TenantsForYou.com 
Finding tenants can be a challenge. Advertising a place for rent takes time and money and you never know who will show up.
What if there was a way to work with professionals who could steer prospective tenants your way, free of charge and with no obligation? Hey, you can still advertise in the paper or post notices around town but tenantsforyou.com offers an alternative.
Interested? Then take a look at the following pages.
Who are we?
Tenantsforyou.com is a representative website for a group of agencies in a variety of communities across Northern Ontario. Our agencies deal with women and families looking to find long term stable housing alternatives.
We make no guarantees that our clients will make great tenants but we can guarantee that our Transitional Housing Support Workers can steer prospective tenants your way. Think of tenantsforyou.com as a matchmaker bringing together you, the landlord, with clients we know are actively seeking new living arrangements.
Our Transitional Housing Support Workers can assist you with navigating some of the red tape around having the rent paid directly to you if your tenant is on Social Assistance, such as Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program. We understand you sometimes have tenants that are having difficulty paying their bills but there are programs available to help tenants with paying rent and utilities in arrears. With help like this, you would be certain that someone would be working to make sure that the rent makes its way to you.
Some communities offer rent supplements and we can help you in determining what, if any, municipal supports are available.
Landlords and tenants both have rights, but sometimes this is not understood.
Our Transitional Housing Support Workers can point you in the proper direction to get the assistance you need in regard to the Landlord and Tenant and other acts that govern the industry.
Landlords
Listing your apartment
TenantsForYou.com is a representative website for a group of agencies in a variety of communities across Northern Ontario.
So, whether you have space available in Moosonee or Muskoka, Sturgeon Falls or Mattawa or any point in between, our Transitional Housing Support Workers can assist you.
It is simple to use:
- 1. View the map of our catchment area to access the contact information for the Transitional Housing Support Workers for each area where you have rental property available
- 2. Contact the Transitional Housing Support Workers to have them post your contact information and descriptions about the spaces you have available
- 3. The Transitional Housing Support Workers you are dealing with will provide your info to their clients, and
- 4. Prospective tenants will contact you to view the space
Four easy steps, what could be simpler.
Priorities for Landlords
- To have a dependable tenant who is respectful, clean, pays their rent on time and doesn’t cause problems with their fellow tenants
- To have a tenant that respects the law and can follow the Residential Tenancies Act guidelines
Priorities for tenants
- To find safe, comfortable and affordable housing for themselves and their families
- To find a home so they can continue on their journey to a new and safe future
- To be treated with respect and have a landlord that understands the law and can follow the Residential Tenancies Act guidelines
Things to consider
- Pets – Landlords, we understand that pets can be a problem in your rental units. For many of our clients, pets are a source of safety and protection. As well, abuse is isolating and for many women their pet is their companion. Their pet helps them break that feeling of isolation.
- Non-payment of Rent – Most communities have programs in place to assist with rent arrears, direct payment of rent, budgeting, utility payment programs, trusteeships and other issues that directly impact on people not being able to pay their rent. Transitional Housing Support Workers will know what is available in your area, for you and for your tenant.
- Abuse Issues – Transitional Housing Support Workers are in place to assist women establish lives free from violence. We are a support service, here to assist with safety planning, including legal options, such as No Trespass Orders. As well, we are available to connect tenants to community agencies that can assist with safety and support, including shelter services if needed.
- Non-payment of Utilities – Many of our clients, and your tenants, have low or fixed incomes and need ongoing assistance to ensure that both rent and utilities are paid. Transitional Housing Support Workers are aware of what is available in your community to help. Are you aware of hydro use limiters, Food Bank schedules or pay direct options from Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program? We’re here to help remove some of the barriers these tenants face that directly impact on you, as a landlord.
- Damage to Property – This is a reality for most landlords, no matter who your tenant is or what their history is. The following links offer opportunities for financial assistance if property damage occurs:
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation
Landord's Self-Help Centre
The Landlord and Tenant Board
Tips
- If a potential tenant is on social assistance, such as Ontario Works or the Ontario Disability Support Program, you can seek to have rent paid directly to you.
- There are programs available to assist tenants in paying arrears, both in utilities and rent.
- There may be rent supplements available in your community, paid directly to the landlord.
Support Staff
What can a Transitional Housing Support Worker do for you?
- Save you the cost of advertising your rental units. Transitional Housing Support Workers have a ready and available ‘pool’ of prospective tenants to draw from. Consider us your tenant ‘bank’.
- When you rent to a tenant ‘off the street’, even with references, anything can happen. Tenants can damage property, tenants, unknown to you, can have an abusive partner, tenants may have difficulty paying the rent. The list goes on. With our tenants, while you know they are fleeing abuse, you also know that they will be supported by us. We can help with budgeting, counseling, linking tenants to community programs, day-to-day life skills, problem-solving, and more…
- We are available to act as a liaison between you and your tenant should problems arise. We are here to help problem-solve and resolve issues so our clients, your tenants, can create healthy and safe lives.
- Transitional Housing Support Workers are a source of information for landlords, including information on community resources and services that will help you, as a landlord, and your tenant.
