My friend signed a lease for a basement room in a house. She found nothing wrong with it when she was there initially, but after moving in and living there for a few days, a part of the ceiling collapsed. A huge piece of machinery connected to the piping fell through and was hanging. To make matters worse, it was right next to her room. When she looked at the ceiling IN her room, it was bulging down slightly, and there were holes and cracks in it. Now she is afraid of that room. She says that even though it is a slight bulge, the ceiling could collapse and kill her when she is asleep, especially considering the ceiling right next to her room already has.

So she is asking if she can just stop paying the rent and leave. She did sign a lease stating she will pay rent for 12 months, but if she stops paying what are the penalties? Will she be arrested or jailed, will she be fined a lot of money, or what? Or will she just be kicked out of that house and that will be the end of it?

She has fled to my house now temporarily and shivers in fear at the idea of dying in her sleep. But she is also scared of any potential legal consequences for not paying the rent, and any other consequences as well.

If the place is not fit for living due to unsafe hazards like you mentioned, then the landlord will be force to reimburse the rent duration at which your friend is unable to live at the unit. She is however, still require to pay rent on time.

The best way to handle this is to document everything. Includes as much pictures as you can during this process. Go and speak to a Off-Campus representative on campus. They are at the basement of Student Center and starts the legal proceeding.

If the landlord is stubborn, your friend will need to file a complain to the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board which is why you should have as much documentation as possible to show them.

Do not stop paying rent however, this is not the proper solution. Your friend would be in the wrong if she does this. Her lease would still be valid unless the landlord release her out of it. Has she not spoke to the landlord yet?

Either this:

http://macoffcampus.mcmaster .ca/oc...rograms .html

Or report it to the city.