Things you should know about pet friendly rentals
Let’s face it, finding pet friendly rentals is not always easy. Not only is the search for a pet friendly home extremely frustrating for pet owners, it also causes a lot of problems for tenants who owns pets or want to own a pet.
With so many barriers facing tenants these days, let’s examine some of the common problems tenants face and debunk some myths about renting as a pet owner.
1. Can landlords say no to pets?
Although the simple answer to this question would be no it’s not allowed, the situation is not so black and white either.
Here’s why:
According to the Government of Ontario [1], landlords are no longer allowed to include a no pet policy in their rental agreement. In fact, on April 30, 2018, the Government of Ontario set a new standard for leases. Landlords are now required to use a standard lease for all tenants. This also means that landlords can no longer change the lease to say no to pets.
Don’t rejoice yet though, because there are exceptions to the rule too.
The first exception to the rule is condominiums. According to the Animal Justice [2], if the condo board has a specific corporation declaration which prohibits pets, it is possible for a landlord to deny a rental application if they have a pet. It’s important to always check with the building management if they have such a policy in the condo.
And finally, landlords can still refuse people with pets if they want to. Since the tenant laws only apply to tenants, those who have not legally signed into a rental agreement will not be protected under the law. Looks like Toronto still has a long wait to being a truly pet friendly city.
2. Can you be evicted if you own a pet?
As a tenant, your landlord cannot evict you if you own a pet, even if the agreement has a no pet policy. This means that once you have signed a rental agreement with a landlord, you are free to own a pet.
The only exception to this however, is if your pet is deemed dangerous, makes too much noise, causes damage to the property, or someone on the property is allergic to your pet.
According to the City of Toronto [3], if your pet falls under any of those exceptions, your landlord can only evict you if they properly apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board to terminate your tenancy.
In addition to that, JD Lawyers also shows that even if the reason for eviction is allergy related, they must show proof of medical evidence. On their website, there have been many instances where a landlord’s eviction notice has been voided if there is not enough sufficient medical proof.
But regardless of the law, it’s still always good to check with your landlord first if it’s okay to own a pet.
3. Can you be charged a fee if you own a pet?
Absolutely not!
As mentioned in Animal Justice, if your landlord asks you for a pet deposit, you are within your right to contest this.
A landlord can only legally ask for a key deposit and last month’s deposit, and nothing else. Your last month’s deposit must be applied to your last month’s rent and you will receive your key deposit when you return it at the end of your tenancy. Your landlord cannot use this deposit for anything else, including damages caused by you or your pet.
Where can I find pet friendly rentals?
Even though Toronto still has a long way to go to being a pet friendly city, it’s not completely hopeless for pet owners. There are plenty of places where pet owners can still live happily ever after.
Websites like rentals.ca and Kijiji have plenty of up-to-date listings that are also pet friendly too.
Sources
- https://www.ontario.ca/page/renting-ontario-your-rights
- https://www.animaljustice.ca/blog/renting-with-pets-a-guide-to-ontario-rental-law
- https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/finding-housing/tenant-rights-and-responsibilities/
- https://jdlawyers.ca/landlord-and-tenant/evicting-a-tenant-due-to-pet-allergies/
