Source: Niagara This Week

A leading expert on affordable housing will address a public meeting at regional headquarters in Thorold April 23 on the state of affordable housing in Canada.

Michael Shapcott, director of community engagement with the Toronto-based Wellesley Institute, will speak on whether a federal government announcement in February that $4 billion will be invested in new affordable housing will make up for years of cuts and meet the housing needs of Canadians.
Continue Reading »

Source: Niagara This Week

When Pam Pierschalski and her family moved into their south St. Catharines home last summer, she thought she had found the perfect place to raise her kids.

The family is renting a house on Marlene Drive, a quiet residential street with a nearby ravine. Briardale Elementary School is just steps away, and its small student population means her children, nine-year-old Max and five-year-old Erin, get the extra attention that comes with small classrooms.

Pierschalski and her husband, Gary, thought they would be staying here for years.

Then in November, about six months into their lease, the owner had to sell the house, and the new owner had different ideas.
Continue Reading »

As a renter, you are going to get what you pay for in terms of amenities. Apartment buildings that come with a fitness center and a swimming pool and a front-desk concierge tend to charge more than a landlord with a basement for rent that doesn’t come with anything.

According to Apartments.com, these were the most searched for amenities by renters in order of popularity.

Let’s walk through them and think about how important they may or may not be in your case.

1. Air Conditioning: This seems like it shouldn’t have to be an amenity unless you live in Alaska, but some properties either don’t have central air conditioning or they need you to bring your own window unit. Particularly in the Western part of the United States, you may be able to get by with a fan, but like most renters, this amenity may be non-negotiable for many.

As you search, you may want to not rule out places that don’t list A/C, or any of these amenities for that matter, as they just may not have checked that box. It may be mentioned in the description or ask when you call.

2. In Unit Washer Dryer: Some people simply refuse to use community washing machines or go to a laundromat. In places like New York City, you often won’t see any on-site washing machines, so while this is a great amenity to have, it probably should not be an automatic dealbreaker. Keep in mind, this will tend to pump up your water and electrical bill.

3. Dishwasher: Older buildings often do not have a dishwasher or even a food disposal. Will also bump up your water bill.

4. Balcony Deck Patio Porch: Depending on the weather in the area, you may not use any outdoor space a lot, but it is great to be able to cook out during nice weather, and it provides extra storage space for things you may not want cluttering up your living room.

5. Small Dogs & 6. Cats: Most apartment complexes will allow small pets, but it does limit your options if it’s a dealbreaker. Some landlords have more flexibility around cats, as they rarely if ever leave the unit. But larger dogs are going to make it hard for you to find a place to rent in most cities.

7. Parking: Depending on the area, parking may cost extra or may not be offered at all. Particularly in an area close to public transportation, some renters store their car off-site or sell their car in favor of walking or riding their bikes.

8. Internet Access: This amenity tends to pay for itself, as you will probably pay $30 or more a month for high speed internet access on your own. Cable TV can be another great feature if it’s included in your rent.

9. Eat In Kitchen or Dining Room: Your desire for this amenity may depend heavily on if you are renting alone or with family members. Some efficiencies don’t even have a kitchen, but allow a hot plate or microwave.

10. Swimming Pool: Nice to have in warmer climates, but probably not worth a big hike in your monthly payment if you can only use it a few days a year. Plus, check the hours that the pool is open. Doesn’t do you any good that the pool is open on weekdays if you can’t get there after work before it closes.

Source: AOL.com

From Niagara This Week:

Councillors in wards with a high concentration of students have asked that the provincial body determining assessment rates treat single family homes converted into student housing differently.

In a question and answer session following a presentation to council by local Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) representative Penny Christie, St. Andrew’s ward councillors Andrew Gill and Joe Kushner asked whether those homes would be assessed at a higher rate than single-family residences.

After being frozen for two years, the assessment for properties across Ontario are being updated based on what they could have sold for on Jan. 1, 2008.

The city uses the assessment to determine the amount of property tax charged against each home. To prevent homeowners from potential sudden jumps, the increases will be phased in over a four-year period, though decreases will take effect immediately.

Continue Reading »

From the St. Catharines Standard:

A new apartment building and townhouse development on the site of the former Grey Gables School is exactly what west St. Catharines needs, city councillors said Monday.

The eight townhouses approved for Dexter Street and the seniors apartment building approved next door on St. Paul Street West “are a good mix of density types,” acting city planner Judy Pihach told councillors.

“This is a good reuse of this property.”

Councillors agreed to fast-track the condominium

townhouses by allowing developers Art Ellis and Tim Kenny to proceed without a site plan. Pihach said site plans are usually needed when condos have joint ownership of driveways or other common elements, but these eight condos will be street townhouses and will be owned separately.

Continue Reading »

The Niagara Peninsula Landlords Self-Help Group is meeting on September 16 at 7pm. It will be in the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church in Welland. For more information, please call group president Larry Osborn at 905-732-2828.

Tags: niagara landlords self help group

Eighty-seven new affordable housing units are in the works, but it’s not nearly enough to shelter the number of St. Catharines residents on the verge of being evicted, local officials say.

New subsidized apartments are being built in four areas of the city, including nine supportive-living units on Ontario Street for people with mental illnesses.

But Niagara’s waiting list for nonprofit housing sits at 4,275 households, or about 7,900 people, said Lora Beckwith, general manager of Niagara Regional Housing. About one-third of those are seniors.

“Many of them are probably on the verge of eviction,” Beckwith said. “In these cases, you get decisions at the end of the month like, ‘Do I pay the rent or feed my kids?’ ”

Twenty-three new subsidized housing units — where tenants pay rent equal to 30 per cent of their income — are being built at 290 Oakdale Ave. Another 21 are in the works at 21 King St., located over commercial space. Thirty-four units are being built at 54 Oakdale.

