It's Ridiculous that Ontario makes "damage" and "pet" Deposits "Illegal"
(When we have them in British Columbia!)

Compare the laws in the various provinces.  How do Ontario and Quebec stick out?  Why invest in these two provinces when their legislation is outdated?

My family owns some rentals in Ontario.  I personally own many rental properties in the Greater Vancouver area.  With a 2 week ‘damage’ deposit and a 2 week ‘pet’ deposit that I can legally collect in BC,  most of the problems and much of the conflict that we find in the industry with our Ontario rentals…vanishes! 

There is an incentive for tenants to clean up when they are going to move out.  We have a checklist when they move in, and a checklist when they move out.

If there are any serious disputes, then the government mechanism kicks in…when they are out of the unit so they can’t do any more damages.

Tenant Groups in Ontario like to talk about the “historic abuse” of damage deposits.  So why do they work elsewhere?    And why make them “illegal”?    Why invest in Ontario rentals when you have to track people down and try to collect in the court system when a simple change in the laws would make things better not only for good landlords, but for good tenants in Ontario!

http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/co/reho/yogureho/fash/index.cfm