Edriam Salter stood in her former Ottawa family home, now a shadow of the place she once cherished. Covering her nose against the stench, Salter described the devastation caused by her previous tenants.
“I can’t believe this was my family home,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “It smells like a zoo—no, worse than a zoo.”
Salter, 29, fought a 13-month battle with tenants who, she claims, only paid rent for three months, leaving behind over $35,000 in unpaid dues. After regaining the keys through Ontario’s Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), she discovered a home riddled with damage: stained carpets, holes in walls, broken fixtures, and more.
The tenants, Megan and Justin, had allegedly developed a pattern of non-payment with multiple landlords. Salter says, “They’re professional tenants who know how to work the system.”
This sentiment was echoed by other landlords who rented to the same couple, reporting nearly $100,000 in unpaid rent collectively, alongside thousands in property damages.
A Growing Problem for Small Landlords
Another landlord, Misghina Kidane, recounted his own experience with Megan and Justin. During their 13-month stay, he received only the first month’s rent and a partial payment before they stopped paying entirely. Unable to navigate the LTB backlog, he was forced into a “cash-for-keys” deal, paying $3,200 to regain access to his home.
Janie and Taylor Bastien, yet another affected couple, shared similar frustrations. Trusting Megan despite unverified references, the Bastiens found themselves two months behind on rent before their tenants refused to leave, armed with extensive knowledge of tenant rights and legal loopholes.
Despite eviction orders and court rulings mandating repayment, landlords like the Bastiens and Salter have yet to recover their losses.
Systemic Issues and Call for Change
Licensed paralegal Kathleen Lovett describes “professional tenants” as those adept at exploiting delays within the legal system. Tactics such as missing hearings or claiming unreceived notices can postpone evictions by months.
With nearly 38,000 eviction applications filed in Ontario last year, many landlords are left waiting as their properties deteriorate.
For Salter, the financial toll is compounded by emotional exhaustion. “I’ve lost faith in people,” she admitted. “This whole experience has drained me completely.”
The stories of Salter, Kidane, and the Bastien highlight the need for systemic reforms to protect landlords from predatory tenants while balancing tenant rights.
Source: Swifteradio.com
