Georgetown Ontario Lawyers

You could be included in a tenant dispute against a property manager, and sued. Regardless of whether your tenant has a valid case, purchasing landlord’s insurance can give you some peace of mind if you are held liable by an Ontario court. 

What to know about rental insurance: 

1. Landlord insurance is separate from your homeowner’s policy, which won’t be affected if you make a claim for a rental unit. 
2. Your tenant’s possessions and belongings, and their liability for damages to your property, are not covered by your landlord or homeowners’ insurance. Remind renters to get tenant’s insurance.
3. Ensure your landlord insurance includes premise liability. That covers you if a tenant or their visitors are injured due to your negligence or omission, such as failing to repair a shaky railing that gives way.
4. Appliances, furniture you provide, and tenant damages to a suite, such as from water left running, are usually included in a landlord insurance policy. So are fire, wind, and weather damages, and lost rental income while you make repairs.

Professional property managers have errors and omissions insurance to protect against such liabilities. E&O insurances typically cover property managers for:

• lost property or documents
• security deposit disputes
• or legal conflicts over damages, or faulty repairs to a rental unit.

Legal costs and judgments are included in E&O insurance. That’s why, before you hire a property manager, you should ensure they have E&O insurance, and general liability insurance for anything not otherwise covered.

Lawyers can be real estate agents in Ontario. Most real estate lawyers are not. They deal exclusively with your home purchase after you’ve received an offer to purchase. 

Using a real estate agent who’s also a lawyer can seem convenient. But depending on a lawyer’s experience, and personal and professional integrity, it may create an obvious conflict of interest. Independent legal advice can be invaluable, especially if you buy real estate a lawyer has an interest in.

Axess Law Georgetown’s lawyers are licensed real estate attorneys. You can be confident our legal team has no personal interest in the real property you are purchasing and selling.

Any number of scenarios could occur.

1. Your spouse could write a Will bequeathing the family home to you. Even if the property is in their name solely, as long as you are named beneficiary in their Will, you will inherit the home. 
2. They could name you a joint tenant on title to the property while they are alive. That allows you to carry on as rightful owner after they die. Watch that others aren’t also on the title, or you will own only whatever share the property title assigns to you.
3. If you are not on title to the property and are left out of the Will, your family home will become part of your spouse’s estate. Unless your spouse bequeaths it to someone else, the home will be sold or rented by an estate trustee to pay their debts. The residue, what’s left over, will be disbursed as directed in your spouse’s Will. 
4. Common law spouses are only entitled to what is left to them in a valid Will. If your spouse dies intestate, without a signed and legally witnessed Will, your family home will become part of their overall estate. Intestate property is distributed according to Ontario’s Succession Law Reform Act. Read the Act. 

Axess Law Georgetown’s virtual probate lawyers can advise you on including the family home in individual or mirror Wills for spouses.

Right you are. Flexible hours and remote access are among the top five features Canadian workers want.

Hybrid work grew in popularity when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Workers who went back to the office temporarily in 2021 were chased out by Omicron. Up to 60% of returning employees decamped for home, or reduced in-office hours as COVID infections surged. 

Fast forward two years, and an Amazon Business survey has found 43% of Canadians would look for a new job if they had to return full time. Over half of 1,600 respondents are less likely to accept a new job with an office-only routine.

With only 20% of Canadian workers expected to make a full time return, that leaves plenty of room for enterprising homeowners to add a Zoom room. Millionacres.com has some savvy design tips for Zoom rooms:

• pick a bedroom corner, alcove, or den for your Zoom room
• position your computer, tablet, laptop, or phone near the router
• close the door, or use a curtain or divider for privacy
• keep the space tidy — dust once in awhile
• close the curtains and use a soft overhead or side light to flatter your face.