My tenant is supposed to look after the lawn, but he didn’t, and I had to maintain it on my own. It cost around $1,600 with materials and labour to repair the damage. How do I prove these amounts are legitimate? How would I find the tenant after he moves out?

In Ontario, whether a tenant is responsible for lawn maintenance or snow removal depends on whether the area is a shared common area or a private area used only by that tenant. In Montgomery v. Van, the Court confirmed that landlords usually cannot make tenants responsible for regular maintenance like cutting grass or shoveling snow just by putting it in the lease, especially for common areas such as shared driveways, front lawns, walkways, or common backyards. These are generally the landlord’s responsibility under the Residential Tenancies Act. However, in Crete v. Ottawa Community Housing Corporation, the Court clarified that if the area is for the tenant’s exclusive use such as a private driveway, front steps, or private backyard attached only to that rental unit a lease term making the tenant responsible may be enforceable. This means shared areas are usually the landlord’s job, while private-use areas may be the tenant’s responsibility depending on the lease and the specific facts. If a landlord has to pay for lawn care because the tenant failed to maintain a private-use area, they should keep invoices, proof of payment, photos, and written communication to help support a claim and then serve the tenant with an N5, if the tenant fails to void the notice you may then file and L2 application with the Board. If the Tenant has already vacated the unit, then you will need to file and L10 application instead. If you need assistance locating a tenant after they have vacated, you might want to consider hiring a private investigator.