- Transitional Housing Support Workers are knowledgeable regarding the latest available rent supplement and government programs. If you have a new tenant and need to know what’s available to help out financially, we are here with the information.
Shelter Services
What is the Program?
This voluntary, free service is available to women and their children, who have experienced abuse. Its goal is to assist women as they work to create independent lives free from violence.
A key focus of this program is assisting women in finding suitable housing. Transitional Housing Support Workers can help make this happen through assisting clients in completing housing applications, transportation to view housing and direct contact with landlords. However, finding housing is just a piece of the Transitional puzzle. This program takes it one step further by helping women maintain their housing. Our services continue to be available after a woman is housed in order to ensure that women have support, guidance, and advocacy as they transition into their new homes and new lives. Some additional services Transitional Housing Support Programs offer are:
- one-on-one support and crisis counseling.
- accompaniments, referrals and advocacy with income support agencies, legal resources, including lawyers and court for custody, support and safety, and other resources where women and their children need assistance.
- referrals to community agencies and programs, including counseling, employment, income and legal services.
- assistance with completing forms and applications
- safety planning, and
- information to assist with maintaining housing, such as budgeting and landlord/tenant issues.
*** While the Transitional Housing Support Worker Program prioritizes the needs of women fleeing relationship violence, this program is available to women and children in housing crisis. Bilingual services are also available. ***
Definition of Abuse
Abuse is any attempt to gain power or control over another person using emotional, physical or sexual tactics. Abuse is when there is a pattern of one person trying to gain power and/or control over another – trying to gain power and control over how that other person thinks, feels, acts, sees themselves and the world around them. One of the most recognizable forms of abuse is physical as physical violence may leave marks and people can easily identify and see its impacts. Physical violence is more ‘in your face’. Physical abuse is any action that physically hurts or threatens to hurt someone, including sexual assault. There are many ways of having power and control over someone and they may be less easy to recognize as they may start out as or be more subtle. Instead of using physical abuse or sexual violence, many abusers may use verbal, financial, spiritual, psychological or emotional forms of power and control over the other person.
Abuse ripples out into all aspects of a woman’s life. Something to consider as a landlord; many women who approach you wanting to rent an apartment may have poor or limited references. Women fleeing abuse may have experienced financial control that has directly impacted on their credit history. Transitional Housing Support Workers are there to assist women through referrals and support to help ensure that payment of rent is not an issue.
Useful links
shelternet.ca
neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca
endthecycleofabuse.com
Tenants
Priorities for tenants
- To find safe, comfortable and affordable housing for you and your family
- To find a home so you can continue on your journey to a new and safe future
- To be treated with respect and have a landlord that understands the law and can follow the Residential Tenancies Act guidelines
Priorities for Landlords
- To have a dependable tenant who is respectful, clean, pays their rent on time and doesn’t cause problems with their fellow tenants
- To have a tenant that respects the law and can follow the Residential Tenancies Act guidelines
Things to consider
- Pets – Many landlords are uncomfortable with renting to people with pets, especially larger dogs. As a prospective tenant, you might have to convince the landlord your pet is an essential part of your family and will not pose any problems. In other words, you may have to ‘sell’ your pet to the landlord. If your pet is well-behaved and fully trained, let your landlord know. If you are willing to muzzle your dog when you are in common areas in your building, even if your dog is friendly, share that with your landlord to show that you are aware of how your dog may impact on other residents and that you are prepared to fully look after your pet. Share with your landlord how important your pet is to you and that it will be well cared for on your landlord’s property.
- Non-payment of Rent Issues – Contact the Transitional and Housing Support Program in your community. Most communities have programs in place to assist you with paying rent arrears or helping with other financial assistance so you have the money in your budget to pay your rent. Talk to us about budgeting and community resources to help.
- Abuse Issues – Transitional Housing Support Workers are in place to help you as you work to create a life free from violence, both for you and your children. We are here to help with one-on-one support counseling, safety planning, and connecting you with community resources and information. Whether you’ve been to a shelter or not, you don’t have to go through this process alone – we’re here to help.
- Non-payment of Utilities Issues – It can be hard to make ends meet and when you’re choosing between rent, utilities, food, and all the other things your family needs, some bills don’t get paid. Transitional Housing Support Workers are aware of what’s available in your community to assist. We’re here to help remove some of the barriers you face, and to help you face the challenges ahead.
- Damage to Property – This can be a reality. There are programs that your landlord can turn to for help and there are options for you as well. If you have been the victim of a violent crime or domestic/sexual violence and damage has been done to your property, there may be funds available to help. Contact the Transitional and Housing Support Program in your community for more information.
Tips
- If you are on social assistance, such as Ontario Works or ODSP, offer to have your rent paid directly to the landlord.
- If you are staying in a shelter and do not want potential landlords to know, use a friend or family members contact information and landlords can leave a message for you there.
- Explore your rights as a tenant – see the tenant quiz on this site or visit the Landlord and Tenant Board link www.ltb.gov.on.ca
- Remember, a landlord cannot ask for more than one month’s rent as a deposit. If a landlord decides they do not want to rent to you, they should return the deposit. If they do not, you can apply to the Landlord and Tenant Board for assistance.
