1000025240 Ontario Inc. v Rowe

Tenant wins · Sudbury · 2025-10-27

Adjudicator

John Cashmore

Dispute

Damage to Property, Non-payment of Rent

Amount

<$5K

Landlord

1000025240 Ontario Inc., J.G.

Tenant

C.R., T.R.

What happened

The Landlords applied for rent arrears and damages against former tenants. The Landlords claimed the unit was abandoned and suffered significant damage, including smells of pet urine and feces. The Tenants argued the Landlords illegally changed the locks while they were in the middle of moving out, preventing them from cleaning the unit or retrieving all belongings. The LTB found that the Landlords' unilateral act of changing locks ended the tenancy, barring them from claiming rent compensation or cleanup costs, though some painting costs were awarded for pet-related odors.

The ruling

The Landlords were ordered to pay the Former Tenants $1,002.79. Although the Landlords established a claim for $1,200.00 in painting costs and $186.00 for the filing fee, these were offset by the $2,388.79 rent deposit (including interest) held by the Landlords. Claims for rent arrears and cleaning were dismissed due to the Landlord's illegal lockout of the Tenants.