A Halifax tenant says he and his former roommates have been waiting for more than a year to have their nearly $1,600 security deposit returned to them from Nova Scotia landlord Marcus Ranjbar.
“Unfortunately, this system is enabling the landlord Marcus Ranjbar, to continue abusing more tenants,” said Ahmad Al Mallah, who rented a Halifax apartment from Ranjbar last year.
Marcus Ranjbar hasn’t responded to an interview request from Global News.
Al Mallah and his roommates paid a $1593.75 security deposit to rent a Preston Street apartment from Ranjbar between May 15, 2021 and Aug. 31, 2021.
Al Mallah has since obtained two orders to have their deposit returned, one through a residential tenancy officer and the other through the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia.
With fees and interest included, the execution order issued in January by the small claims court, orders Ranjbar to pay Al Mallah and his roommates $1,741.90.
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However, Al Mallah says the order hasn’t been able to be enforced because Ranjbar’s banking information is unknown.
“I would expect from the government to put forward more ease in terms of enforcement. And, it has to be very strict and direct so nobody abuse anyone. Like, not the landlord abuse the tenant, not the tenant abuse the landlord,” he said.
An email statement sent by Amanda Pelham, a provincial communications adviser, reads, “If the Sheriff’s Office does not have detailed information, it may not be possible to enforce the collection order. Applicants are able to contact a lawyer to discuss their options.”
Nova Scotia’s residential tenancies act minister says his department is actively looking at creating an enforcement and compliance division to deal with outstanding issues like this one.
“We do not have enforcement officers to conduct investigations and subsequently lay fines and that’s part of our review,” Colton LeBlanc said.
Mark Culligan, a community legal worker with the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, says the province needs to take swift action to expand on current tenant protections.
“Nova Scotia needs new rules that can fine bad landlords and hold them to account when they are caught ignoring Court Orders, repeatedly breaking the same rules, or retaliating against tenants for trying to enforce their legal rights,” Culligan wrote in an email statement.
In the meantime, Al Mallah says that he is determined to find a way to have the orders enforced.
“As long as I am vouching for what I believe is right and just for people, I think I’m going to continue this road until the end. I will keep speaking up,” he said.
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