- A lease must contain: the landlord’s legal name and address, the date the tenancy will begin, the amount of the rent and the date and or day each month that rent is to be paid on, what is included in the rent, such as snow removal, lawn care, utilities and who controls the thermostat.
- If the landlord wants to evict you and you do not agree, you do not have to leave immediately. You can dispute your eviction. Once you receive an application to terminate tenancy from your landlord, you only have 5 days to dispute it!
- You cannot be evicted by a handwritten letter from your landlord.
- Never sign anything agreeing to move out.
Click here for a more complete list of information.
Tenant Quiz
Click here to take the quiz
Click here to download the PDF
Support Staff
What can a Transitional Housing Support Worker do for you?
We can:
- assist you in finding safe and affordable housing.
- accompany you to view accommodations and meet the landlord.
- link you with community supports and services, including those for issues of abuse and its impacts.
- advocate on your behalf with your landlord or other agencies if you have any difficulties or need information or support.
- provide you with assistance with day-to-day life skills, such as budgeting, coping strategies and other housing related issues.
- safety plan with you and your children, prioritizing safety issues from a partner.
- help you avoid eviction.
- be an emotional support as you transition from an abusive relationship into a life free from abuse.
Useful links
mcss.gov.on.ca/mcss/english
shelternet.ca
neighboursfriendsandfamilies.ca
endthecycleofabuse.com
Regions
Parry Sound
Esprit Place ~ Family Resource Centre
3A Beechwood Drive
Parry Sound, ON
P2A 1J2
Phone: (705) 746-4800 or 1-800-461-1707
Fax: (705) 746-2900
South River
Esprit East Community Outreach
Sattelite Office
16 Toronto Avenue
South River, ON
P0A 1X0
Phone: (705) 386-2303 or 1-888-892-2229
Bracebridge
Muskoka Interval House
Box 748
Bracebridge, ON
P1L 1T9
Phone: (705) 645-4461 or 1-800-461-1740
Fax: (705) 645-1407
Huntsville
Chrysalis
56 Kinton Ave.
Huntsville, ON
P1H 1M3
Transitional Housing Support Worker:
Toll-Free: 1 (866) 789-8488
Phone: (705) 789-8488
Fax: (705) 789-0825
Website
Mattawa
Mattawa Women's Resource Centre
385 Pine St.
Mattawa, ON
P0H 1V0
Phone: (705) 744-5567
Fax: (705) 744-5128
North Bay
Crisis Centre North Bay ~
Community Transitional Housing Program
1675 Cassells Street
North Bay, ON
P1B 8K6
Phone: (705) 474-8853
Fax: (705) 474-6888
(Services provided to Men through this program)
Nipissing Transition House ~ Women’s Outreach
547 John Street
North Bay, ON
P1B 2M9
Phone: (705)494-9589 (Women’s Outreach)
(705) 476-2429 (Shelter)
Fax: (705) 476-0274
Website
Ojibway Family Resource Centre ~
Transitional and Housing Support Program
131 Commanda Crescent
North Bay, ON
P1B 8G5
Phone: (705) 472-3321
Fax: (705) 476-3376
Sturgeon Falls
Sturgeon Falls Family Resource Centre ~
Transitional Support Program
155 Salter St.
Sturgeon Falls, ON
P2B 3K6
Phone: (705) 753-0316
Fax: (705) 753-5804
Sturgeon Falls Family Resource Centre
P.O. Box 6228
Sturgeon Falls ON.
P2B 3K6
Phone (705) 753-1154
Outreach (705) 753-5571
Haileybury
Pavilion Family Resource Centre ~
Transitional and Housing Support Program:
Haileybury Office
P.O. Box 37
Haileybury, ON
P0J 1K0
Phone: (705) 672-2128
Website
Kirkland Lake
Kirkland Lake Outreach Office
P.O. Box 66
Kirkland Lake, ON
P2N 3M6
Phone: (705) 567-1777
Timmins
Centre Passerelle pur femmes du Nord de l'Ontario
C.P. 849
Timmins, ON
P4N 7G7
Matheson
Tranquility House
Community Outreach/Transitional Support Program
Matheson, ON
Phone: (705) 273-2339
Website
Kapuskasing
Habitat Interlude Family Resource Centre ~
Community Outreach and Transition Crisis Counsellors:
Kapuskasing Office
P.O Box 111
Kapuskasing, ON
P5N 2Y1
Phone: (705) 337-1123
Hearst
Hearst Counselling Services
16-9th Street
Hearst, ON
P0L 1N0
Phone: (705) 372-1933
Cochrane
275 8th Street
Cochrane, ON
P0L 1C0
Phone: (705) 272-6078
Northern Ontario Toll-Free Line: 1 (866) 993-2339
Website
Moosonee
Omushkegiskwew House
Moosonee Family Resource Centre
P.O. Box 339
Moosonee, ON
P0L 1Y0
Transitional Housing Support Worker:
Phone: (705) 336-0436
Fax: (705) 336-1202
Website
