HOME RENTAL PROCESS
Renting a home comes with many benefits including no maintenance costs, repair bills, real estate taxes, or long-term commitment, more flexibility, more free time, and it’s cheaper than owning. BLD Homes provides quality rentals to make your life simpler.
PRE-RENTAL
Consider Your Wants
Consider what you want from a rental for you to be comfortable in it including the size, whether you want an apartment or a house, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, utilities included, amenities, etc.
Choose Your Preferred Location
Choose where to live by exploring different communities that offer amenities that suit you and/or your family’s communal needs. Talk to our property manager Chloe to find a BLD Homes rental unit that suits you chloe@bldhomes.ca.
Decide on your Furnishings
Be sure to confirm what furnishings are included in the rental so you know what you need to bring and what you don’t.
Questions you should ask before you rent a property
It’s important to ask the right questions to help you decide if you can afford the property and want to rent it. It’s good practice to ask landlords questions about the property to clarify any doubt you have and to prevent future misunderstandings. Here are some example questions to ask us:
- How much is the rent and safety deposit (if applicable)?
- How long is the lease?
- Can the lease be renewed?
- Is the rental furnished or unfurnished?
- What utilities are included? If they’re not included, how much do the utilities typically cost?
- Is parking included? If so, how many spaces are there? Is there guest parking?
- Is additional storage like a bike rack or a locker included in the rent?
- Are there laundry facilities in the unit, or are there common laundry facilities?
- What amenities are included in the rent?
- Where does the trash go?
- Is there a back patio or deck? What are the rules?
- Are pets allowed? If so, are there quantity, size or breed restrictions or pet fees?
Application questions you may be asked:
Determine if the rental is within your budget, then submit your application. The following will be asked of you:
- Permission to run a Credit Report/Credit Check using SingleKey (name, address, etc).
- Permission to run a Criminal Record Check.
- Permission to run a Social Media Check.
- A signed copy of your completed application.
- Proof of Income/Employment//Financials Verification.
- Certified cheque and/or e-transfer for first and Last Month’s Rent.
- One piece of government-issued photo ID.
- Name of guarantor co-signee (person who pays your rent if you can’t).
- 2 references, preferably from previous landlords or employers.
- Your rental history if you have any (It won’t be used against you if you don’t).
- If you have a pet/pets. If so, info about your pet(s). A landlord can ask if you have a pet and can refuse renting a place to you based on your response.
- The reason(s) why you’re moving.
- When you plan to move.
- How many people will live in the property and their names.
- Whether you require parking or other amenities from the rental.
- If you have Covid-19 Symptoms.
- If you’ve been vaccinated for Covid-19.
- Proof of rental insurance.
- Any questions or concerns you may have.
- You will not be asked about your ethnic background, religion, food habits, sexual preferences, marital status, whether you plan to have children/more children, Social Insurance Number (SIN).
When you’re ready to sign the lease
If your application is approved, the next step is to sign a lease. A lease is a written rental agreement outlining the terms you and your landlord agree to. A lease is a legal document, so it’s important that you read and understand it. You can ask someone to go over it with you, such as the landlord, a relative, friend, or even a lawyer. When you sign a lease, you share personal information with the landlord. Signing a lease gives the landlord consent to collect personal information and use it for renting purposes only. Landlords must comply with the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). PIPEDA is Canada’s federal private sector privacy law. The lease will include:
- Names and contact information for you and BLD Homes.
- Rental address.
- Monthly rent you have agreed to pay, with or without utilities, parking, cable television or other services.
- Date the rent is due (first day of each month), and the amount of any future rental increases.
- Rental period (2 years+, 1 year or month-to-month).
Conditions for ending the lease or subletting the property - List of the repairs or upkeep that you’re responsible for.
- Restrictions such as smoking.
- Details on when and how the landlord can enter your home.
- Process for changing the lease and resolving disagreements
RENTAL
Walk Through Inspection
This is an orientation walkthrough with you and the property manager Chloe in your new home, which will take place about a week prior to your move in. This is to go over the home, to note any current damages and to get an explanation on how to use the appliances/utilities.
Interior & Exterior Maintenance
BLD Homes oversees the handling of maintenance both interior and exterior in your unit. Please contact the property manager Chloe chloe@bldhomes.ca for any maintenance requests.
Rent Payment
We recommend you organize your rent to be auto deposited through your bank or SingleKey to BLD Homes. You can also send etransfers or provide cheques.
Contact
The property manager Chloe will be your first point of contact. Her email is chloe@bldhomes.ca. She will handle any maintenance requests or concerns you may have.
Tenant Responsibilities
- Pay rent in full, on time, and inform the landlord in case of financial difficulties and inability to pay rent.
- Keep the property clean.
- Notify the landlord of any damage or leaks so they can be fixed.
- Allow the landlord permission to enter the property to repair or show the property to prospective tenants if 24-hour notice has been given.
- Provide reasonable notice to the landlord to terminate the lease.
- Vacate the property when the lease ends.
- Hand over the keys to the landlord upon moving out.
Tenant Prohibitions
- Tenants cannot withhold rent in case of negligent repairs as non-payment.
- Renovate the property without the landlord’s permission.
- Change the locks of the house without the landlord’s permission.
