"You are messing with the wrong family": Landlord-renter dispute gets heated

A rental agreement that seemed to start smoothly ended up with heated tensions during a dispute between the landlord and renter.

The renter, Khadija Allen, brought a small claims case against Harjeet Sandhu, who owned the property.

To say that things got spicy in this landlord-renter dispute would be a massive understatement.

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According to the tribunal’s decision, Allen rented a room on Sandhu’s property in BC. Allen says that at one point during the tenancy, Sandhu entered her room without permission, and when confronting Sandhu about it, Sandhu threatened her and told her to get out of the house.

Allen was attempting to claim a total of $2,975, which broke down as $850 for the return of one month’s rent, $425 for the damage deposit, and $1,700 for two months’ rent in lieu of notice.

Sandhu meanwhile denied Allen’s claims and counterclaimed, seeking $850 for one month’s rent in lieu of notice and a $1,500 cleaning fee. Both sides were self-represented in the case.

Tribunal member Megan Stewart had to determine if either party breached the tenancy agreement and to which extent either party was entitled to their claims.

Allen provided a copy of the tenancy agreement, signed on July 14, 2021. The monthly rent was $850 with a $425 damage deposit. It was a temporary agreement between July 15, 2021, and January 15, 2022, with the option of going month-to-month after that or signing another term. One month’s notice was required to end the agreement.

A couple of weeks before Christmas, December 14, there was a dispute.

Allen says she was changing in her room when Sandhu entered without permission.

“Ms. Allen told Ms. Sandhu she had violated her rights as a tenant.”

Sandhu responded by telling Allen to get out of her house. But, after another message from Allen, things took a sour turn.

Sandhu responded, “Let me rephrase that. Get the [expletive] out of my house. You selfish, disrespectful [expletive]. You are messing with the wrong family.”

Sandhu explained that she knocked twice, but Allen didn’t answer, so she opened the door to see if Allen was okay.

“Ms. Sandhu asserts she responded in haste and in anger to Ms. Allen’s text because she was offended by her threats and shocked that she would behave this way when Ms. Sandhu had been kind and generous with her.”

Sandhu tried to affirm that her tone wasn’t meant to be physically threatening and that her note about “messing with the wrong family” referred to her family members as educated professionals.

More texting took place on December 15, with Sandhu asking for Allen’s email address so that she could refund the damage deposit and half month’s rent minus a $50 cleaning fee. Instead, Allen suggests Sandhu breached the tenancy agreement by evicting her.

Despite Sandhu’s arguments, the tribunal found that based on the evidence provided, Sandhu did breach the tenancy agreement on December 15 by telling Allen to get out of her house. Accordingly, that factor dismissed Sandhu’s claim for the $850, and the tribunal member also dismissed Sandhu’s $1,500 cleaning fee claim.

The final decision from the tribunal was that Sandhu was on the hook for $850 as reimbursement for half a month’s rent and the damage deposit. Sandhu also owed Allen $10.60 in pre-judgment interest and $150 for CRT fees.