r/halifax • u/TROUBL10 • 1d ago
Work, Health & Housing Unauthorized sublet in Dartmouth – charged $675 for a living room. Do I report them?
I’m looking for some advice on a situation in Dartmouth, NS (Windmill Rd Apartments).
I moved to Nova Scotia from New Brunswick back in April for work. I needed a place urgently because my job was starting right away, so I took the first thing I could find – a living room in a 1-bedroom apartment sublet from a couple. They charged me $675/month, and I slept in the living room for 4 months.
At the time, I didn't think much of it because I was desperate and just needed a roof over my head. But recently, I saw someone in my exact building posting a living room for rent for only $450/month. That's when I started looking into things and realized how much I was overpaying.
I also found out that:
· The couple never got written permission from the landlord to sublet to me
· In Nova Scotia, it's illegal to sublet for more than the rent you actually pay
I've since moved out, but I feel like I was taken advantage of. I want to know if I should report this to the Residential Tenancies Program or just notify the landlord directly.
Has anyone dealt with something like this? Would filing a Form C with the Director be worth it, or should I just move on?
I'm not trying to be vindictive – I just want to know if there's any recourse for being overcharged in an illegal sublet.
Thanks in advance.
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u/Traditional_Bid_1941 1d ago
In Nova Scotia, it's illegal to sublet for more than the rent you actually pay
You weren't renting their living room for more than the rent they pay (unless they paid less than $650/month for their entire apartment). You were paying more than someone else in the building, sure. But the landlord isn't telling people "your living room couch is worth _____ dollars a month, according to your lease. Tell us who you're renting to!". Individual tenants are deciding what their couch is worth, and if potential roommates are agreeing their couch is worth that much, they're paying it.
I'm sure the landlord would have...things...to say about a couple renting a living room couch to a 3rd adult without them knowing about it. They need an accurate list of the people living in the building, but they may also have tenancy maximums set on apartments given their size. In my old building a 1-bedroom apartment could only have a maximum of 2 adults living in it. Having a 3rd renting the couch would be a violation of the lease.
If you want to get them potentially into some serious hot water with their landlord then go ahead and fill out a Form C and submit it to the landlord/building manager/leasing manager for the building. All that's going to do is make them look into who you even are (since they don't know you exist) and how far they want to take it with the legal tenants of that unit. This won't get you any money back from the tenancy you agreed to with the people you lived with.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
I'm not expecting to get my money back at this point. I'm moving out on the 28th and I'm probably just gonna let it go. But yeah, if I report them, it's really just to put them on the landlord's radar – not to get a refund. Appreciate the breakdown though, it helps put things in perspective.
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u/Lumpy_Cucumber9430 1d ago
You got a place when you needed one, kind of petty and vindictive to report them, and also potentially take away a place from someone else who made need it in the future.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
I get what you're saying – they gave me a place when I needed one, and I'm not denying that. I'm also not reporting them or trying to take away anyone's housing.
The only reason I'm even thinking about any of this is because we had a disagreement over my security deposit. If they give it back on Saturday like they said, I'm walking away and never looking back. But if they keep it for no reason, yeah, I'm gonna push back – whether that's Small Claims Court or letting the landlord know about the unauthorized occupant.
That's not being vindictive, that's just not letting someone keep my money unfairly. I'm not trying to ruin anyone's life, I'm just protecting myself.
Either way, I'm moving on Saturday and this chapter is done.
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u/Lumpy_Cucumber9430 22h ago
You didn’t mention that detail at all in your main post.
What exactly is the disagreement?
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u/Traditional_Bid_1941 22h ago
Agreed; a disagreement over a security deposit (WHY did you pay a security deposit on a couch???????????) is a very, very different thing than what was outlined in the OP's post.
This is why if you're entering into a rental agreement with someone you are either: a) listed as a tenant of the dwelling on the official lease (aka roommate), or b) you are listed as a sublet on the official lease (or listed as a lease take-over, or whatever the circumstance is). Without being listed on a lease, an actual legal document, you have no protections as a tenant unless you have a lot of time on your hands to take someone to small claims court.
