1 Bedroom Apartments Ottawa » National Capital Region

Whatâs New in the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act?

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:09:33 +0000

On January 31, 2007, the Government of Ontario brought into effect the new Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), replacing the old Tenant Protection Act that had been in effect since 1998. As a renter, perhaps the most important thing you can do is to simply know your rights by understanding what the RTA is all about and how it affects you as a tenant.

The new legislation applies to most types of residential rental properties in the province and outlines exactly how landlord-tenant relations will be governed. This includes protecting residential tenants from unlawful rent increases and evictions, establishing a framework for the regulation of residential rents and balancing the rights and responsibilities of residential landlords and tenants in order to better resolve disputes.

RTA Trumps All

First, it is important to know that anything in your tenancy agreement that conflicts with the RTA is not valid. All limits and stipulations outlined in the RTA for areas such as rent increases and eviction procedures must be followed, even if your tenancy agreement says otherwise. For example, it is illegal for a landlord to require post-dated cheques from a tenant, even if the rental agreement says they are required.

Landlord and Tenant Board

The Landlord and Tenant Board is the new name for the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, the governing body that settles disputes between landlords and tenants and enforces their rights. Both tenants and landlords can make applications to the Board, and if you and your landlord cannot agree on how to work out a problem, the Board will hold a hearing to resolve the situation.

Rent Increases

Although rent increases are carefully controlled by the RTA, before a tenant moves in, landlords can charge whatever they want for a vacant unit. However, after you move in, your landlord must wait at least 12 months before raising your rent, and any increases after that must be at least 12 months apart. Your landlord must also give you at least 90 days written notice before your rent increases.

These rent increases must follow the annual rent guidelines established by the provincial government. For 2007, the government determined that landlords can increase the rent by a maximum of 2.6 percent. To raise your rent by more than this guideline, your landlord must apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for permission. The Board can allow an above-guideline increase only for:

Privacy

According to the RTA, your landlord can enter your home without telling you ahead of time only if there is an emergency or if your landlord gives you cleaning services. Otherwise, your landlord must give you notice in writing 24 hours ahead of time and can only enter your place between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., even if it is to do repairs or inspections.Â

Once you have given notice to move out or agreed to terminate your rental agreement, your landlord can enter your place to show it to a new tenant as long as your landlord makes a reasonable effort to let you know when the showing will take place.

Moving Out and Giving Notice

Believe it or not, you do not have to move out just because your lease expires â your tenancy automatically continues on a month-to-month basis until you or your landlord does something to end it. Not renewing your lease at the end of the agreement can actually be ideal if you know you want to stay in the place you are renting but youâre not sure if you want to stay there for another full year.

If you want to move out, you can provide your landlord written notice giving the exact date you want your tenancy to end. If you pay your rent by the month, you must give your landlord at least 60 days written notice.

Evictions

The first step in the eviction process is that your landlord must give you written notice explaining the reasons why your landlord wants you to leave. Among the reasons your landlord might cite include:

For More Information â¦

This article only scratches the surface of the lengthy Residential Tenancies Act, which also contains detailed rules about subletting, maintenance and eviction hearings, as well as outlining exactly how the legislation applies to non-traditional rental units such as mobile home parks, subsidized housing and care homes.

This article is not intended to give tenants or landlords concrete legal advice. If you have any questions or concerns about the Residential Tenancies Act, or if you would like a copy of the Act, please contact the Landlord and Tenant Board.

Rental Market Tightening in Ottawa

admin — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:53:14 +0000

The rental market in Canada is getting tighter – especially in Ottawa. But if you know where to go and what to look for, you can still get an excellent apartment in the nation’s capital. Here’s the rundown on the latest rental market conditions, based on a study conducted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Overall, rental demand increased in Ottawa as a result of higher homeownership costs, weak rental construction markets and increased immigration and youth employment. These changes caused the vacancy rate (the percentage of apartments that are unoccupied and immediately available to rent) to drop to 2.3 percent from 3.3 percent in 2005. Meanwhile, across the river in Gatineau, the vacancy rate climbed to 4.2 percent, up from 3.1 percent one year earlier. This increase can be credited to the fact that homeownership is still more affordable in Quebec.

Vacancies by Neighbourhood

If you’re looking to rent an apartment in some of the “trendier” areas of the city, you might want to consider acting early and putting yourself on a waiting list. An empty apartment is rather rare in the Westboro / Britannia area, where the vacancy rate is a mere 1.3 percent. The Glebe and Old Ottawa South also had very low vacancy rates, sitting at 1.4 percent for 2006. In comparison, the Gloucester / Cumberland area had the highest vacancy rate in Ottawa at 4.6 percent – just one of two areas in the city to see an increase in vacancies compared to the previous year.

One-bedroom suites are the toughest type of apartment to find, with availability rates (the percentage of units that are vacant plus the ones that will be considered available as the existing tenant has not signed a new lease) the lowest in the city at 4.1 percent. Larger families will have an easier time finding a place to live, as the availability rate for a three-bedroom unit was 6.2 percent.

Availability Goes Down, Rent Goes Up

As a result of the tighter rental market, rent in Ottawa has increased. The average two-bedroom apartment rent went up by 3 percent in 2006. The highest rental rates can be found in newer buildings (because of their superior condition and amenity mix) and in larger buildings with 200 units or more.

Broken down by location, the highest rent in Ottawa, on average, is in the Sandy Hill / Lowertown area ($930). In comparison, the lowest rent could be found in Vanier, where tenants paid an average of $713 each month. Overall, the average rent in Ottawa was $844.

Rental Market Outlook for Ottawa in 2007

Vacancy rates are expected to move even lower in 2007 to an estimated 2.1 percent, making it even more difficult to find an apartment in the city. Rent will also rise by a similar amount to 2006 – experts predict that the average rent for a two-bedroom unit in Ottawa to be approximately $960 in 2007.

Canada-Wide Statistics

The average apartment vacancy rate in Canada decreased slightly in 2006 to 2.6 percent, down 0.1 percent from the year before. The highest vacancy rates were found in Windsor (10.4 percent), Saint John (6.8 percent) and St. John’s (5.1 percent). Meanwhile, the lowest vacancy rates were primarily found out west, with Calgary (0.5 percent), Victoria (0.5 percent) and Vancouver (0.7 percent) being the cities with the least amount of available apartments.

Compared to the other major cities in the country, Ottawa, at 2.3 percent vacancy, ranks slightly behind Toronto (3.2 percent) and Montreal (2.7 percent). Ottawa does fare better than Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton, which scored a 1.2 percent vacancy rate.

Canada’s highest average monthly rents for a two-bedroom apartment were Toronto ($1,067) and Vancouver ($1,045), followed by Calgary ($960) and Ottawa ($940). The lowest rents in the country were found in Quebec in Trois-Rivieres ($488) and Saguenay ($485).

The Ottawa Advantage

So, what do all these numbers mean for people searching for an apartment for rent in Ottawa? Well, they say that Ottawa is about middle of the road in terms if vacancies, availabilities and rent prices – that is, it isn’t as hard to find an apartment in Ottawa as it is in the western provinces, but there are less available units in the city than there are elsewhere in Ontario. However, even though there are fewer vacancies, the rent is actually cheaper than it is in Toronto. Combined with all of the great amenities and attractions already found in the National Capital Region, Ottawa is still a very attractive destination for renters in Ontario.

1 Bedroom Apartments Ottawa » National Capital Region

Whatâs New in the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act?

Rental Market Tightening in Ottawa

Whatâs New in the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act?