Ontario landlord says he's drained his savings after tenants stopped paying rent last year
An Ontario landlord who says he's exhausted his savings and credit after his tenants allegedly stopped paying rent six months ago is frustrated he has no power to evict them.
Manmohan Arora, who owns and rents the property alleges the family currently living in one of his properties stopped paying their rent in November 2021, after beginning the tenancy in August.
“They only paid two months – September and October – and then, in November, they stopped,” he said, adding that they allegedly also stopped paying utilities. He says the total amount is close to $18,000.
By December, Arora said he still had not received a rental payment, so he recruited the services of paralegal Dionne Samuels-Dussie.
Samuels-Dussie said she made attempts to facilitate payments, but wasn’t successful.
“I reached out to them and they kept saying they were going to pay, but they didn’t,” Samuels-Dussie told CTV News Toronto.
CTV News Toronto has reached out to the tenants to give them the opportunity to include a statement but they didn't respond in time for publication.
The two filed an application to evict the tenants for non-payment of rent with the Ontario Landlord-Tenant Board (LTB) on Dec. 20.
Nearly five months later, Arora’s case has still not been heard by the LTB, and he says he’s exhausted all his financial options trying to make his mortgage payments without receiving rental payments.
“I've used my savings. I’ve used my line of credit. I’ve used my credit card,” he said.
Delays in LTB hearings, like the one Arora is experiencing, are common right now in Ontario. In spring 2020, the pandemic shuttered LTB operations for five months — since then, they’ve been unable to clear a backlog that has seen some cases drawn out for months.
In April, the government earmarked $19-million to the tribunal in an effort to “schedule hearing events and issue decisions quicker and more efficiently than before.”
When reached for comment on Arora’s case, the LTB confirmed they’d received Arora’s application and said they expect to schedule a hearing for him in June.
“The LTB recognizes the impact that delays have on those who access its services and is taking steps to address the backlog, including modernizing our organization and adapting many of our core services,” a spokesperson for the tribunal said.
“Depending on the application type, new matters are scheduled to be heard within three to seven months, on average.”
Meanwhile, Arora says doesn’t know if he can afford to wait much longer and has exhausted his financial options. With the tenants still occupying the home, he says he can’t even sell the property, something he said he’s considered.
“I don’t know what to do and I'm scared” he said. “I don't know what's next."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.