A common issue when moving out of a rental unit is what charges, including cleaning charges, a landlord can deduct from the tenant’s security deposit. A tenant's lease ends in one week, and the landlord has already notified them to move out. Everything in the rental looks clean, but should the … [Read more...]
About Judy Feng
Having Problems with Another Tenant?
Living close to others can lead to conflicts over noise, garbage and more. The following tips can help you deal with problems with another tenant. Is another tenant in your building driving you crazy? Maybe they're making too much noise, leaving garbage in the hallway, or throwing cigarette … [Read more...]
A first look at Alberta’s new life lease legislation
Recent media reports exposed gaps in consumer protection for life leases in Alberta, leading to May 2024 amendments to the Consumer Protection Act in an attempt to address these concerns. Within the past year, you may have heard about Alberta seniors trying to get their life savings back after … [Read more...]
What is an offence under Alberta’s renting laws?
Service Alberta can receive and investigate complaints about and issue fines for renting offences described in the Residential Tenancies Act. How familiar are you with offences in renting? In many provinces, tenancy laws include offences. In Alberta, most offences have to do with landlords … [Read more...]
Can You Buy a Home Without a Lawyer in Alberta?
While it may be tempting to DIY the homebuying process and save on legal fees, there are many benefits to hiring a lawyer, including having a faster and lower stress experience. It is springtime and the start of homebuying season is here. If you are thinking of buying a home, you may be … [Read more...]
Electronic signatures and digital leases
More and more people are signing documents electronically, including digital leases, but are these documents legally binding the same way paper copies and ink signatures are? What happens when you electronically sign a document like a digital residential lease? Is it legally binding like a … [Read more...]
All About Rental Fees (Part 2): Parking fees, late payment of rent fees, and lease break fees
Part 2 of this 2-part article looks at whether rental fees like parking fees, late payment of rent fees, and lease break fees are legal under Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act. Over the past year, CPLEA has been hearing about confusion over fees that landlords are charging tenants. The first … [Read more...]
All About Rental Fees (Part 1): Refundable vs non-refundable
Landlords try to charge fees, both refundable and non-refundable, for lots of things, but are these rental fees legal? CPLEA has been hearing lately about confusion over fees that landlords are charging tenants. There also seems to be confusion about whether increasing fees triggers rent … [Read more...]
Double take on mortgages
Getting a mortgage to buy a home is a significant decision. Five things you should know about mortgages include lending terms, security for the mortgage, open vs. closed mortgages, and defaulting on the mortgage. AUTHOR'S NOTE Some of the following content is adapted from CPLEA’s Nested course. … [Read more...]
2022 Housing and Consumer Year in Review
A look back at important housing and consumer topics in 2022, including household debt, rent increases and housing affordability. If this year has taught us anything, housing and consumer law issues are more important than ever. We began the year hearing about soaring house prices throughout … [Read more...]
