Legal or not? Regarding changing terms of 'lease'

[kmiecp]

It is an unfortunate situation- but there is nothing you can do. At the end of the when you sign a lease where you know that you will be sharing laundry there is always a chance that the other person will be using the machines when you need them. It sucks that she "assigned" you days and is ignoring that- but that's what happens where you share. Whether at a laundromat or a shared laundry room in a building people always take advantage and use all the machines or take up a whole day etc. That much you did know when you signed the original lease, so there is nothing really that you can do.

Also- there are TONS of apartments in the GTA that have private laundry in the unit, maybe that should be on your checklist for next time. Good Luck!

[GoddessDigi]

It is an unfortunate situation- but there is nothing you can do. At the end of the when you sign a lease where you know that you will be sharing laundry there is always a chance that the other person will be using the machines when you need them. It sucks that she "assigned" you days and is ignoring that- but that's what happens where you share. Whether at a laundromat or a shared laundry room in a building people always take advantage and use all the machines or take up a whole day etc. That much you did know when you signed the original lease, so there is nothing really that you can do.

Also- there are TONS of apartments in the GTA that have private laundry in the unit, maybe that should be on your checklist for next time. Good Luck!

But when we signed our lease, there were NO restrictions to doing the laundry.
My issue isn't even the restrictions (just a little peeved, was all), but the fact that even after agreeing to those, she goes and DISREGARDS it.
I've never complained when she's doing her laundry and I need to do mine-it's always been her (and lately, I was just doing the 1 load at a time, so she never had to wait more than an hour).
My issue is this:
We have assigned days. I lost 1 day this week, since we were BOTH gone. That's fine. So on my only *2* days this week (versus her 4!!), I just wanted to get mine done FIRST (as in, I was FINE with her doing her laundry Saturday, just let me get mine done, on MY day). My DH has only 2 uniforms. He NEEDS 1 of those clean TODAY, because he works. Luckily, I made it in basically 1 load (just split into drying twice), so had plenty of time. DH basically didn't change his clothes this week...eww. And I tried not to change my kids except for swimming and sleeping, and ditto for myself. Whereas she and her kids changed at least once a day at camp.
*I* am the one making sure not to do excessive laundry.
Oh, and for the most part, I do my laundry mid-afternoon to late at night, so it was maybe once a week she was waiting for me.

Oh, and to the person who was congratulating me on so little laundry..thanks, lol.
I don't separate things (so we try and not buy white clothing), and I mix all our clothes together..plus, unless the kids really throw up, I try and not change them until bed time. And PJs are worn 2 nights in a row, put on right before bed time, and taken off as soon as they wake up. And bedding (for all 3 beds) is only changed every other week (on Friday), unless the kids throw up/pee their beds.
I really do try.

Edit:
I just want to add, I am not saying she shouldn't change her or her kids clothes as often as she likes. I'm just pointing out that I do not do that, so that there isn't much laundry. For one, I hate doing the laundry, so as little of it as possible is my motto.

[trishka]

Technically she can't restrict your usage of the laundry facilities. But she hasn't stopped the service and you still have access to it with relatively reasonable limits and times. Filing at the Landlord and Tenant Board realistically will not get you anything other than an even worse relationship with your landlord. But it may be worth calling the LTB to get some more information. First, you should be aware that if you share a bathroom or a kitchen with her or any of her family members you are not covered under the Residential Tenancies Act. Although it doesn't seem like that is the case for you. Also, as FallenPixels has said, it might not be a legal tenancy and filing at the Board could be an issue.

As for your new lease, you did not necessarily have to sign a new one. If a landlord does not want to renew your lease she must give you 60 days notice before the current one expires. It seems like she didn't give you any notice of termination and you were living month to month after that lease expired. You were actually not obligated to sign the new lease. Assuming you are covered by the RTA, once your lease expired and no notice of termination or a new lease was given, you are allowed to stay in the unit on a month to month basis. Same terms, same everything, just no new lease.