From the Standard: Continue Reading Article

If you own rental income property, rent should pay the mortgage and the expenses of that property, even if you lease a single-family house. If you are an investor, a monthly positive cash flow is critical to owing investment property. Therefore, collecting the rent is a major part of your property’s success.

Collecting rent is a business, because it is what pays for your mortgage and the long-term maintenance of your building. It should be your priority. You may believe that you have your current collection efforts under control. Still, as long as you rent apartments, at some point in time, you will have a rent collection problem.

Today, there are strong state laws that govern, restrict, and outline how, why, and when you can collect your rent. For example, many rent control laws dictate how much rent you can charge, and the methods by which you can collect your rent. Evictions for non-payment of rent can be avoided if an owner develops and follows a few basic policies and procedures. The more consistent you are in maintaining your policies, the better your rent collections will be paid monthly and on time.

My advice is to review your expectations about how and when the rent is paid before you give your tenant the keys. Even if you use a lease, there is no substitute for an eye-to-eye discussion about how you want your property to be treated, and when the rent should be paid. It is important to have a meeting of the minds before you commit your apartment to a person or family that may intend to violate your rules.

Continue Reading »

Whether you are a landlord or a tenant, you need to know what rights a tenant gains by entering into a lease and paying rent. Below are some of the things a tenant can and cannot do:

1. A tenant can exclude everyone else from the rental property, including the landlord. Most leases, however, modify this right by specifying that the landlord has the right to enter for certain purposes (i) at any time (she smells smoke coming from the premises, for example) or (ii) upon advance notice (a 24-hour advance notice for a routine inspection of her property, for example). Applicable law also requires the tenant to allow entry to certain third parties such as a fire code inspector or a policeman with a warrant. If Ted Tenant signs a lease and Laura Landlord fails to move out the previous tenant on time (or lives there herself), then Ted can sue to have the previous tenant or even Laura forcibly ejected.

A word of warning, however - if the previous tenant refused to leave and produces a valid lease whose term hasn’t ended by the time Ted’s term began, then Ted cannot evict the old tenant - he’ll have to terminate his lease and sue Laura for damages. The amount of the damages will probably be equal to the expenses of seeking new premises plus any amount by which Ted’s new rent exceeds the rent he would have paid to Laura (assuming roughly equal accommodations).

2. Suppose the previous tenant’s lease expired but he refuses to move out - what can Ted do? Well, that depends on whether the old tenant is still willing to pay rent. If he isn’t, then Ted will have to sue to eject the old tenant, but will still have to pay rent to Laura even before the old tenant is ejected - and he’ll have to sue the old tenant to get back the rent he paid to Laura, because he cannot sue Laura for it (Laura can also sue the old tenant for ejectment and rent, but she cannot collect rent from both Ted and the old tenant for the same month).

On the other hand, if the old tenant IS willing to continue paying Laura rent even though his lease has expired, then what Ted can do depends on how Laura responds to the old tenant’s offer to continue paying rent. If she refuses the offer, then refer to the last paragraph for Ted’s options. But if she accepts the rent from the old tenant, then she is violating Ted’s lease by refusing to hand over possession of the premises. Ted can either (i) terminate the lease and sue Laura for whatever damages he has sustained(as in paragraph 2 of item 1 above), or (ii) sue the old tenant for ejectment and damages (but he will not owe Laura any rent for the time the old tenant overstays). If he chooses option (ii) he can also sue Laura for any damages he may have sustained for the inconvenience, but will still have to pay rent from the time the old tenant moves out until the end of the lease term.

Keep in mind that US landlord-tenant law varies from state to state, and is subject to interpretation (which is why lawyers make so much money!)

DISCLAIMER: The above is intended for reference purposes only and not as legal advice.

Fees will range depending on the rules set by a particular community, but as a general rule you will find the following fees in place at most apartment communities. Be sure and keep yourself a handy copy of your lease agreement as that little packet of paper should contain information on all the fees that you may have to watch out for. We, at Apartment Home Living.com, have put together a list of the most commonly seen fees and fines to put you in the know of where your money may go.

1) Application fee- On some properties it’s low, some it’s higher. Some even waive this fee as a move-in special, so be sure to ask. This is a one-time fee when you apply for an apartment, but still a fee none the less.

2) Deposit- This isn’t technically a fee, but is still a cost to factor in when moving to a new place. In most cases deposits go up proportionally by the size of the apartment, but the amount determined for the deposit ranges from community to community. If you are looking to save some cash in this area be sure to shop around at different places and find out what the deposits are. If you are lucky, you might even find a $0 deposit special and not have to pay a dime here.

3) Pet Fee/Deposit- Chico may have only been $20 from the Wal-Mart parking lot when you picked him out of that litter of tiny barking black and brown muzzles, but he may set you back $200, $500, or even $750 for a pet fee/deposit. Sometimes you will even find that you may have to pay a monthly pet rent to keep little Chico at your apartment. A pet fee or pet rent is usually non-refundable, while if only a pet deposit is required you may have a chance of re-cooping that money as long as Chico doesn’t do any damage to the apartment. Usually the cost of cleaning the carpet will more than likely be taken out of the pet deposit however.

In terms of fees or rent pets are sometimes negotiable. There may be factors that help influence the cost related to your little mongrel. If Chico’s a cat, De-clawing may give you a lower rate. A lot of communities are more flexible on their rules regarding cats. Make sure and ask lots of questions and weigh the options.
Continue Reading »