- Sublet or assign the lease to someone else without the landlord’s permission.
- Stop the landlord from entering the unit when a proper notice has been given.
Landlord Responsibilities
- Have the unit meet the Fire safety regulations and local building codes.
- Have the unit meet Municipal property standards.
- Have the unit meet the Zoning bylaws.
- Maintain the rental unit home in a good state of repair.
- Ensure the property complies with all health and safety guidelines.
- Always ensure a reasonable supply of fuel, electricity, hot and cold water and other utility services (cable, Internet) unless the tenant has agreed to obtain and pay for these services.
- Collect rent.
- Provide the tenant a copy of the lease and rent receipts.
- Allow for peaceful enjoyment of the property.
- Provide all essential appliances and fixtures or other additions and utilities mentioned in the lease.
- Maintain common areas like hallways and yards and remove snow from driveways and walkways.
- Get rid of household pests like mice, cockroaches, etc.
- Follow legal procedure to evict a tenant in case of non-payment of rent or breach of lease.
- Return the rental deposit (if applicable) after the tenant moves out.
Landlord Prohibitions
- The landlord cannot enter the property without providing acceptable 24-hour notice and receiving the tenant’s permission.
- Interfere with the reasonable enjoyment of the premises by the tenant and the members of their household, or their guests.
- Seize, without legal process, a tenant’s property for rent default or for the break of any other obligation of the tenant.
- Harass, obstruct, coerce, threaten, or interfere with the tenant.
- Evict the tenant in bad faith.
- Refuse a tenant based on race, colour or ethnic background, religious beliefs or practices, ancestry, including people of Aboriginal descent, place of origin, citizenship, including refugee status, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), family status, marital status, including people with a same-sex partner, disability, sexual orientation, age, including people who are 16 or 17 years old and no longer living with their parents or people who receive public assistance.
- Stop a tenant from breaking their lease early if they have experienced domestic or sexual violence.
- Advertise the availability of the rental unit before the tenant moves out.
- Fail to keep the special provision notice and any supporting documentation confidential.
- Charge more rent than is allowed under the act.
- Charge additional rent after the tenancy has ended and the tenant has moved out
- Force a tenant to pay a rent increase before it has been approved by the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB).
- Make a tenant or potential tenant buy anything from the landlord or an existing tenant to secure or keep a rental unit (for example, requiring a potential tenant to buy window coverings or furniture if they want to rent the space).
- Refuse to give a tenant or former tenant a rent receipt on request.
- Charge a tenant, sub-tenant or potential tenant additional fees, such as a damage deposit or charging for air conditioning when it is already included in the lease.
- Fail to return a rent deposit to a tenant if the landlord cannot give the tenant possession of the rental unit.
- Use a tenant’s rent deposit for something other than the last month’s rent.
- Not pay the tenant annual interest on their rent deposit.
- Enter the unit at a time not between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. unless for emergency.
- Enter the unit or a reason that is not allowed under the act.
- Enter the unit without providing the tenant 24-hour notice.
- Charge a tenant a portion of the utility cost without their consent.
- Stop taking responsibility for supplying electricity without the tenant’s consent.
- Interfere with the supply of a vital service including, hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, natural gas, and heat. (Air conditioning, parking and storage are not vital services).
- Take back possession of a rental unit without following the process set out in the act.
- Take a tenant’s belongings without following the rules.
- Make a tenant move out of a rental unit by giving a notice of termination to a tenant for a reason known to be untrue.
- Change the locks to a rental unit or building without giving the tenant a new key.
- Give notice to end the tenancy of a rental unit so that the landlord can convert it to a condominium where it is not permitted.
- Evict a tenant so that major repairs or renovations can be made to the rental unit without compensating the tenant or offering them another acceptable place to live.
- Fail to offer a tenant the right of first refusal after major repairs or renovations or when the building is changed to a condominium.
- Stop a tenant from getting their belongings within 72 hours of an eviction enforced by police.
POST RENTAL
Ending Lease
There are specific guidelines when it comes to giving notice. You’re required to give BLD Homes a formal written notice using Form N9 when you plan to move out. This form indicates that you plan to end your tenancy and vacate the property. In Ontario, you must give a minimum notice of 60 days when you intend to leave. If a tenant leaves before the lease is up, they may forfeit their deposit. It might seem confusing, so it’s helpful to become familiar with the laws in the province where you live related to your rights as a renter.
Unit Restoration
When you move out, you’re required to restore the dwelling to the condition it was in when you first began renting. This includes repainting walls that may have been painted another colour or are chipped. Also, if rugs are soiled or wooden floors scratched, the tenant may be responsible for having them professionally restored.
Deposit Return/Deduction
Your security deposit is used to deduct damages in the unit if the damages are not restored. For example, if you put a hole in a wall and don’t fix it, and it costs us $100.00 to fix, that amount will be deducted from your deposit.
Moving Out
Once you and Chloe have agreed on a move out date, arrange and schedule your move and use the designated entrance/exit to your unit with the keys given to you by the property manager. Please give the keys back to Chloe once you’re move is complete.
Feedback
We’d appreciate it if you told us how we can improve our services.
Thank You
Thank you for supporting our local family business. We hope you enjoyed your rental experience with us.
We’re known for our attention to detail.
We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished
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