It seems like there are more issues than just the laundry situation and your relationship with your landlord is going to continue to deterioriate. I would suggest you start looking for a new place, even though your DH has already said he'd prefer not to. I would at least see what's out there and I think you, your DH and your landlord need to have a sit down and discuss the issues you have with laundry and whatever else. Keep in mind, if you find a new place, you and your landlord can agree to end your tenancy early so long as it is in writing and agreed by both parties with a specified move out date.

[FallenPixels]

Does your lease specify use of laundry? Otherwise she could say she was just doing you a favour as a friend in letting you use it

[GoddessDigi]

Does your lease specify use of laundry? Otherwise she could say she was just doing you a favour as a friend in letting you use it

It does state that we have access to laundry, nothing mentioned about ANY restrictions.
We found a place (an apartment I seriously considered when moving here), and it's right across from DD's daycare. Plus, there's a gym and a pool..so even with laundry restrictions, and $50 more a month...would totally be worth it. We would save a little bit in gas, anyway, since I could walk across the street to get DD.
Though, they always have openings, so DH said we'll just wait until a month after my surgery (which is any time before the end of the year)..
So, just gotta get through my surgery, and then all will be well.

[matrix82]

I once lived in an apartment building of about 30 units which had two working washers and dryers. There were no posted hours for the laundry, nothing in the lease about laundry being within certain hours, it was the type of building, if you could find the machines not in use, you used them. It cost 1.50 a wash, 1.50 a dry.

I worked two jobs and was in school full time, so I was often doing laundry at strange hours, like 11pm etc. One night after a lobster supper i had to wash my banquet clothes as soon as I showered. I put them in the wash, put them in the dryer. I always watched the time to know when it would be done. Came back to the laundry room, noticed the dryer door was ajar and my clothes spilled out onto the floor. I thought it was strange but maybe the door came unlatched, so I put my clothes back in and put more money in and started it up again. NOt even 10 seconds later a guy came bursting into the laundry room, screaming at me about waht right did I have to do laundry at this hour, the machines kept his kid up etc, if I dared to start the machine again he would make sure that my clothes weren't wearable etc. The whole time he was blocking the only exit from the laundry room. I had no escape.

I ended very shaken at my building managers door who convinced me to call the police. I was very shaken up by it. The guy went ballistic on me, for doing laundry. Turns out I wasn't the only person who had been threatened by him and the manager had been finding clothes thrown out the laundry window for weeks but had not no idea who did it until then. His lease did not get renewed, thankfully.

I ended up carrying a cell phone with me at all times when doing laundry from that moment onward. Although for months afterward I had my husband do the laundry. I now live in a building where I have my own washer and dryer. People can be so crazy.

[GoddessDigi]

How can people get so crazy over...LAUNDRY? Of all things?

[tocgal]

Seems like it is more then a laundry issue - you are being very considerate. Along with your feelings towards her and how she is treating you, it would seem like time for a chat to try to clear the air. Maybe the both of you just need some space from each other - This is hard as your kids are great friends, but is doable, perhaps you have grown and dont need the friendship relationship, may be best to just keep it to business, let the kids play together, but keep your chats to landlord/tennant and see if things improve.

[ShoestringShopper]

