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elgoog
join:2014-09-09
Kitchener, ON

elgoog

Member

[Serious] Lazy Landlord

I'm looking for advice on dealing with a landlord who isn't making repairs.

Water supplying the furnace humidifier has been running since I moved in. There is no shutoff valve on it. I emailed the landlord right away and was told it would be fixed in a week. After that didn't happen; I was told next weekend; then 2 weeks after that (I saved all the emails). It's now been 45 days. I just got my water bill Monday; $371.

The landlord is cheap and wants to do the repair himself. He refuses to let me bring someone in to get it fixed. He won't cover any of the water bill.

My lease says:
- The landlord is responsible for all repairs. All repairs must be done through the landlord.
- Any other repairs will result in eviction plus I will have to cover any damages.
- I am responsible for all utilities (They are in my name).

What do I do as it now looks like he won't fix it until he's back in St. Albert for thanksgiving?

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

1 recommendation

Gone

Premium Member

You seriously need to contact whatever Alberta has for a landlord tenant board and apply for rent abatement due to the unusually high water bill.
jumpingryan
join:2008-07-27
Pembroke, ON

jumpingryan to elgoog

Member

to elgoog
I am a landlord myself in Ontario... and while they are two totally different tennant markets (and obviously also subject to different provincial rules), your landlord sounds like a real piece of work.

My brother also works out near St. Albert doing sandblasting for pipelines and the like.

1) I would listen to Gone WRT to getting some money back... however it might be more trouble than it is worth.

2) I would give him one last email opportunity to get this fixed... tell him you consider this a required emergency repair, and emphasize this requires immediate attention. Do so via email, and call to follow up. Log date and time.

After that, consider taking him to the board. Have your previous usage bills handy over a year or so to request that you be reimbursed the difference between your average usage and the new high.

3) How many liters/gallons does $371 buy you there?

The water is going somewhere.... if that much water is heading through the humidifier and then to an overflow, it is also going out to the sewer or storm systems, that much usage is highly wasteful, and it could contribute to overwhelming the city systems.

The city may actually has some broad powers WRT to this sort of wastage into storm/sewer systems.

If it is being ejected outside to the ground, likely it is affecting someone else's property if you aren't in the rurals.

While threats sometimes get you nowhere, you could report this issue to the city, and the city may mandate it repaired within X days, or have the water shut off (thus making your building uninhabitable)

A complaint WRT your high water bill to the city might get things started.

4) Reference the link below:

»www.servicealberta.ca/pd ··· ants.pdf

From that:

"If a landlord ignores a tenant’s request for repairs, the
tenant may apply to the RTDRS or Court for any of
the following:
• to recover damages
• to have the rent reduced to make up for any
benefits the tenant has lost because the landlord
didn’t carry out the landlord’s obligations
• to compensate for the cost of performing the
landlord’s obligations
• to end the tenancy."

"Note: A tenant cannot withhold rent because they
believe the landlord is not meeting their obligations.
A landlord cannot evict a tenant for exercising their
rights under the RTA or the Public Health Act."

Good luck.

Ryan
jaberi
join:2010-08-13

1 edit

jaberi to elgoog

Member

to elgoog
Landlord and Tenant Advisory Board

»www.edmonton.ca/for_resi ··· ard.aspx
-------------------------------------------------------

there is an address and phone number on the bottom of the page you can call them...it's better if you hop in your car and go there in person and you will save yourself lots of headaches, they will help you with paperwork and whatever you need...

HiVolt
Premium Member
join:2000-12-28
Toronto, ON

1 recommendation

HiVolt to elgoog

Premium Member

to elgoog
The humidifier water lines are usually plastic, you should be able to just kink it and tape it to make it stop.

I know this doesn't fix your underlying issue with the landlord, but it should at least make the bill smaller.
elgoog
join:2014-09-09
Kitchener, ON

elgoog

Member

The line was copper until half way up the furnace; the plastic line had no slack in, so I couldn't pinch it like described.

I contacted that help number; and they gave me my options but couldn't suggest which one to go with. They did say any repairs made to the furnace should be done by a professional and not me.

Ended up having someone come to fix the humidifier. Didn't take long to fix, just replaced one part.

Gone
Premium Member
join:2011-01-24
Fort Erie, ON

Gone

Premium Member

Keep your water bill, two previous water bills and the receipt for the repair. It should be obvious to the landlord what he/she needs to do at this point.
jaberi
join:2010-08-13

jaberi to elgoog

Member

to elgoog
you should have went there in person like i said, you'd have gained much more than by phone......they are not supposed to be biased...but the face to face meeting gives you advantage.