What can you do about a bad neighbour, who is drunk, stinky, loud, high, inconsiderate, obnoxious, crude, rude, angry, or just plain difficult?
It turns out that, under the Residential Tenancies Act* in Ontario, there’s not much you can do as a tenant in the same building.
The purpose of the Residential Tenancies Act is to define the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants. It mainly concerns nonpayment of rent, interference with the rights and privileges of the landlord, damage to the unit, impairment of safety, or abandoned units. The legislation is not meant to be a “code of conduct” between tenants.
So, what can you do if you have a difficult neighbour that you constantly run into trouble with?
You can do one of the following:
- Move, if your circumstances allow.
- Complain to the landlord and ask the landlord to give the troublemaker tenant notice of termination under section 64 of the Act. (The landlord, however, is not obliged to do this.)
- Sue the troublemaker tenant in a civil court, if you can find cause of action in law and have sufficient evidence in proving damages.
Most people think that if they have to move because of a bad neighbour, someone else should be responsible for the moving expenses. However, unless you successfully pursue legal remedies in a civil court, you’ll have bear the cost yourself.
Personally, I think the cost of moving is a small price to pay if it buys you a much better quality of life.
* 2006, c. 17, s. 64 (1)
