her about it. We are the only ones who are paying this electrical bill while other renters are not. This is not fair as we all use electricity in that household.

Lawyer's Assistant: Anything else you want the Lawyer to know before I connect you?

Yes, I have not paid rent for about 5 months due to covid19. We have told the Landlord that I lost my job at the beginning of Covid. It was very difficult as I was taking care of my mom at that time. We told her that once we get a job that we will pay her back slowly. Our landlord has renovated her house but has been harassing my wife for using hot water as her sister of the landlord has been taunting and harassing my wife when she takes a shower when she washes her clothes, and today my wife just got back her Covid19 test and tested negative. My mother who had died of Covid last week, we had the funeral yesterday. Our landlord locked my wife out of the house claiming that she has contracted Covid19 which was not true. Both my wife and I don't have Covid as we both tested negative from the test. My wife's workplace tests all staff every two weeks as she works in a retirement home. Our landlord continuously has been harassing my wife on a day in and day out basis. For income tax, our landlord refuses to show on our receipts that we pay the extra $40.00 every single month so that she does not have to pay additional taxes as she uses her home as a rental facility. What can we do to stop all of these things?

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Answered in 11 minutes by:

12/23/2020

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

Debra, Lawyer

Category: Canada Law

Satisfied Customers: 142,997

Experience: Lawyer

Verified

Hello and Welcome to JustAnswer. My name is***** will be working on your question today and I am looking forward to our conversation.

Customer reply replied 1 year ago

hello Debra, how are you today?

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

Please note that the experts don’t text so there may be a bit of a delay. If you don’t answer back for a while I may not be online when you do but I will never desert you and will check back often. As well, as I am working from home it is possible that I will be interrupted but I will always return back as soon as I can.

I am sorry to hear of this difficult situation.

Ask your landlord why you're paying more than your fair share of the electrical bill?

Customer reply replied 1 year ago

I rather talk here I just lost my mother to Covid so the amount is a little bit easier for meI went to school and noticed that every time I needed to use the Wi-Fi my landlord would always make an excuse why it was not working. I decided to get my own. I put in my own service and everything else and by the next month, she told my wife and me that she put up our rent because we are using more electricity than anyone else which was a lie from the very start. I left there to go and take care of my mom on December 18, 2018, and took off the modem. My landlord continued to charge us the extra $40.00 for the past two years. Then I told the landlord that she owes me money for over charging us the $40.00 every month and she refuse to pay us back.

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

I am so terribly sorry for your tragic loss.

I'm not sure if you're talking about the call cost but I don't take calls. I just work online.

You should take your landlord to the landlord and tenant Board for an order that they reimburse you for all of these costs. It is essentially an illegal rent increase.

The landlord and tenant Board is in total chaos because of Covid but I believe if you try early in the morning you can get through to them and then you can ask them how best to proceed during Covid and it may be that the best approach is either to wait for a few months or consider suing your landlord in Small Claims Court.

Here is a link to the contact information that you will need:

https://tribunalsontario.ca/ltb/contact/

Does that help?

Customer reply replied 1 year ago

My wife is living there because she works for a retirement home. My wife washes her clothes once a week and she takes a shower nearly every day for her hygiene. Our landlord told her since she has renovated the place, that she is not to use the hot water. If she uses the hot water while taking a shower she will certainly burn down the house. So our landlord wants my wife to take cold showers while it is cold outside. Our landlord also threatened my wife that "if she burns the house down by using the hot water to take the shower my wife would have to pay for all the damages." The landlord has put in a hot water tank that is heated from the furnace. All she has to do is type in how warm the water should be. In my father's house, my mother and I as we were upgrading our home before we sold it did the same thing and you just have to program the tank when you want the water to warm up and how long during the day. But to threaten my wife is beyond. This just shows that our landlord does not know how to use these upgraded tools. Not even the person who put it in. Also, the landlord refused to put in an exhaust fan so that steam can go outside. Every time my wife takes a shower she has to wipe the glass off from the moisture that was built up in the washroom. This is annoying. It is time-consuming and the landlord's sister who is also a tenant will complain to her sister if the bathroom is not wiped down properly. What can we do with this situation?

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

You do about that is you tell the landlord and tenant board tomorrow that you have an emergency and explain about the fact that you've been told to take a cold showers.

Customer reply replied 1 year ago

Next problem, today my wife was refused to enter the house because she accused my wife of having Covid 19. At my wife's work, they are tested every two weeks for Covid. Her result just came back before she went home. By the time my wife reached home, our landlord locked the door on my wife telling her that "she has Covid19." Although my wife showed her the results she still did not believe her. After about 10 minutes of freezing in the cold, the landlord let her in. If this situation continues what should we do?

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

You call the police. She can't be locked out of her home. But really you need to call the landlord tenant board.

If that doesn't work then you may need to retain a lawyer.

What you can do to find a lawyer is one of the following things.

You can contact the Law Society and use their Lawyer Referral Service. You will be given the name of a lawyer and can consult with the lawyer and the first half hour will be free.

Here is a link to the site:

https://lsrs.lso.ca/lsrs/welcome

Or you can check on a site called lexpert. This is a legal directory of leading lawyers and law firms throughout Canada and is well-respected by the legal community.

Here's the link to their website:

http://www.lexpert.ca/directory/find-lawyers-or-law-firms/

Does that help as a starting point?

Customer reply replied 1 year ago

Thank you there is so much more, but I will take on your advice tomorrow

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

You are very welcome.

Lawyer: Debra, Lawyer replied 1 year ago

Thank you for trusting us to help you here at JustAnswer. I am marking this post as complete. If you would like to ask me more questions please start a new post and if you do if you say “This is only for Debra” I will be sure to give your post top priority.

Debra, Lawyer

Category: Canada Law

Satisfied Customers: 142,997

Experience: Lawyer

Verified

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