Repair of Damage (Tenant)

S.O. 2006, C. 17 Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17

Tenant’s responsibility for repair of damage

34 The tenant is responsible for the repair of undue damage to the rental unit or residential complex caused by the wilful or negligent conduct of the tenant, another occupant of the rental unit or a person permitted in the residential complex by the tenant. 2006, c. 17, s. 34.

Hou v. Buchanan, 2018 ONSC 2087 (CanLII)

[12] As per ss. 3(1), the RTA applies to rental units in residential complexes. In the RTA, the use of the word “tenant” is singular. The Interpretation Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. I.11 (“IA”) assists with the issue of singular versus plural. Subsection 28(j) of the IA states:

Words importing the singular number or the masculine gender only include more persons, parties or things of the same kind than one, and females as well as males and the converse.

[13] Clause 27 of the Lease contains a similar provision regarding gender and interpretation. It states as follows:

This Lease shall me read with all changes of gender or number required by the context. Any reference in this lease to the Tenant Protection Act means the Tenant Protection Act, as amended, and any legislation that replaces it.

[14] Consequently, read in context, the word “Tenant” in the Lease includes all 5 individuals: Buchanan, Brideau, Ryan, Musa and MacDonald. As a result, as per s. 34 of the RTA, and more particularly, Clauses 3 and 13(d) of the Lease, if it is determined that the “Tenant” is responsible for the cost to repair the Property, all 5 individuals listed as the “Tenant” in the Lease are responsible.

NOL-00391-09 (Re), 2009 CanLII 78440 (ON LTB)

10. Because the Tenant failed to report the leaking taps to the Landlord, I determine that the Tenant owes $2,157.78 for excessive water consumption costs. This amount is calculated by reducing the $2,441.46 total for the two excessively high bills by $283.68* (*represents the total water consumption cost ($141.84 x 2) that would likely have been incurred if the leaking taps had been repaired).

TET-62956-15 (Re), 2016 CanLII 38292 (ON LTB)

9. Third, pursuant to s. 34 of the Act a tenant is responsible for wilful or negligent damage to the rental unit or residential complex caused by the tenant or a guest of the tenant’s. This does not mean that the landlord is not responsible for fixing the disrepair; but section 34 means no monetary remedy will flow to a tenant where the disrepair is a result of the tenant’s own negligent or wilful actions.

10. Fourth, because of s. 16 of the Act a tenant is expected to cooperate reasonably with a landlord’s efforts to do repairs. If a tenant does not, then that may reduce any remedy ordered or disentitle the tenant to any remedy at all.

11. So the task of the Board on a disrepair application is to apply these principles to each of the disrepair problems alleged by the tenant.

TSL-16185-11 (Re), 2011 CanLII 71451 (ON LTB)

4. Subsection 29(2) of the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006 provides no application can be made on grounds like the ones before me “more than one year after the day the alleged conduct giving rise to the application occurred.” The Code has a similar limitation period where subsection 34(1)(a) says “if a person believes any of his or her rights under Part I have been infringed, the person may apply to the (Human Rights Tribunal) for an order….(a) within one year after the incident to which the application relates; or (b) if there was a series of incidents, within one year after the last incident in the series.” There was no allegation of a series of incidents.