A curation of nine unsettling tales based on real-life housing law situations… and how to navigate your way out of the labyrinth. Don’t be left in the dark…
Ah, autumn…the season of nostalgia, with its intermingling of vibrant leaves falling amidst the crisp, breezy air and fleeting sunshine. A time for fresh starts in new homes, along with unfamiliar neighbourhoods and faces, with places to explore and stories to unfold. Or a time for retreating into a cozy sanctuary, away from the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. Just as you think you have settled into where you call home, perhaps a small curiosity appears. One that is enough to stop you in your tracks.
Before we descend into the unknown, let me start off with a tale to warm your soul. Once upon a time, in a faraway place, there stood a dark green structure resembling a small vintage kiosk – all alone on the corner of a stone-paved avenue.* Seemingly understated, looking like any other structure, it hid in plain sight amid a sea of delightful faces, lights, scents, music and sights. As you venture further into this structure, down the long, spiral staircase and through the dark corridors, an ominous inscription awaits before the true void begins, “ARRÊTE! C’EST ICI L’EMPIRE DE LA MORT” (Stop! Here is the empire of death).
For those brave enough to step into the void, you will discover that it’s a gateway to a sprawling underground labyrinth. Full of unpredictable twists and turns, covered from floor to ceiling with millions of skulls and bones – the final home of long forgotten peasants, everyday people, aristocrats, and revolutionaries – all neatly lined up in silent, unknown masses. And along with that, their untold stories and secrets, buried in the crisp shadows of the darkness – all disintegrating into dust below the lights and homes of the living. Ah yes, a real memento mori.
Who would have foreseen that lurking beneath this city, known for its enchanting lights, was a captivating labyrinth with such a sinister history – truly, a living horror for city planners, engineers, law enforcement and who knows who else!
So, you may think you know all about housing law. But what untold tales really lurk beneath the surface and hidden away? But first, a cryptic warning. Reader, reader – it is up to you to discover which tale is the darkest of them all…
No Escape
I’m looking for a new place to rent and noticing that there are places with tiny windows – they are so small that I’m unsure if most people can fit through them if there’s an emergency.
Alberta’s Minimum Housing and Health Standards cover rules about emergency egress (exit) through windows. For buildings that are 3 storeys or less, each bedroom must have a window that you can open from the inside without tools or special knowledge. The window opening must be at least 0.35 m² (3.8 sq. ft.), and no dimension can be less than 380 mm (15 inches). There are exceptions to this– for example, if a bedroom door leads outside, the suite has a sprinkler, or a regional health authority approves an alternate emergency exit. Refer to CPLEA’s booklet on Minimum Housing and Health Standards to learn more about rights and responsibilities for both landlords and tenants.
Resident Hidden
There are scratching and tapping noises in the walls in my house. They started out faint, but now they are getting louder. The noises are not just in my walls now, but my ceilings too. I showed my co-worker a video recording of the noises and it sounds like a poltergeist.
No, it’s probably not a poltergeist. It could be an animal that found a way into your home. Before taking matters into your own hands, know that there are laws about legal control methods for different animal species. For example, Alberta regulates certain pests under the Agricultural Pests Act and Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation, with rules for preventing, controlling and destroying species that the province declares to be pests and nuisances.
However, animal protection laws apply to certain species too. Both Alberta’s Wildlife Act and the federal Species at Risk Act protect at-risk or endangered animal species. These laws do not allow you to kill, harm, harass or capture a protected animal. For more information, refer to the Government of Alberta’s webpages on Human wildlife conflict and Species at risk, as well as the Federal Government’s webpage on Species at risk.
The Silence
There’s a tenant who lives downstairs, but I haven’t seen or heard from them for a while. I’ve knocked on their door but there’s no answer. Now, there’s a putrid, vile smell coming from downstairs. I’m afraid that something has gone wrong.
You may be dealing with a death on the property or an abandoned property. If you’re renting a place and suspect that another tenant has died or abandoned the property, notify your landlord right away.
If you are the landlord, call 911 and wait for emergency services to arrive. Do not touch anything or let anyone else enter the property. There can be many questions about what to do next, such as notifying the tenant’s next of kin and handling rental issues. Refer to CPLEA’s Death of Tenant booklet to learn more.
In some situations, there may be signs that a tenant has abandoned a property instead.Before landlords can deal with an abandoned property or goods, they must follow specific laws. To learn more, refer to CPLEA’s Abandoned Goods booklet.
Dressup
There’s a person in our condominium building who wears revealing costumes, sits in the common lobby area, and says hello to people passing by. While they seem friendly, some members of our board are wondering if such behaviour could be a nuisance.
You may want to check your condominium bylaws for any rules about general behaviour in common areas. While your board may share your concerns, you must be able to show that the behaviour substantially (seriously) and unreasonably interferes with your enjoyment of your property.
Be mindful that the situation may connect to human rights law. The Alberta Human Rights Act protects Albertans from discrimination based on personal characteristics – including gender, gender identity and gender expression. Condominium corporations must follow the Act. This includes making sure their services, facilities, and bylaws do not discriminate against people based on a protected ground. Refer to the Alberta Human Rights Commission website for more information on human rights.
Think you have reached the end of the labyrinth? Another passage awaits. For more unsettling tales, continue to Home, sweet home: Tales from the dark II.
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DISCLAIMER The information in this article was correct at time of publishing. The law may have changed since then. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of LawNow or the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.
About Judy Feng
