There are a variety of rules and regulations in place to protect both a landlord and their tenant from being treated unfairly. However, if a tenant shows a disregard for the property or for the terms of the agreement, it is possible for them to be evicted regardless of the time of year.
A tenant who has kept up with payments and who has not provided any reason to be evicted have a right to continue to live at the rented property. There are certain conditions where they may be evicted, but this must be done with proper advance notice.
Read on for some of most the most common reasons for an eviction. If you or someone you know is being unfairly evicted, or if you are a landlord who is seeking to evict a troublesome tenant, contact Epstein & Associates for help in upholding your rights.
Behavioural reasons for eviction
- Not paying or only partially paying for rent: This must be a recurring trend rather than an isolated incident.
- Regularly making rent payments late: Again, this is based on a trend of late payments.
- Cause damage to property: May include other ways that a tenant can show disregard for the rental property
- Illegal activity: When a tenant is involved or allows drug dealing or other criminal behaviours to take place in their rental unit.
- Unsafe activity: When a tenant allows behaviours that are unsafe for others
- Disturbing the peace: When a tenant or their guests are often loud or unruly, to the detriment of their neighbours
- Overcrowding: This when the tenant brings too many people into the rental unit, causing strain on utilities or living conditions
Other reasons for eviction
If the cause of eviction is not because of poor behaviour by the tenant, the landlord is required to give advance notice and must communicate to the Landlord and Tenant Board what reason they have for the eviction.
These reasons include:
- When the landlord wants to reclaim rental unit for their own use;
- When the landlord is selling the property;
- Due to demolition, conversion or major repairs to the property;
Stricter regulations on eviction were added in 2017 to ensure that landlords didn’t take advantage of these rules in order to unfairly remove tenants.
Know your rights
The important thing in every situation is to clearly understand your rights. The legal system protects you from being mistreated, but it is up to you to do your research or to hire a lawyer who can give important legal advice. Taking these steps in advance can have an important impact on your finances and your well-being.