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chermac Posts: 1
Posted On: 1/26/2020
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I am a single woman living alone in a basement apartment of a house. My landlord has decided to turn his half of the house into an Airbnb, with strangers staying above me often. The only thing separating me from those strangers is a door, and the lock is one of those locks that is just a knob in the centre of the door handle. My front door is a double door that is solid glass. I do not feel safe in my own home and I've spoken to my landlord about this several times and he ignores me every time. I've asked for a deadbolt and he said he would do it but hasn't and it's been months. I've told him about men peeking in my windows and he thought it was funny. Now, he's saying I am allowed to put up curtains on my door. How do you put curtains on your front door? On top of everything else, I have a work schedule whereby I am up at 3 am five days a week. Last night's tenants were making a lot of noise and when I asked them to please be quieter because I had to get up for work, they told me to "chill" and my landlord said we would "chat about expectations".
Adding to the fun is the fact that he enters my apartment whenever he wants to, and has even gone into my home when I was away visiting my daughter and turned off my heat. When I get mail, he takes it, enters my home (even if I lock the door because he has a key), and puts my mail on my kitchen counter. I've asked him repeatedly to stop and have tried locking my door all the time so he sees I don't want him entering but he just uses his key and comes in whenever he wants. We had an agreement that he could come do his laundry because we share that space but he has taken it as carte blanche to come in whenever he wants.
What do I do? What are my rights? I can't afford to move.....
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4075
Posted On: 1/30/2020
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chermac wrote:
I am a single woman living alone in a basement apartment of a house. My landlord has decided to turn his half of the house into an Airbnb, with strangers staying above me often. The only thing separating me from those strangers is a door, and the lock is one of those locks that is just a knob in the centre of the door handle. My front door is a double door that is solid glass. I do not feel safe in my own home and I've spoken to my landlord about this several times and he ignores me every time. I've asked for a deadbolt and he said he would do it but hasn't and it's been months. I've told him about men peeking in my windows and he thought it was funny. Now, he's saying I am allowed to put up curtains on my door. How do you put curtains on your front door? On top of everything else, I have a work schedule whereby I am up at 3 am five days a week. Last night's tenants were making a lot of noise and when I asked them to please be quieter because I had to get up for work, they told me to "chill" and my landlord said we would "chat about expectations".
Adding to the fun is the fact that he enters my apartment whenever he wants to, and has even gone into my home when I was away visiting my daughter and turned off my heat. When I get mail, he takes it, enters my home (even if I lock the door because he has a key), and puts my mail on my kitchen counter. I've asked him repeatedly to stop and have tried locking my door all the time so he sees I don't want him entering but he just uses his key and comes in whenever he wants. We had an agreement that he could come do his laundry because we share that space but he has taken it as carte blanche to come in whenever he wants.
What do I do? What are my rights? I can't afford to move.....
Hello There,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. We understand why this would be a concerning issue for you and empathize with your situation.
According to Steps to Justice article, Can I change my lock or add a new lock?, you are not allowed to add or change your lock without your landlord’s permission. In this article, they also suggest 4 steps you can take to help you resolve this issue.
You may also want to read their article, Can the Landlord and Tenant Board help me if my landlord harasses me, or doesn't respect my privacy? and the steps suggested here.
You have the right to privacy in your home, and according to the Settlement.Org article: Can my landlord enter my home?,
Usually, your landlord must:
- Send you a note that says why they want to come in,
- Let you know 24 hours before they enter, and
- Come into your home between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. only
If there is an emergency, your landlord can come into your home without notice, no matter the time of day (for example, if your unit has a burst pipe).
If you are not able to reach a solution with your landlord, you can file an application with the Landlord and Tenant Board. The landlord and tenant board resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants.
You can also contact a legal clinic or housing help centre for more information. To find help in your area, go to Services Near Me.
For more information on your rights as a Tenant in Ontario, please read the Settlement.Org article, What are your rights as a Tenant?
We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here.
Sincerely,
Settlement.Org Team
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