Limiting Laundry Access:

Question: Can a landlord limit laundry access in my Ontario rental if my lease says I can use the laundry facilities twice per week?

Answer: Case in Point Paralegal Services helps Ontario tenants and landlords understand Landlord and Tenant Board rules when laundry access is changed or restricted. In JD v. LD’s, 2017 CanLII 28729, the Board found that a landlord’s unilateral switch to a fixed, limited laundry schedule created a significant interference with the tenant’s reasonable enjoyment, even though the change was meant to address tensions between tenants.   The tenant received compensation for laundry costs and a rent abatement, so if your landlord is cutting access beyond what your lease allows, a paralegal review can help you document the impact and prepare next steps for an application to the LTB. For help in Ontario, call (519) 318-7843 today.

Add this website to Google Preferred Sources

Decision Summary: JD v. LD'S, CET-63203-16 (Re)

The case of JD v. LD'S, 2017 CanLII 28729, provides an important decision from the Landlord and Tenant Board regarding the improper interference or disruption with the use of laundry facilities by the landlord.  The legal dispute between the landlord and the tenant arose after the landlord attempted to alter laundry facilities access despite that the lease agreement expressly stated that the tenant, JG, could access the laundry facilities twice per week by contacting the upstairs tenants.  The landlord, despite the twice per week term within the lease agreement, attempted to impose a condition that access to the laundry facilities be limted to a three-hour period, once per week, and only on Sunday.

Note: Please contact Case in Point Paralegal Services by phone at: (519) 318-7843 to discuss any specific questions that you may have.

Factual Details

In June 2016, new tenants moved upstairs.  Subsequently, LD's restricted laundry access to Sundays between 11:00AM and 2:00PM.  As JG worked in construction and needed to do laundry regularly, JG faced difficulties with the new schedule and needed to use a laundromat to supplement the unilaterally imposed once-a-week laundry access.

Decision Reasons

The Landlord Tenant Board found that the change in laundry arrangements significantly interfered with the reasonable enjoyment of the property by the tenant.  The shift to a fixed time on Sundays for laundry use represented a substantial interference compared to the previous arrangement without any time restrictions.  While the Landlord Tenant Board acknowledged that the landlord was imposing the laundry access restrictions for the purpose of mediating tensions between tenants, the Landlord Tenant Board ruled in favour of JG.

Remedy Granted

The Landlord Tenant Board granted $200.00 for laundry costs as compensation to the tenant.  Additionally, the Landlord Tenant Board awarded a rent abatement of ten percent per month for six months to the tenant.

Full Case

The official case judgment is available here: JD v. LD's, 2017 CanLII 28729

Conclusion

This decision in this case shows that even when a landlord is imposing a change in access to amenities for the purpose of relieving tensions between tenants, the imposition remains as an interference in the rights of the tenant.