Toronto Renters Forum

I put up with landlord abuse around air conditioners for several years. Tactics included illegal entries, threatening letters, fake eviction notices, multiple "inspections" for the purpose of harassment and even malicious calls to animal control in an effort to force me to get rid of my pets. Then in 2019 I filed a T2 Application about Tenant Rights with the Board, for harassment and illegal entries.

If your landlord starts abusing you and demanding illegal air conditioner fees:
1. Check your lease. If there is no clause giving them the right to charge air conditioner fees, they have no right to charge air conditioner fees. If there is a clause allowing them to charge you, there is usually an amount specified. You do have to pay that amount, but no more than that amount. If your lease says "fee to cover hydro charge" without specifying the amount, they can't charge you anything unless they give you proof of how much your air conditioners are costing them in hydro fees (like copies of the hydro bills during winter and during AC season to show the difference).

2. Keep copies of everything the landlord serves you with - entry notices, demand letters, threat letters, eviction threats.  You will need them as evidence.

3. Keep notes about any entries or entry demands or other harassment activity, including what happened while they were in your apartment. Better yet, get an indoor surveillance camera or two and record the entries.

4. Air conditioner fees ARE NOT RENT. Landlords like to pretend it is, and claim that they can evict you for "non payment of rent" if you refuse to pay an illegal AC fee. This is false, and it's harassment.

5. If you are bullied into paying an illegal AC fee, you can file a T1 - Tenant Application for a Rebate to get the illegal charge back. This must be filed within a year of the date you paid the illegal amount otherwise it becomes legal under Fraud's changes to the RTA.