Darm style apartment laws?

Question

Hi, I was looking to get some questions answered if at all possible. I am currently living in an apartment complex/house (not sure how to refer to it) that is situated like a dorm. There are 6 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Each of the rooms is rented out seperately on their own leases. Do rental laws apply the same with this sort of rental situation or are there any sort of special rules that apply to this sort of "Dormitory" stlye living? I have had a few run ins with the land lord in the past regarding privacy and them not giving reasonable notice of coming to the house for various reasons. Any answers would be greatly appreciated =]

Thanks

Account Closed · Answer

Landlord will give you notice before he comes into your individual room.  He doesn't have to give notice to come into the common areas (living room, kitchen, gardens)

It would be more polite for him to do so, but he doesn't have to.

You weren't really expecting privacy in a house shared with 6 people?

Roy N. · Answer

Sean:

If you are renting rooms, then it's functioning as a rooming house and you have to deal with the "roommate drama" over use of common areas.  If a roommate leaves, the vacancy is yours.

If you rent as a single dwelling with all the tenants on the lease, they are jointly and severally responsible for the obligations.  In this instance, if one of the roommates leaves, it is the vacancy belongs to the remaining roommates.

We rent our student houses under the latter structure.  We also retain the right to vet (screen and approve) any new tenants.

Sean Lien · Answer

Thanks for the answer =]

Though I am not sure that it is completely set up like a boarding house. The physical set up of the unit is that of a boarding house, but the lease is the same as a normal house or apartment with the exception of each tenant being responsible only for their share of the rent. Rather than all 6 tenants being a single entity and paying the full amount between them.

Roy N. · Answer

Sean,

In my area that would be referred to as a "rooming house" and there are specific bylaws at the municipal level governing them:  they can only be in certain areas and require a zoning designation / permit to allow occupancy that exceeds another local bylaw limiting the number of "boarders" in a single dwelling to three.

As far as rental laws, check with your state's Residential Tenancies Act (or equivalent).  It was only recently here that the our Tenancies Act was amended to include roomers/boarders  ... prior to that leases with boarders were governed by common contract law.

Here you need to spell out in your lease what parts of the dwelling are common and where the roomer/boarder can expect privacy (typically within the confines of their own room).