A tenant has a bathtub drain that is not working, and is demanding that the landlord pay for the plumbing costs to repair. The tenant doesn’t maintain orderly cleanliness of the unit. Who bears responsibility for the cost of repair in this case?

Section 20 of the Residential Tenancies Act states that “a landlord is responsible for providing and maintaining a residential complex, including the rental units in it, in a good state of repair and fit for habitation and for complying with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards.” The landlord can only hold the tenant responsible if the landlord can prove that the tenant is the one that has caused the problem. If it can’t be proven then the landlord has to pay the cost to repair.

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