[natasha]

I need to find a new roommate and was wondering if I am allowed, legally, to ask the for the following: sign a contract stating he/she will give one month notice before leaving and will be responsible for a 1/3 of the rent, and bills, proof of employment/income, and a criminal reference check? Are there any other questions I should be asking?
I want to make sure I don't get stuck last minute having to come up with the extra rent money because someone left. the last time we got a new roommate it was my other roommates partern and no arrangements were made, and I was told on the 31st that he was leaving on the 1st, therefore wouldn't be paying his 1/3 of the rent for January. When my sister had left, I made arrangements with her that she would continue to pay her share of the rent/bills until we found a new roommate or the lease was up, whichever came first.
thank you very much in advance

[meford4u]

When renting, you have to give 60 days notice. If you want that in a contract, great. The tough part is enforcing it in the end. If you get a deadbeat room mate who is late or doesn't pay the rent, good luck evicting them.
And good luck trying to get money owed after they leave.

I would ask for the following.

Security deposit of atleast 1 months rent. Not acting as first and last, but a security deposit to cover damage to the unit should it occur.

First months rent in advance.

I wouldn't complicate things with asking for rent and bills. I would overestimate your monthly costs for hydro, water, etc. and make 1 total for the month for rent.

You are now becoming a landlord. You won't find a person to do what your sister did unless you get them to sign a contract for renting for 1 year or longer. But that contract is still binding even if you find that special one, get married have kids and want to move on with your life. You can't boot them out. And you have to continue living there.

Trying getting a roommate that is a professional and makes a minimum of $60k a year. Ok $45.

[nass]

natasha,Jan 8 2006, 05:41 PM Wrote:I need to find a new roommate and was wondering if I am allowed, legally, to ask the for the following: sign a contract stating he/she will give one month notice before leaving and will be responsible for a 1/3 of the rent, and bills, proof of employment/income, and a criminal reference check? Are there any other questions I should be asking?
I want to make sure I don't get stuck last minute having to come up with the extra rent money because someone left. the last time we got a new roommate it was my other roommates partern and no arrangements were made, and I was told on the 31st that he was leaving on the 1st, therefore wouldn't be paying his 1/3 of the rent for January. When my sister had left, I made arrangements with her that she would continue to pay her share of the rent/bills until we found a new roommate or the lease was up, whichever came first.
thank you very much in advance
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there is a Kit you can get that tells you everything.. unfortunatly I don't have it or know where to find it. But I do know that yes they sign a contract, you can pretty much stipulate anything in the contract and if they sign it, then it's legal cause they agreed to it.


:)

[natasha]

Thanks for the info guys:) My sister had signed a one year contract, that is why she continued to pay until we found someone else. I never thought of having a set price per month, that's a great idea and it would save me alot of running around. I was asking for the rent/bill money a week before it was due, after the bills came in and I caculated how much everyone owed, and was usually going to the bank in the middle of the night on the 30th or 31st for deposit it.

[2001 ZTS]

nass,Jan 8 2006, 01:27 PM Wrote:there is a Kit you can get that tells you everything.. unfortunatly I don't have it or know where to find it. But I do know that yes they sign a contract, you can pretty much stipulate anything in the contract and if they sign it, then it's legal cause they agreed to it.
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Those "kits" can be found in any business supply place like Grand & Toy, Office Depot etc.

[NefCanuck]

Okay I have to jump in here, with the proviso that I do landlord and tenant law for a living so that I know all the messy stuff about the "Tenant Protection Act (TPA)" that governs tenancies in Ontario.

If I understand what you want to do correctly, you have a tenancy between yourself and your landlord that already exists correct?

If this is in fact the case, if you then rent out a portion of your rented space to someone else, you have in fact created something that's not a tenancy that is covered under the TPA. In other words, you can in fact set out whatever terms you like and the new roommate can either like it, or lump it. Only downside for you is if get double croosed it'll have to go to Small Claims Court as it becomes a contract dispute (Which is why you get all the terms in writing and both parties to sign it at the start, with each getting ciopies of the signed paperwork)

NefCanuck