Canadian landlord serves potential tenant with "ridiculous" list of rules
With the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment now surpassing $2,400, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find reasonably priced living accommodations that don’t come with serious drawbacks or fully invade one’s privacy.
Although roommates are one of the only remaining options available for some renters, one viral Reddit thread reminds us why living with strangers can sometimes be a downright nightmare.
In the thread, a prospective tenant explains that while they recently found an affordable place to live in Toronto, they were served with a long list of head-scratching rules from the landlord.
“This is the list of rules the landlord gave me when I went to go check out the apartment. This is for a house that’s divided into three apartments, the landlord lives in one of them, but doesn’t share it with any of the tenants,” the original poster wrote.
The landlord’s list of rules. (Reddit)
“Just to clarify the landlord or his kids don’t share any kitchen or bathroom with the tenants. Each apartment has its own bathroom and kitchen.”
The list starts off by designating the time between 11:15 pm and 6:30 am as quiet hours.
“You can come home any time you want but do not bang or slam doors, do not play music or talk, do not take showers, cook or wash dishes after 11:15 pm. A charge of $35 per month will apply if you do not comply with this rule,” the landlord wrote.
When it comes to household tasks, the landlord explains that each tenant will carry out their own monthly household cleaning task for an assigned area such as the bathroom, hallway, or kitchen as per schedule, noting that “failure to abide by this rule may result in additional rent of $35.”
The landlord also asks tenants to stay in the kitchen when cooking, and to not leave when the stove or oven is turned on, otherwise “eviction can result.”
The living space also has a strict one-occupant-per-room policy, with overnight guests not allowed in the house. “Same holds true for daytime guests, if without homeowner’s prior written (or texted) permission,” the list continues.
The landlord goes on to list a bunch of other confusing rules, including a ban on exercise equipment, smoking, incense, and candle burning. Another mistake — specifically forgetting to lock all exterior doors at all times — could result in another charge of $35 per month for renters.
The list also states that tenants are limited to one shower per day, which must be less than 15 minutes in total.
“The homeowner has the right to inspect or show your room with 24-hour notice,” the landlord wrote.
I found a reasonably priced place in Toronto that I wanted than the LL shows me the house rules.
byu/Pizza-beer-weed inSlumlordsCanada
As expected, dozens of Reddit users pooled into the comments section to discuss the list.
“I’ve lived in a situation like this. Trust me the rules won’t end there. Whoever takes this place, get ready to be micromanaged to death. I mean how else can ’15 minutes in the shower, 60 mins in the kitchen’ be enforced without basically stalker behaviour?” one person asked.
“Some of it is just common courtesy. I think when it’s written out like this, it seems very overwhelming. Obviously, he’s had a bad experience. However, limiting when you take a shower and for how long is ridiculous,” another user said.
“I didn’t mention the problem with rule #7 but the landlord mentioned while I was there that he was having a problem kicking out one of his ‘boarders’ because they haven’t paid rent and that he’s waiting to get an eviction notice. So he knows their [sic] legal tenants, but he wants future tenants to think they’re not,” the original poster wrote.
“I bet he targets foreigners and international students who don’t know LTB laws and won’t even question his rules.”
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