As a tenant, you and anyone living with you must comply with the responsibilities of your lease.

This includes the following responsibilities:

• Giving proper written notice to Ottawa Community Housing when you move out unless the Landlord & Tenant Board ends the tenancy for breaking rules of the Residential Tenancies Act.
• Allowing entry into your home when the reasons for entry comply with the Residential Tenancies Act or your lease.
• Paying your rent on time.
• Keeping your home clean and in good condition.
• Calling OCH 24/7 Call Centre to tell us about any repairs which may be needed in your home.
• Being responsible for your actions and actions of the other members of your household, your visitors, your guests, their pets and your pets.
• Respecting your neighbours by not making too much noise.
• Keeping common areas clean by using the garbage bins provided.
• Ensuring that the utilities (such as gas and hydro) are paid on time.
• Getting household insurance for your belongings – usually called contents or renters’ insurance.
• Reporting change in your income or household within 30 days of the change.
• Not subletting or assigning your home.
• Getting written permission from OCH before making any changes or alterations to your home or property.

The Residential Tenancies Act.

As your Landlord, Ottawa Community Housing must:

• Follow the obligations as Landlord under the Residential Tenancies Act and Housing Services Act.
• Provide services as set out in your lease.
• Keep your rental property well maintained and respond to repair requests.
• Provide 24 hours’ notice before entering your home unless you give permission to enter or there is an emergency (flood fire, life-threatening event) in which case, staff can enter your home.
• Provide proof of payment when requested.
• Process your annual rent review, if you pay rent-geared-to-income.
• Will respect the confidentiality of your personal information.

Your rent matters.  Rent is needed for OCH to pay mortgages, taxes, maintenance and other costs of maintaining your home.

Rent Due Date

Your rent is due on or before the 1st day of every month. Any payment received by OCH after the first day of the month is late. Late payments mean you have a record of rent arrears.

There are four ways to pay rent:

1. Pre-authorized Payment (PAP)

Your rent is taken from your bank account automatically on the 1st day of each month.

Changes to the amount of your rent are made automatically.

2. Cheque or Money Order

Cheques and Money Orders are payable at your Tenant Service Centre or at the OCH Head Office on 39 Auriga Drive. If you pay by mail, please include on your cheque or money order your:

3. Interac

Available at your nearest OCH office (excluding the Auriga office).

4. Electronic Payment

Electronic payments can be done by phone, ATM (bank machine) or the internet. You can ask the bank to set it up for you.

If you already pay bills through electronic banking, you can set up the rent payment just like your other bills.

Your account # is your 6-digit tenant ID #

Cash is not accepted at any OCH office.

You are strongly encouraged to contact your OCH Rent Collection Coordinator (list of numbers below) immediately if you fall behind in rent payments. Our goal is to preserve tenancies where possible.

OCH will work with you to find a solution to the debt. OCH works with tenants in financial difficulties by:

• making payment arrangements where appropriate
• providing information about community resources which may be able to provide tenants with advice

Call OCH Call Centre at 613-731-1182

OCH will use a collection agency to collect what is owed and will evict tenants who fall into arrears or who are continually late in paying rent. If you are in arrears you may also have to pay one or more charges to OCH for:

• NSF (Non-Sufficient Funds)
• Tribunal/Board fees
• Enforcement fees

You may not be eligible for a transfer within OCH if there are outstanding rent arrears, or if rent was paid late during the past 6 months. If you leave OCH with money owing, you will not be able to get other social housing in Ontario and you will not be able to get credit because you will have a bad credit record.

Your rent is geared to total household income. This means your rent will be adjusted if another income earner moves in. The adjustment will take effect 30 days from the date your household income increases.  A new household member must be eligible for Rent-Geared-to-Income (RGI) for the entire household to continue to be eligible for RGI.

You cannot assign or sublet your unit to a new household member who has moved in with you.  If you move out, the new person may also have to move out.

You will be responsible for any debt to OCH that a new household member causes, including the higher rent.  You will also be responsible for the new household member’s actions. You will not be able to have OCH remove the new household member from your home.

If you are receiving a rent subsidy, your rent is based on your income.  In order to keep your subsidy, every year you must provide updated information about your household and your income.

Every year, you will receive a ‘Household Review Form’ to complete and return to your nearest OCH office with proof of income for everyone in your household that has income.  When OCH receives your updated information, your rent will be recalculated for the coming year.

If you do not provide the requested proof of income, your household may no longer qualify for a subsidy and you will have to pay the market rent for your home.

If you feel that you have a good reason to question a decision about changes in your rent, reduction or loss of your subsidy, denial for transfer, etc., contact your Tenant and Community Worker.  He or she will guide you through the process of completing an Internal Review Hearing Form and requesting a meeting to review your circumstances.

Subletting your home is when you move out and let someone else live in your home for a limited period. You cannot sublet or assign your home or any part of it to another person.

When you want to move out of your OCH home, you must give at least 60-day written notice to end the tenancy.  The 60 days must end on the last day of a calendar month. You will need to deliver all keys and fobs to your nearest OCH office by that last day of your tenancy and leave us with a forwarding address.

At the end of your tenancy, OCH expects you to:

• leave the home clean
• restore it to its original condition
• remove all personal possessions and garbage

If you don’t, you will have to pay the costs of removing any garbage, repairing any damage and storing any personal possessions you leave behind.