Minimizing Financial Loss:
In Ontario, we need to be very resourceful when it comes to dancing around the issue about security and cleaning deposits. Our legislation has it that no security or damage deposits are to be charged to a tenant when they lease. A landlord simply needs to hope and pray that the unit will be clean and intact by the end of the tenancy. Depending on who your tenant is, and how long they live in the unit, you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $500 for a professional end of tenancy cleaning, and even up to $10,000 to $15,000 if repair and restoration renovations need to be done, not to mention the vacancy time while this work is happening. There are ways, however, to reduce these costs and minimize financial loss.
When your tenant has notified you in writing that they plan on moving out, they must provide you with at least 60 days notice before they vacate. This period of time is your opportunity to reinforce the clause on the lease that states: a tenant is required to maintain a rental unit to a standard of ordinary cleanliness. As the Landlord, you have the right to begin showing the unit to prospective tenants, and in order for this to take place, they need to keep the unit neat and tidy. To ensure this happens, 5-15 days prior to showing the unit, schedule a 3rd party Property Management Company, like 12 Gates Property Services to inspect the unit on your behalf.
The main purpose of the inspection is to determine and document any damages that go beyond the usual ware and tare of the unit. If it is discovered that the tenant has damaged the unit or caused damage to the building, the landlord can give the tenant a notice of termination and/or ask them to pay for the damages.
Since your tenant had already given you notice that they plan to move, once they receive your notice asking them to pay for the damages, they know you are serious and will in turn do one of two things:
1) To quickly repair, clean and otherwise address these damage issues on their own, or by hiring a service provider. Or
2) Ignore your notice, and do nothing other than pack their things for their move with the intention of leaving the unit in a bad state of repair.
Let's pray that they choose option #1, however, at this point, regardless of what they decide to do, You Just Saved Money!: a) By reducing the cleaning and repair costs when a tenant lives up to their responsibilities by returning the unit back to "swept condition" and, b) By increasing the compensation in "damages" that you can claim in possible civil action.
What Do You Do?
Request a Unit Inspection Report.
By hiring a 3rd party property management company like 12 Gates Property Services, from anywhere between $90 to $180 (+HST), we will inspect, analyze, and provide both the Landlord and Tenant with a copy of the report. Assisting you in the recovery process of your rental unit.
We carefully protect the privacy of the tenant through the process, and both parties receive full disclosure of the details of the report which is a non-biased account of the true condition of the rental unit.
Do you have any units that are coming to the end of a tenancy period? Contact me for a free consultation.
Oseye Cohen, A.I.M.A Real Property Administrator 12 Gates Property Services www.12gatesps.com
The Handymans Helper
www.12gatesps.com/thehandymanshelper-com
Cell: 647-641-5568
Office: 647-345-3456 PROTECTING PROPERTIES. MINIMIZING LOSS.