Dear Landlord

I just thought I should post this, so that I may protect myself when my landlord tries to screw me on a rent increase next year. For the record, here we go.

Under Ontario law, a landlord is allowed to raise the rent without limitation when they renovate, but a tenant is entitled to make a claim for "loss of enjoyment" when the premises that they pay for in good faith  are altered.

I am currently entering day fifteen of a renovation that I was told would take ten days. In addition, my back door has been nailed shut, in violation of fire regulations.

I hope you all had a great Easter weekend. It was nice and warm here in Toronto, but I couldn't open my windows. In addition, my apartment was filled with the stench of the grease trap from the bar below me.

Now, when you choose to live over a bar, you agree to put up with certain things, but the combination of an ill maintained grease trap, a warm day, and being illegally prevented from access to fresh air are not in the contract.

Neither is having to sleep on yoga mats in your own hallway so that you may avoid this unspeakable noise.

I must admit that the work is done, and it looks good. But the really galling thing is that my back door remains nailed shut so that the contractors may be protected from me stealing their broom, paint brush, or bags of crap that I don't give two shits about.

The work is done, and I hope you all enjoyed a long weekend surrounded by fresh air. I know I didn't.

I can see that your work is of the highest quality, but would you mind getting the fuck out of here?

And a note to my landlord; if you even consider jacking up my rent based on these renovations that evolved from a repair, I will see you at the tribunal with a copy of this post in hand.

Keep in mind that the space you're renovating is technically mine, not yours. Believe it or not, as a tenant, I do have some rights.

http://www.goyestoeverything.com