Some Calgary condo buyers and renters are getting hit with an unexpected extra expense: a fee to move in or out.
Condominium buildings with many units see a lot of wear and tear from tenants, which is why some condo boards are now charging the fees to pay for damage, security and to book elevators.
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Local resident June Donaldson said the fees can range from $50 to $200, but they’re not always refundable.
Moving fees should be revealed when you buy a condo, but if you’re renting one out, the landlord must tell a tenant before they sign the lease.
“The tenants might say, ‘I’m going to walk away from this tenancy and I’m not going to rent from you because I signed this, but now I’ve got fees that I knew nothing about that you did not disclose to me,’” Calgary Residential Rental Association’s Gerry Baxter said.
“So it’s the landlord’s responsibility to really tell those tenants that.”
The Alberta Residential Tenancies Act states a lease should include any additional fees such as late rent, pets, or keys.
Landlords should also provide tenants with rules not in the lease, like condo bylaws or building regulations.
“People need to know what is in those bylaws and most condo owners, unfortunately, are overwhelmed by the complexity of most bylaws so they don’t read them,” Donaldson said.
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Once a lease is signed it’s legally binding. If a fee isn’t disclosed, the tenant could refuse to pay it until the matter is settled between the landlord and condo board.
If there’s a disagreement over a fee that wasn’t communicated to the tenant by the landlord, it can be heard by the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service.
For more on laws for landlords and tenants in Alberta, click here
With files from Global’s Erika Tucker