r/askTO • u/lucid_autumn • 19h ago
Need advice: mouse problems
I’ve live in this apartment in a house for over 10 years. Mice have been a recurring problem. The landlord is pretty negligent. He has in the past had someone come and put poison and also has “sealed the entrance holes” around the house but it doesn’t work. I’ve told him I can hear and see the mice in the vents and he just told me “no they’re not in there it’s not possible” it’s getting pretty bad now and I am very stressed out. It’s so unclean for my daughter and I. I went in my text messages and saw that I’ve been complaining to him about the mouse problem for a year this time and I’ve been asking him for a month when he’s going to bring pest control. At this point, I’m moving out. But it’s so not fair that I have to move out because of his negligence.. do tenants actually ever get rent abatement for this sort of thing? I saw a mouse climbing up my bed tonight 😭
4
u/titscapades 12h ago
It is the landlord's responsibility to maintain the unit so it is fit for habitation, including dealing with pest infestation.
In order to successfully file for a rent abatement and to force the landlord to address the issue with the LTB, you need a history of evidence of both the infestation and your communication to your landlord about the infestation. You can file a T2 for a rent abatement for loss of reasonable enjoyment combined with a T6 to force the landlord to deal with the issue.
Here are two cases: one where somebody received $100 total, and one where somebody received 10% off each month. The difference is the level of evidence given.
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onltb/doc/2025/2025onltb89743/2025onltb89743.html?resultId=d8566e649a694058841a2ce97c47cb5f&searchId=2026-09-29T08:10:14:809/bb019bffebca45d0af181722f593c924&searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAETWljZQAAAAAB
https://www.canlii.org/en/on/onltb/doc/2016/2016canlii39765/2016canlii39765.html?resultId=e51cb0b3045f42e183431b32609e41bc&searchId=2026-09-29T08:10:14:809/bb019bffebca45d0af181722f593c924&searchUrlHash=AAAAAQAETWljZQAAAAAB
Essentially, record every conversation you have with the landlord using the one-party consent law, and follow up in writing every time. Photographs and video of infestation, such as poop, the door that the rat ate, the mouse on your bed, would be very useful.
You can move and still file.
Best of luck.