You’re sick and tired of your rented apartment or house, but you still have a few months left on your lease; Rather than break the lease (and be responsible for the outstanding rent), he decides to get evicted. This is what you can do:
• Purchase a Rottweiler, although pets are not allowed on the property
• Annoy the neighbors by playing guitar hero with all the speakers blaring at all hours of the night
• Starting suspicious activities on the property that nosy neighbors might think is an ATM bombing syndicate or drug manufacturing
• Causing significant property damage
• Stop paying rent
But should you?
Eviction is not a simple, cheap solution to your (or your landlord’s) problems. (Landlords can also evict tenants who refuse to vacate a property after the lease has expired.)
Landlords cannot evict tenants from rental apartments without a court order. A court order, including a judgment from the Rental Housing Court, is needed to evict a tenant if the tenant breaks the lease.
First, take steps to strongly urge your tenant to rectify the breach (in writing and keep copies!). If this doesn’t work, take legal action, either by filing a complaint with the Rental Housing Court or by appointing an attorney and starting court proceedings. A decision of the Court is considered as that of a Court of First Instance. Attempts to have its findings reviewed must be made before the High Court.
However, a landlord is not allowed to lock a tenant out of rental apartments by changing the locks or turning off basic services like water.
However, tenants must do everything in their power to avoid eviction. An eviction will be incredibly damaging to your credit history and will make it extremely difficult to find apartments to rent in the future. If you want to evict a property because the landlord is breaking the lease, you can also file a complaint with the Rental Housing Court. If there are other reasons why you want to leave before the lease expires, it’s best to try to work out an amicable solution with the landlord, for example by finding a new tenant to take over your lease.
