The rental market in Ontario has been difficult to navigate in the past few years. If you are a landlord, you are looking for a responsible tenant who will take good care of your property. If you are renting, you are looking for a reasonable landlord who will respect your tenant’s rights. While this harmonious match can seem impossible to find, there are several online resources you can use to make the process much easier. Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, we hope the resources below will be useful in your journey to find a suitable arrangement.
OpenRoom
OpenRoom.ca is a crowd-sourced database of court orders issued by the Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario. The website was founded by Weiting Bollu, a software developer who set out to build the database after her tenant stopped paying rent. Bollu’s two-year eviction process cost her over $35,000.
In an interview with CBC, Bollu said that the website currently lists over 10,000 court documents. While the vast majority of these court orders are related to problematic tenants, Bollu said that there are also some substandard landlords listed. These documents are uploaded by lawyers, paralegals, landlords and tenants submit the names of people who have been found at fault by the Landlord and Tenant Board, along with legal documents to support their submissions.
Anyone can access the OpenRoom website and search the uploaded documents by typing in the name of a prospective landlord or tenant. You can also look up particular addesses on the registry.
Rate The Landlord
Rate The Landlord is a crowd-sourced resource for tenants that allows them to leave a review on their current landlord, or search up a potential landlord to see how other tenants have rated them. Tenants can rate their landlords on five different catergories: health and safety, respect, tenant privacy, repairs, and rent stability.
Rate the Landlord also features a database of tenant unions and advocacy groups that can support rents by providing information and resources to help them understand their rights and responsibilities.
The website creators believe that “by sharing rental experiences, tenants can help others avoid situations of negligence or mistreatment and find landlords who will uphold best practices and adhere to their local legislation”.
RentSafeTO
RentSafeTO is a resource for tenants and building owners created by the city of Toronto. According to its website, “RentSafeTO aims to ensure that building owners and operators comply with building maintenance standards and that tenants understand their rights and responsibilities”.
Tenants who have maintenance concerns about the building they would potentially reside in can look up their address on the website’s interactive map to find out what their building score is. Building evaluations are conducted using a tool to measure how well a building co plies with bylaws and to calculate scores for all registered buildings.
Tenants and building owners/operators can also use this website to learn more about building maintenance standards and requirements under the RentSafeTO program. The educational, multilingual brochures available on this page contain detailed information on how to submit a service request to a building’s owner or operator, who to contact if vital services like electricity and heat are suspended in your residence, and a summary of the key regulations that building owners must abide by.
Oracle RMS Landlord and Tenant’s Insurance
A good insurance policy is essential to maintain both a landlord and a tenant’s peace of mind.
As a tenant, you may be aware that oftentimes, landlords may require the tenant to have tenant insurance as an agreement when they apply to rent. Tenant insurance, which is also known as renter’s insurance, is a property insurance that provides coverage for the renter’s belongings, liabilities and in certain cases their living expenses in the event of a loss.
As a landlord, your main priority is making sure your investment property is safeguarded. A landlord insurance policy is vital to keep your property and its contents safe. Without it, any damage or financial losses you suffer can be costly, especially if an accident or incident escalates to a third-party lawsuit.
At Oracle RMS, we can help you find a insurance plan that will protect the things that matter the most of you. Call us today at 905-660-9740 to speak with a licensed broker that will help obtain a tailored insurance solution for your unique needs.
