DAN BLACKWELL
BIZ/TECH REPORTER

The Federation of Metro Tenants Association has received a large volume of calls from students complaining their landlords aren’t honouring their rent reduction notices, hotline co-ordinator Geordie Dent said.
“What that means is they’re lying to tenants, harassing or obstructing tenants, and that’s against the law,” he said.
The notices, mailed to 130,000 Toronto residents – 14,515 in Etobicoke – notified tenants that their landlord’s property tax was lowered, and that they are entitled to reduced rent, typically ranging from $5 to $30 a month.

Some are entitled to lower rent. (Dan Blackwell)

“We get a lot of students that call our hotline,” Dent said.
“A lot of students probably wouldn’t believe a rent reduction letter if they got one.”
Students are at particular risk, Dent said, because they’re often first time renters and tend to take landlords at their word.
“Students have a little less experience enforcing the law, I wouldn’t even call it naivety just a lack of experience,” he said.
For Humber students seeking free legal advice on a tenant dispute, lawyer Jeff Fortinsky is available once a week at the Humber Students’ Federation office at North Campus.
“People come to me with all sorts of landlord problems,” Fortinsky said.
“I try to give them what the practical answer is and what the legal answer might be, and where they can go to get assistance with that.”
University of Toronto housing officer, Ali Shahabuddin, said students have to advocate for themselves when it comes to housing complaints.
“First of all they have to contact the landlord and request information,” Shahabuddin said.
“They are within their rights to know if they did receive a rent reduction.”
Although Shahabuddin said many students are unaware of their rights, that could change towards the end of the school year.
“I imagine as soon as the tenancies are either at the point of being vacated or at their maturity date, we’ll probably get more students inquiring about it.”