I had a landlord with laundry issues too. We didn't have a lease, but our tenancy agreement stated that I had access to laundry, just like yours did. As it was, the laundry room was a dark dirty unfinished basement room and the landlord found it too 'icky', so she did her laundry at her mom's house and I had the room all to myself. So I cleaned up the machines and asked her husband if I could clean and finish the room and use it for storage/sewing. He readily agreed and we went to work on it. Cleaning, drywall, paint, carpet (in the sewing room end) and made it a very bright and usable space. That's when she bought new machines and started doing her laundry down there. Go figure!
She told me I'd have to limit my laundry to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I agreed and then she started 'just putting through a load' on my days. In fact, I'd come home to find she'd taken my wet laundry out of the washer and had both machines full of her laundry...on my day. I couldn't finish a load on my day anymore, so I started finishing my loads on whatever day I could. After a bit of that she came to me and said that this wasn't working for her anymore and I needed to pick two days a week and stick to them! Seriously. So I graciously told her that I would choose Monday and Friday, and that she would need to not do laundry on my days so that I could get mine done, and then I wouldn't be forced to do any drying on her days. She was polite to my face, but I could hear her upstairs ranting to someone on the phone about how intollerable it was and how she was the superior one and I should not be telling her anything! A couple weeks later her friend came down on my laundry day to do her laundry, said the landlady had told her she could. I smiled and said that it must have been a mixup because this was my day and I have, and need, exclusive access today. I actually kept that machine going til 11pm just to make sure the point was clear!
Her final attack was to come to me and say this just wasn't working for her again and that she needs exclusive access to the laundry room from now on. I have to revoke your laundry priveledges, she said. I told her that was unfortunate because it would be an inconvenience for me, but since luandry was included in the agreement we signed, that I'm sure we can negotiate a reduction in rent to compensate for it. All of this was said politely but firmly.
That was the last I heard of it. She ranted upstairs but it boomaranged, I guess. The very next week her father came very friendly like and replaced the old fridge and stove in our apartment with brand new units and not one single word was said about laundry again. Clearly not everyone was ready to defy the legal agreement and see us leave. But there was never any friendliness between me and her again.
I have learned to be very painfully specific in tenancy agreements (our last one before we bought our condo, my husband and I added a codicile with five specific items that they offered us when we agreed to rent. They had to sign agreement so that we had proof of what they had offered - parking, laundry hook up installed, etc.) We leave nothing vague or to the good nature of people. Good nature ends when money becomes tight or the house starts to feel too full.

[trishka]

We leave nothing vague or to the good nature of people. Good nature ends when money becomes tight or the house starts to feel too full.

I'm glad you did. If anything is discussed or agreed upon verbally, make sure you get it in writing and it is signed and dated by both parties. Maybe it's just the legal side of me but I never consider anything binding unless it is agreed upon in writing.

OP, that might be the best thing for you to do is to discuss with your landlord the days and number of loads and have everyone sign it.

[GoddessDigi]

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[GoddessDigi]

I am really debating on whether or not to say anything about this.. I don't want to cause a fight, but I am VERY VERY annoyed, right now.
My landlady has been doing her laundry on MY days (at least 1 of my days, every week, usually 2). She changed the days to Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, and she gets the rest. But she ALWAYS does at least 1 load on my days, and the majority of the time, she is washing her clothes LATE at night the day before my day, and then drying them on MY day.
Well, being as today is WEDNESDAY, and is MY laundry day, I was going to do 2 loads (I've been having 1-2 loads on Wednesday's, then usually 1-2 loads on Saturday, and rarely doing laundry on Sunday's).
I put the first load in before we took DD to school. Still had some laundry in the basket. Came back, and saw her laundry basket next to mine. Well, when my first load finished, I started the second load (everything in the basket, and grabbed DD's couch pillow, since DS bled on it). Almost right after, she came down, knocked, and asked me did I not see her basket, and why was I in such a hurry. That I could've been nice and let her do a load.
Ummmmmmm..........
IS THIS NOT MY DAY? YOU SHOULDN'T EVEN BE DOING LAUNDRY TODAY!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE MORE DAYS THAN I DO, YET YOU ARE ALWAYS DOING LAUNDRY ON MY DAYS!!!!!!

I am just ready to say screw it, and as soon as I get a full load, start doing it THAT day, no matter whose day it is! I mean, I can handle doing it on certain days, that's FINE, but not if I'm going to have to wait for her laundry to finish, anyway. Might as well just do it when it's free, anyway. Other than Saturday or Sunday, it doesn't really matter WHEN I do laundry (I just have to wash DH's uniform, and Luna's nap blanket comes home from school on Friday's).
Urgh...

[trishka]

You need to say something. She clearly isn't respecting her own rules. She may be just trying to push it to see how far you'll let her go, but if you stand your ground on this, maybe she'll back off. In the meantime, look for a new place. This is clearly not a healthy living environment for you and your family.

[GoddessDigi]

We started looking today, called a few places.
I want to get one by Nov. 1st, so next week, I can go up and tell her she won't be getting any money, and to use my last month's rent. Because SHE broke the lease.

[lessthannat]

I am surprised you are still putting up with this lady - put your foot down or demand a reduction in monthly rent if she cannot provide you with access to the laundry room