Originally Posted by kevinf

I completely agree, if you want the place, its unwise to not provide information, if your not comfortable, find a new place. My dad was a landlord, and after being defenseless against awful tenants (piles of garbage, pets that were banned in lease, smoking, etc) anyone that would not provide adequate information is seen as trying to hide something and marked as suspicious. As someone mentioned, SIN numbers are often needed for instant credit reports found online.


As an FYI Landlords have almost ZERO power against tenants. It costs 150$ (expense of landlord) just to bring someone to Tenant court and even in a successful ruling it still gives i believe 2 months for the tenant to leave. Leases that you sign, eg: can't smoke, no pets, etc, are WORTHLESS in court as well.

Well, last I checked, landlords are NOT allowed to put the no smoking and no pet clause in a lease (at least in Hamilton, idk about anywhere else).

So I'm not sure why something that's not allowed to be there in the first place would hold up in a court.

Originally Posted by kevinf

I completely agree, if you want the place, its unwise to not provide information, if your not comfortable, find a new place. My dad was a landlord, and after being defenseless against awful tenants (piles of garbage, pets that were banned in lease, smoking, etc) anyone that would not provide adequate information is seen as trying to hide something and marked as suspicious. As someone mentioned, SIN numbers are often needed for instant credit reports found online.


As an FYI Landlords have almost ZERO power against tenants. It costs 150$ (expense of landlord) just to bring someone to Tenant court and even in a successful ruling it still gives i believe 2 months for the tenant to leave. Leases that you sign, eg: can't smoke, no pets, etc, are WORTHLESS in court as well.

Well, it's technically illegal for the landlord to put "no pets" in the lease in the first place...and even if you sign a lease that says that, the 'no pets' clause isn't valid because it goes against the act. A landlord who does that is pretty much asking for trouble.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

Actually, he CAN'T ask for post dated cheques. You can give them to him all you want, but he can't ask for them.

wait a minute landlords CAN'T ask for post dated cheques???


What else should I know about?

Are leases also not legally binding?

My land lord has been asking for post dated cheques......

Originally Posted by Krusenik

wait a minute landlords CAN'T ask for post dated cheques???


What else should I know about?

Are leases also not legally binding?

My land lord has been asking for post dated cheques......

Leases are legally binding, provided that no laws are broken (see the pet example above).

I don't think they can require you to give them post-dated cheques...like, they can ASK, but they can't TELL you, or say that that is the only acceptable method of payment.

Originally Posted by Krusenik

wait a minute landlords CAN'T ask for post dated cheques???


What else should I know about?

Are leases also not legally binding?

My land lord has been asking for post dated cheques......

Wait wat. I thought they were allowed to ask, but you can decline. I.e. They can't force you to give postdated, but they can ask you.

Is this wrong?

Post-dated cheques can not be demanded.

Here is the link for McMaster Off Campus Student Tip.

Everyone need to relax about the police thing. The landlord might just be inexperience and feels like they need it to secure a credit check.

Please note that giving a voided / valid cheque and giving an account number are effectively the same thing. Your account number, bank id and branch transit number are all included in the string of numbers on the bottom of your cheque.

As many people have previously mentioned, kindly refuse to give them your SIN.

Also note that the landlord can't ask for a damage deposit, that's explicitly not allowed under the act. All that can be asked for is the first and last's month rent. They also have to pay you interest on the last month's rent.

Thats my point, landlords have no power over their own houses. The least they can do is try to find out as much information on the tenants before they move in.

A landlord cannot ASK/DEMAND for post-dated cheques. What's hard to understand about this.

If it's easier for you because you're forgetful, then sure, give him post dated cheques. But he can't, by law, ask for them. But you're allowed to give post-dated cheques.

Comprende?

Are we allowed to refuse to give the landlord our SIN? I don't feel comfortable in doing so, so I'd rather not.. but I also don't want to lose this house.

'Ask' and 'demand' are two different things. Landlords can request (I suppose you could interpret this as 'ask') at the onset, but cannot demand that you use post-dated cheques. In other terms, the landlord has to present it as one option of a set, not the only option.

Bunch of ****ing idiots in this thread jumping to conclusions. Last I checked most landlords around campus aren't mexican drug lords...

the landlord is allowed to ask for post dated cheques but if u refuse he is not allowed to withdraw the lease offer.

as for the sin, i would assume u shouldnt. never heard of it. talk to the offcampus ppl

Originally Posted by ShesTheMan

Are we allowed to refuse to give the landlord our SIN? I don't feel comfortable in doing so, so I'd rather not.. but I also don't want to lose this house.

You have no obligation to show the landlord your SIN, but yes, he could decide to go with someone else who will give their SIN. He's trying to protect himself (making sure you can pay, and that he doesn't get screwed), but if you politely decline and basically act like a mature adult it shouldn't be a problem. Its not a guarantee that you'll get the house, but its the best you can get without handing over your SIN.

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The smoking thing is pretty stupid. Like, I really do think people have the right to smoke if they want to, but that can seriously depreciate the price of the house. If you don't own the place, I don't see why you shouldn't step outside to smoke... same basic policy as when you're visiting friends.

Originally Posted by Marlowe

The smoking thing is pretty stupid. Like, I really do think people have the right to smoke if they want to, but that can seriously depreciate the price of the house. If you don't own the place, I don't see why you shouldn't step outside to smoke... same basic policy as when you're visiting friends.

Same with pets.

The laws is there to protect the tenants against a lot of things. But sometime its better to find a place that suits both the tenant and landlord instead of forcing your way in.

I find myself needing to find a new place because of this. I want to get a puppy and the landlord prefer no pets on his premise.