RTA, Renting, and Dealing with Realtors

[Lomac]

So my weekday home is up for sale (has been for over a year now). Recently the owner switched to a new realtor and he's been showing the place for a few days now. The problem I have is that he's given me one phone call prior to a viewing (12 hour notice) and since then I've not received a single warning from him prior to other viewings. According to the RTA, he's required to give 24 hours notice via writing. Seeing as this is starting to become an issue, especially since I have a dog and cat inside the house, and I'd like to know when strangers will be going through the place, what can I do to get it through his thick skull? Messages left on his voice mail and to his office have gone unanswered. I'm half tempted to simply switch the locks out, but that might be a bit petty and potentially against the RTA.


Thoughts?

Oh, and my biggest pet peeve is that I know he's been in the house because he leaves the fucking front door unlocked.

[Alby]

you tried being civilized and have tried numerous attempts to communicate with him and its clearly not working. if i were in your shoes, i would start playing dirty which forces him to initiate contact with you. maybe try catching the Realtor doing the showing and start giving him crap or maybe even leave the place a bit messy.

im guessing whatever is hindering the sales will pique your landlord to do something.

[Mikoyan]

Yeah, don't change out the locks. It's in the RTA that you shouldn't. Document the occasions they access your house with out proper notice.

How's your relationship with the owner? A gentle reminder that you can file a RTA case against him violating Section 29 of the RTA might be enough to get him to start letting you know.

Or blame the realtor. Call the owner and let him know the realtor is going to cost him a RTA hearing as he's the one violating the RTA regs.

Section 31(3) A tenant must not change a lock or other means that gives access to his or her rental unit unless the landlord agrees in writing to, or the director has ordered, the change.

[blkgsr]

shut the power off at the breaker.....start leaving piles of garbage bags at the front entrance. leave dirty dishes out in the kitchen.....don't flush the toilet

none of this leave any damage but accomplishes making the house look shittier to anyone coming to look at it....

[Spoon]

I'd probably inform the owner that if he doesn't provide sufficient notice, I'd install a keyed door guard.

[Jas29]

I would talk to the home owner the realtor will have to listen to him/her.

[SoNaRWaVe]

What mikoyan said. But on top of that, I would also report your realtor to whichever company he works for. As a realtor, they should know the rules better than anyone.

You have done more than enough to try and let him know that you are not cool with this situation.

Is your landlord accessible to you? I would personally type up a letter and date it and sign it and meet with your landlord for him/her to sign as well stating the compaint. It should never happen again or else you would follow through with RTA.

The worse he can do is claim his own property for personal use and give you 2 months notice to move out.

You can try leaving a note on the door stating that it is illegal to enter the unit without prior 24 hours notice. And if you really want to be a dick, you can play the technical part saying:

Proper notice means a tenant is given written notice of the date, time and purpose for entering the property. By law, notice must be delivered in-person or considered by law to have been given to the tenant at least 24 hours before the landlord enters the unit.

I usually am fine if the landlord realtor gives me a text 24 hours prior. But that is something you would have to work out with the realtor that arranges these viewings.