Complaints to U of T’s Student Housing Services have doubled since U of T’s Home Ranger Program was introduced in September. The program allows students to book private appointments with a staff member to discuss housing concerns.
“We don’t know if that increase is because of an increase in problems and complaints, or because our program is now getting out to people and they know that we’re here,” said Jennifer Bennett, director of the housing services program.
Staff member Ali Shahabuddin said the majority of the cases are the result of students not knowing their rights. He said not many laws regulate housing. “Its an educational process more than anything. Being at U of T, as big as it is, students don’t know where to turn in order to get that information,” Shahabuddin said.
The two main underlying issues involve maintenance and repairs, and communicating with the landlord, according to the housing office.
Graham Brown, a fourth-year English student, discovered bed bugs in his mattress and mould lining his walls this year. His landlord refused to cover the fumigation costs. The two sides reached a compromise only when Brown threatened to move out.
Students often face discrimination based on age and income, according to John Fraser, program director of the Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation. “What often happens is a student may apply for apartment, maybe renting for first time, on OSAP, with no previous landlord reference. A landlord may refuse the student based on this,” said Fraser.
The Human Rights Code of Ontario prohibits landlords from refusing tenancy based on income or age. “The landlord doesn’t know that they are being discriminatory and the student doesn’t know they have rights,” Fraser said. “This is a big problem when people apply.”
According to information provided by the Landlord and Tenant Board, landlords do have a right to choose a tenant using income information, credit checks, credit references and rental history. But landlords can’t refuse tenants based on race, ethnic origin, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status or family status. In addition, according to the Board, though the landlord is responsible to maintain a unit, the tenant is also responsible repairing or paying for damage to the rental property caused by the tenant.
Once students move into a unit, the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act governs rights to privacy, maintenance, and rent increases. According to Shahabuddin, about 57 per cent of complaints heard at the housing services office pertain to maintenance issues. But the RTA doesn’t apply to students who share bathroom and kitchen accommodations with their landlords, making it difficult for those students to take legal action.
Students have two major options when facing discrimination. They can seek out an agency like CERA to advocate on their behalf to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal and make a settlement with the landlord.
Students could also start legal proceedings themselves, a less popular choice since it can take up to four months and usually results in no major consequences for the landlord.
