Limiting Laundry Access:

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

Answer:Yes, in Ontario a landlord’s unilateral change to laundry access can be considered improper interference with your reasonable enjoyment of the rental, even if the landlord claims it is trying to reduce tenant tensions, as reflected in JD v. LD’s, 2017 CanLII 28729 (LTB), where restricting laundry to one weekly Sunday time slot led to compensation and a rent abatement.   If your lease guarantees two-times-per-week access, document the old and new arrangements (including dates, times, and any access denials) and request written clarification or accommodation in line with the lease.   For guidance on your options and potential LTB remedies, legal professionals at Legacy Legal Services can help you assess your situation and next steps, call (226) 246-3825 for support across Ontario.

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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 Legacy Legal Services by phone at: (226) 246-3825 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.