Your Home

The Residential Tenancies Act requires that we give you at least 24 hours' written notice before entering your unit, except in the case of an emergency.

• Your unit's smoke alarms (and carbon monoxide alarms, if applicable) are working.
• Window screens are not damaged and window locks are in place and not tampered with.
• Appliances are clean and working.
• There is no excessive clutter or fire hazards.
• There are no major repairs needed.

Clean buildings are everyone's responsibility, and it takes staff and residents working together to keep a building clean. Here are some tips to remember:

• Properly dispose of cigarette butts when smoking in outdoor common areas or on your balcony.
• Keep the lobby, hallways and other common areas clear of clutter, garbage/debris and large objects, including scooters and bikes. Never leave items in common areas as they are fire and safety hazards.
• Enjoy your balcony responsibly. Never throw garbage, cigarette butts or other items off the balcony Don't use your balcony for storage.
• Dispose of waste properly. Keep the trash chute clear and do not leave garbage bags and/or garbage/debris on the floor of the chute room or in common areas. Sort your garbage and recycling properly and bring your recycling to the designated recycling area or bin.
• You are responsible for your pet's behavior and the behavior of the pet of any visitors or guests. This includes cleaning up after the pet and keeping pets on a leash in common areas.

Do:

• Keep the trash chute and garbage room clear.
• Sort your garbage and recycling.
• Rinse all containers that you are recycling. When you are ready to dispose of them, put them down the recycling chute or in the proper bin. Do not leave items on the floor of the garbage/recycling room.
• Dispose of large items properly. Large items need tags that can be purchased from the Town or Maintenance at 613-267-4200 ext. 2414.

Don't:

• Pour cooking oil down the sink, toilet or drain; it can clog the pipes in your building and community.
• Put batteries in the garbage or recycling.
• Throw garbage or cigarette butts off your balcony.

Laundry Rooms

Most Lanark County apartment buildings have shared laundry rooms with coin-operated washers and dryers. Hours and prices are posted in each laundry room. If you see a machine that is not working, or a machine keeps your coins, call the number posted in your laundry room.

Outdoor Spaces

Residents are welcome to use outdoor spaces, such as private resident spaces (like a backyard) in a fair and reasonable way. You are responsible for the actions of your guests and visitors. Remember, you need to stay within your backyard space and respect your neighbours' expectations of noise and cleanliness

Parking

Parking is by paid permit only for tenants. Parking space is limited at our buildings and some of our family unit communities. When space is available, the cost is $15 per month per space. All vehicles must be roadworthy and properly plated before a parking permit can be issued. All tenants and guests using our parking lots must follow our snow removal rules. Failure to do so could result in the vehicle(s) being towed at the owners’ expense.

Smoking

Currently, tenants are permitted by law to smoke tobacco or cannabis inside their unit as well as in any outdoor space beyond nine metres of a building entrance or exit. In future, any household signing a new lease, either as a new tenant or as a transfer, will be required to agree not to smoke in their units or anywhere on County property as a condition of their lease.

No smoking in common areas

In Ontario, it is against the law to smoke tobacco or cannabis in common areas (shared spaces):

• elevators
• stairwells
• hallways
• parking garages
• laundry rooms
• lobbies
• garbage or recycling rooms
• community rooms

If you or someone in your household smokes in a common area, you could face a fine of up to $5,000.

No smoking near entrances or exists

It is against the law to smoke within nine metres of any entrance or exit of a public building, this includes all County Housing buildings and offices.

Smoking in your home

If you are smoking in your unit, keep the unit doors closed so smoke doesn't travel down the hallway. If you smoke on your balcony, check with your neighbours to make sure they are not affected by second-hand smoke. Never throw cigarette butts off the balcony.

Heating

Maintenance staff monitor the temperature in most buildings, with temperatures set to at least 21 Celsius from September 15 to June 1.

If you are concerned about the temperature inside your unit, check if there are any of the windows open and/or adjust your thermostat to a warmer setting.

Air Conditioners

Air conditioners can be installed after April 15th and must be removed by October 15th each year. The installation of your air conditioner must be inspected annually by Lanark County Housing, at no cost to you. Do not use wood to seal around your air conditioner, use plexi-glass only. In units where Lanark County pays the hydro, a fee of $125.00 per season (May-September) applies.

If some or all of your income is from Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, these programs may cover the cost of contents insurance. You need to speak with your case worker for more information.

You can send an email to maintenance@lanarkcounty.ca or call 613-267-4200 ext. 2414 if it's not an emergency.

How repairs happen:

• During regular business hours, the Maintenance staff take care of maintenance and repairs. In the evenings and on weekends, we will send someone to take care of emergencies until a permanent repair can be arranged. For example: If a pipe in your kitchen bursts, we may send someone to turn the water off in your kitchen until we can fix the broken pipe the next day.
• Staff will enter your unit for inspections and to complete repairs. Unless it is an emergency, we will give you at least 24 hours' notice before staff enter your unit.

Help us control pests on your property.

• Keep your unit clean and clutter-free.
• Do not feed pigeons, squirrels or stray animals. They can attract other pests.
• Do not pick-up furniture that others have thrown away, as it could be infested.
• Do not put any garbage in hallways or on the floors of chute rooms, as this contributes to infestation.
• Make sure all garbage is placed into the garbage receptacle and the hatch is fully closed. Larger items that do not fit into the chute must be brought to the bulk garbage area.

If you suspect a pest problem, report it immediately. We can help get rid of them quickly and efficiently but only if we know about it.

We have a pet-friendly environment.

You are responsible for your pet's behaviour. You are also responsible for the behaviour of the pet of a visitor or guest. This includes excessive noise made by the pet, as well as cleaning up after the pet.

Pets in your unit

If you, or your visitor, have a pet, you need to follow these guidelines:

• Keep your pet on a leash in common areas e.g. when you leave your unit and when going outdoors.
• Be sure that your pet does not damage property or the belongings of others, is not a nuisance, or does not create unreasonable disturbances, as stated in your lease.
• Never leave your pet alone on your balcony.
• Safely secure pets if you know a contractor or staff member will be entering your unit to do maintenance or repairs when you are not home.
• Stop, scoop and bag your pet's waste every time. Dispose of pet waste responsibly using outdoor garbage bins when walking your pet and double bag securely for garbage chute disposal.

Pet Licensing

To find out if you need a license for your pet and for other rules about pets, contact your local municipality.

Complaints about neighbours' pets

If your neighbours' dog barks all the time or they never pick up after their pet, or you have other pet complaints, contact your local Town Hall. Complaints about neighbours' pets must be logged with the local By-law Enforcement to follow up with your neighbours about your concern.

• If you pay rent-geared-to-income, the amount you pay for utilities will be different depending on the size of your unit. The amounts are set in the Housing Services Act and the County's rent-geared-to-income guidelines.
• If you are responsible for paying for electricity, call your local provider to set up your account before your move-in date.

Phone, Cable, Internet

Phone, cable and Internet are not included in your rent. You can choose any of the companies that provide service in the area. Make appointments with the phone or cable company during the day, from Monday to Friday, so maintenance staff can be there if the technician needs access to a restricted area of the building.