Another troublesome tenant!

Mr Marc Gauthier, owner of 7 residences at LaBaie (Saguenay), has been at odds with a rather difficult – to say the least - tenant. He has just ended a trouble fraught lease a with a tenant:

- The tenant lived with 4 cats, 3 dogs and 2 hens at the same time in his 2nd floor apartment. The local city bylaws allow two cats and two dogs per dwelling, which number already seems to be quite a few in a rental unit!

- The tenant “smashed” the access door to the indoor storage lockers of the other tenants in the basement of the building. He then proceeded “to smash” the doors of each locker. According to the police these acts were not «criminal acts».

- The tenant involved the police in the conflict by accusing the owner of having deliberately cut-off the hot water for an entire week-end and claimed that the owner frequently harassed him in front of his apartment.

Mr Gauthier saw this nightmarish situation brought to an end by a hearing at the Rental Board at which the tenant didn't appear. The lease was cancelled by a Rental Board decision on May 11, 2010 which awarded a compensation of more than $2000 for unpaid rent, but with 30 day delay for the tenant to vacate the premises. However, Mr. Gauthier must still answer to the charges stemming from the tenant's complaint to the police..

Mr Gauthier has met with local politicians on several occasions, as well as the city's political attaché, and he is now adding his support to the Association's campaign to change the law to allow for shorter time limits for the tenant to the leave voluntarily.