I rented to high risk tenants that had zero deposit. I offered them "complimentary utilities" exact wording only for paid renters and that the utilities would no longer be offered if the tenants failed to pay rent and they would have to put utilities in their own name if they failed to pay rent. I did not state "included", rather I worded it complimentary which means free of charge and not included as part of the rent equation. The tenants signed this agreement on the original lease when they moved in. The tenants later failed to pay rent and they managed to get a PPO personal protection order on this landlord claiming that I turned off their electricity when they were using an oxygen tank. When I went on my property they had me arrested on a PPO violation for going on my 150 acre property that I also had other buildings on that I had occupancy to. They also called the building inspector on my unit and claimed it was unsafe after I served them with a notice to quit. They are now suing me for turning their power off. I did not turn their power off, rather they blew my breakers etc and refused to let me or a repair man into the apartment to do any repair. They had my apartment "posted Hazardous" by the local building inspector and the county building inspector told the tenants they had to move out within three days. The county building inspector gave this landlord no recourse to fix anything which were minor issues on his list that were not at all hazardous. The tenants failed to move out and ignored the building inspector demand. They got a legal aid attorney and said they had a pending eviction in court so the county let them stay in the "hazardous" apartment a few more weeks with the utilities in my name. The power was left on to the furnance and the others were turned off by the electrician because the building inspector had put a sign up claiming the place should not be occupied. CPS inspected the apartment and they disagreed with the county building inspector and said they they had seen worse in other dwellings and they let the tenants stay in the apartment while the eviction was pending. The county got involved in a civil matter when an eviction was pending in court. I withdrew the eviction and told the judge that the county building inspector got involved and he ordered the tenants to move per his "hazardous" posting on my apartment. So I made the county get them to move out. Obviously I lost rent that was owed at the eviction since I withdrew the eviction. The tenants bought a mini van with the rent that was owed. they put a camera in my face and taunted me that they "got my money". I have 21 days to respond to this law suit over turning their power off but I have proof that power was never off more than an hour for the electrician but I don't know how to prove this on the meter. I got an insurance policy and I felt the tenants put my apartment at risk for not letting me do repairs on the alleged hazardous issues. I felt the county letting them reside there in a house they posted hazardous put me liable if I left the power on with this posting. For my protection I felt the power should be turned off if the tenants would not let me do repairs. The county let me move back into the apartment with little to no updates after the tenants moved out. He asked me to remove the wood stove that did not have a mechanical inspection. He demanded that I get an electrical inspection done which involved putting in GFI plugs. I had to put up a divider paneling between the bathtub and the circuit box that was three feet away. All of those things would have been done if the tenants would have let me do repairs. But the tenants wanted to try and sue me instead of repairs. Can I list complimentary instead of included? their attorney says no that it is not legal to avoid eviction laws that state you cannot turn off utilites during an eviction for failure to pay. I worded the lease otherwise since they had no deposit. . --50.36.xxx.xxx

--50.36.xxx.xxx

Obviously the owner or manager did not understand the tenant rules locally and prolly at the state level but opened for business anyway, meanwhile a young family traveling encountered a object near the side of the road that punctured a tire and they had to use a spare tire to continue on to their destination where they arrived late. --76.188.xxx.xx

No,you cant turn off power in a tenants unit regardless what you call it.Eviction laws do not assume a tenant has paid a deposit.I hope you learned a lesson,dont rent to people who need a second chance.You need to either learn how this business works or just don't rent any apartments anymore and just sell the place --72.231.xxx.xxx

Well before you mess up good. --66.188.xx.xxx

I think you may be in the wrong business. --67.43.xxx.xxx

Appear there were a few misunderstandings. You have a lawyer. Trust they will get you thru this with as little damage as possible. These people are your teacher. Give them back their deposit(zero) plus whatever the penalty is by law. What are they asking for? --99.203.xx.xxx

--47.35.xx.xx

These people are professionals. I bet they have lived for years without paying rent, and living off landlord lawsuits. It may get to a point where you pray they burn your place down too. Sounds like the only way you have a chance of coming out ahead. --108.69.xxx.xxx

Many smaller rental housing in the province of Ontario have left the rental housing industry as they can live six months here without paying rent that means they use two rental housing providers where they play the rent free game for a year of free rent. While this is bad situation in the future problem tenants can easily be screened out. Unpaid utilities and unpaid rent go hand in hand together. So anyone who has unpaid utilities should be immediately rejected. Unable to pay a deposit they can take a walk. Consider joining a landlords association to get advise along learn the process of running thorough credit checks on all adult applicants. Had a couple holed up in mothers basement where he told his girlfriend would not fill out a rental application. He called six months later where he forgot that he came around before. More often then not they take rental applications then never return as they already know they will not qualify for rental unit. Google to find a landlords association then visit for some advise. It is not easy to learn from the school of hard knocks. One out of three is a problem tenant who constantly plays the rent free game. It is lot easier not to hand the keys through the gates of hell in the future. Problem tenants avoid professional rental housing providers as they know they will qualify for a rental unit. --147.194.xxx.xx

With a name like Kelly,you have to be Irish,you're letting the Irish Nation down .you're worse than that Imbicile McConnell in the Senate.so sharpen up and get yourself a good attorney and put a lien on that van now,not tomorrow......................charlie...........................we may have to get. the IR A involved,could turn drastic............................... --174.199.x.xx

--68.10.xxx.xxx

I think it's fictional. --99.59.x.xxx

--71.75.xx.xx