Hi, I am wondering if anyone may know anything about the rights of subtenants. I have looked at the Regie website and googled the question, but no joy.
Here's the deal: I moved into a place a few months ago to rent a room and was not put on the lease. The lease is entirely in my roommate's name. She moved out two months later to live with her partner and save money and has left me responsible for bills and to collect rent. I am still not on the lease, nor is my other roommate. Last month, I made the mistake of allowing a couple to move in to the third room who I didn't particularly like at first meeting, but since they were the only ones interested (the room is way overpriced) and it was getting close to the end of the month, I conceded.
The problem is that I dislike them both a lot more now that I have had to live with them. They live in a world where you don't lock the doors when you leave and it's totally cool to walk through the apartment with your wet boots even when they notice someone else is in the process of cleaning the floors. There is really no hope for a roommate relationship when one person feels that the others are beyond socialization.
Further, they're just really negative and uncooperative and they've been overheard being very hostile behind our backs. For example, they haven't paid the other roommate a very small amount of money that they owe her for purchasing household cleaning supplies (precisely $2 each). When they thought I wasn't home, I overheard them complaining that we weren't going to get another penny from them and here we are, a week and a half later, and they haven't given her the money. Instead of openly communicating their reasons for not wanting to pay it they either say they're going to do it, or dodge the issue. This is kind of the tip of the asshole iceberg and I am not really interested in hand-holding people who can't see why this is a problem.
I have asked them to pay their share of the utility bill and so far, I haven't received the money and I have the sneaking suspicion that they're not going to pay it. I am waiting a few more days to give them the benefit of doubt, but I don't have much faith. In the meantime, I am also waiting to see if they pay March rent on time, something I also suspect that they won't do.
If they don't, it will be the last straw and I will want to take steps to kick them out. I am willing to let it all slide if they are willing to cooperate with us and act in good faith, but if they are not, well... The problem is that I am not sure what their rights our, what our obligations are, etc. Are their rights similar to those of a lease-holding tenant, where the landlord can't take action unless they haven't paid the rent in more than 3 weeks? If they don't pay rent, do I have the right to call the police on Friday to have them forcibly removed, if they refuse to leave? The problem is that I am no more on the lease than they are. They have no sublet contract, so I could just change the locks and leave their shit outside and they have no proof they live here, at the same time I would not lie to the police if they turned up and, I am not sure if that's legal and whether I can be held responsible if their property is stolen or damaged outside.
Has anyone had experience with this that they would be willing to share? I got some good advice here a few years ago when I had neighbour problems (
http://montreal.livejournal.com/tag/apartments%3A%20neighbour%20issues), so I am hoping for some insight.
thanks.
awake
