I am having a problem with bugs in my apartment building. I have told my landlord several times about the number of ants in my apartment but he has not done anything about it. Is there anything I can do?
Yes.
If your landlord ignores the problem, you can make a complaint to
your regional
health authority who will investigate the matter. The office
has the power to order that the matter be dealt with in some way.
The law prevents your landlord from evicting you because you made
a complaint.
Your
landlord has an obligation to make sure the premises comply with
public health requirements at all times. One of these requirements
is to ensure premises are free of pest infestations.
If
the public health authority investigates, it can serve notice on
your landlord to fix the problem. If your landlord ignores the order,
you can either apply to court to end the tenancy, or serve your
landlord with a 14-day notice that you are going to end the tenancy.
Your notice to end the tenancy will become void if
- your
landlord fixes the problem within 14 days, or
- your
landlord serves you with a Notice of Objection to your notice.
If
your landlord serves a Notice of Objection, you would have to apply
to court to try to enforce your original notice to end the tenancy.
Given the time and expense of this process, you might want to consider
simply serving your landlord with notice to end the tenancy. You
can serve notice to end the tenancy at any time, providing it complies
with the rules that apply to your periodic tenancy.
WARNING:
The contents of these FAQs are intended as general legal information
only.
If
you have a personal problem, please consult a lawyer.
May
2006
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