The early termination of a lease comes under the microscope in this week’s question.
The reader wants to know what her position is after her landlord gave her notice that he wanted to terminate the lease three months early.
She lives with her two daughters and a grandchild. The second daughter moved in recently after the reader received permission from the landlord as the original lease made provision for only two adults.
See the reader’s question here.
The reader says that a short while later she caught the landlord peering in through the windows, watching her daughters dressing and undressing.
She also discovered that he apparently enters their house when they are out.
The landlord appears to have taken an offensive approach by instructing his attorney to send a letter to the reader advising that he is terminating the lease.
The letter said they had one month to vacate the dwelling, some three months prior to the recorded expiration period in the written lease.
There is no reason provided by the landlord’s attorney for the early termination.
It is also not clear as to whether the lease makes provision for the early termination.
In accordance with the Rental Housing Act, the landlord has the right to terminate the lease in respect of a dwelling on grounds that do not constitute an unfair practice and are specified in the lease.
It would appear that the landlord’s attempt to prematurely cancel the lease is a knee-jerk reaction to him being caught engaging in ostensibly and allegedly lewd conduct.
It is possible that through the issuing of the letter of termination – and with the alleged conduct in mind – he hopes to gain the silence of the reader if he does them “a favour” by consenting to the continuation of the lease.
Should the reader wish to enforce her rights under the agreement of lease, she should consider approaching the tribunal as provided for in the Rental Housing Act.
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