A breakdown in trust.

What a terrible ordeal dealing with the Principal and his agent at Seeff Property Rentals. The former is very dismissive in approach, and while his agent was nice enough, she was woefully lacking in knowledge of the legalities of the requirements of an Incoming Inspection and Exit Inspection.

Due to a bureaucratic bungle, there was no joint incoming inspection on record attached to the lease, as required by the Rental Housing Act. When I asked her at the Exit Inspection, for a comparable record of the Incoming Inspection, signed by myself, she said there wasn’t one and was at a loss to explain it!

When the time came for my lease to be renewed this year, I was waiting to hear from the agent what the new rental and the terms and conditions for such renewal would be as I had been told the property was on the market. Two weeks into the Notice period for renewal, I had still not received any written notice from the Agency, despite the provisions of Section 14 the CPA and section 5.3 of our Lease, what my rights were prior to the expiry of the lease. When I informed the Agency that they were now in breach of the requirements for notice, under the CPA and their own lease, the Principal informed me that the property had already been sold, and had this to say in his reply to me as follows: (email dated 17/07/23)

[‘So let me explain. The fact that the owner (read Agency) was suppose to give you 40 to 80 days notice is NOT a breach of contract but a legislative requirement to terminate a contract on the date it expires i.e. 31st August. That then means that the contract then continues on a month to month basis until either party gives the other notice. You therefore remain bound until the lease expires or one party gives the other at least a month's notice.]

If you compare the Principal’s paraphrasing of what he says the Act means, to the actual Section of the CPA, you will see that it bears no resemblance to what the Act actually says or means. There are several added requirements of the Act of which the tenant has to be informed, and agreed to in writing, before it can continue on a month to month basis. Had I known no better, I would have believed his version, as any other unsuspecting person would have!