In North Bay, the local city council is set to lobby the province for better protection for landlords left with costly property damage by tenants.
For a landlord, walking into a rental unit that has been damaged by a tenant is a nightmare.
One that city councillors say is becoming all too common.
Now, local politicians are banding together and demanding balance between landlord and tenant rights.
Mike Anthony is a North Bay city councillor.
"It seems right now that the system's out of whack. And while we have to protect tenant rights, tenants have rights and that's important, it needs to be balanced so landlords aren't feeling vulnerable and like this, are suffering, like we have seen recently." said Anthony.
As for the landlord association, it's eager to see change as well.
John Wilson is the President of the Near North Landlords Association.
"Not all tenants are bad. We have great tenants, but there's 2-3% of the tenancy force out there right now that are creating 99% of the problems. If we can bring balance back into the legislation, so that both tenant and landlord rights are protected, then we will have done our job.” said Wilson.
City council has now put forward a motion requesting three things.
"For the province to obviously protect basic and important tenant rights, but also to investigate policy and regulations that would help protect property further. Ways to penalize those who do willful damage and ways to better help re-coupe costs.” said Anthony.
Mark King is also a North Bay city councillor.
"In working with the landlords association, I asked them to compose a letter of their concerns. I will take that directly to the housing minister, which we do have an audience with." said King.
He says he will meet with the provincial housing minister next week to discuss this issue and to present a list of those landlord association concerns.