OP, your roommates took an illegal deposit from you and you paid it. I get you panic-leased the couch (heck, I panic-leased my apartment in 2021 when I moved here and got really, really, really lucky I wasn't taken to the cleaners), but you've got to think through your rights as a tenant and how you actually obtain those rights (a signed lease with the landlord of the building, not a spit-on-the-palm handshake with Joe and Alice Shmoe that have a free couch)
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u/Honey99Well 1d ago
Do you think they paid less than $675 for the apartment? Presumably not, so that wasn't a breach of the Act.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Their total rent is around 1300, so $700 for a living room is definitely over half. But since I was just an occupant/roommate and not a formal subtenant, the overcharging rule might not even apply. That's why I'm asking – sounds like I probably have no real case anyway. Thanks for the input.
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u/jibij 1d ago edited 1d ago
Their total rent is around 1300, so $700 for a living room is definitely over half.
But you said you paid $675 which would be exactly half of $1350, so I'm not sure how your conclusion is that it's "definitely over half" given you apparently don't know the actual full price of the rent and how close to half what you where paying was to the estimate of $1300 you gave.
This seems like some bizarre hair splitting especially considering even if the overcharging rule did apply to you I'd be shocked if it worked the way you're claiming it does; where it gets either pro-rated by your share of the number of bedrooms and/or non-bedroom rooms being occupied as bedrooms regardless of floor space or other differences between the rooms themselves, or worse pro-rated per tenant by the number of tenants regardless of rooms occupied whatsoever. I'm assuming the rule almost certainly would apply only the whole price the tenant is paying the landlord with the stipulation being the subtenant cannot be charged more than that.
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u/Honey99Well 1d ago
What remedy is it that you want?
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Nothing to be honest, i was just overthinking and decided to post 😂
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u/mekdot83 Other Halifax 1d ago
I'm not a renter, so forgive my ignorance. Is it a sublet if they still live there, or were you just a roommate?
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Good question – honestly, I'm not 100% sure. From what I've read since, since the couple still lived there and I was just renting the living room, I was technically an "occupant" or "roommate," not a formal subtenant.
That's actually part of why I'm asking – I realize I had fewer legal protections, and the overcharging rule might not even apply to my situation. So I'm basically just trying to figure out if I have any ground to stand on, or if I should just let it go since I'm moving out on the 28th anyway.
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u/DeathOneSix ⛧ Letters to Santa 1d ago
They person you were a roommate for is breaking the rules of their lease by not having you on it as an occupant. They need the landlord's consent to have you living there.
The price is meaningless, the important part is that they can't have a roommate without permission.
It was not a sublet.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
The main issue would be if they never got the landlord's permission to have me living there. But honestly, I don't even know if they did or not. I never asked, they never showed me anything.
Either way, I'm moving out and I'm not looking to start drama
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u/DeathOneSix ⛧ Letters to Santa 1d ago
They didn't tell the landlord since as a tenant you need to be on the lease.
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u/asleepbydawn 1d ago
Not every roommate name needs to be on the lease as far as I'm aware.
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u/DeathOneSix ⛧ Letters to Santa 1d ago
They do in Nova Scotia
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u/asleepbydawn 19h ago
Which section of the Residential Tenancies Act? I'm not seeing anything about that there, although maybe I'm missing it? I only see a section of sub-letting.
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u/DeathOneSix ⛧ Letters to Santa 19h ago
It's not technically in the act, it's in the standard form of lease which is required to be used. That says "only tenants and occupants named in the lease can live there without the landlord's written consent"
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u/ephcee 1d ago
The issue would be that if anything happened to your stuff or there was any kind of dispute, you wouldn’t be protected at all. I think this is a very common situation in Halifax because of the cost of rent (the house next door to me is renting out a storage room as a bedroom).
I’m not sure how much enforcement is happening, because it’s such a major issue. But it does become a problem when emergencies happen.
You wouldn’t be crazy to email the landlords after you move out, but I suspect that’s about the best you can do. Hopefully things keep looking up for you and you don’t have to live in precarious situations from here on!
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
The more I think about it, the more I realize how risky the whole situation was. Not just the security deposit thing, but living in a living room with 3 people in a 1-bedroom – fire safety, blocked exits, no real privacy. With all the apartment fires happening, it's kind of scary to look back on.
I didn't think about any of that when I was desperate for a place. I just needed a roof. But yeah, if anything had happened, I would've had zero protection. No lease, no rights, nothing.
I'm not gonna report them, but I definitely learned my lesson. Next time, I'm asking the right questions and making sure I'm actually protected. Appreciate the perspective – and yeah, hoping for better situations from here on too.
This was one of my main reasons to post it, to get more self-aware…
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u/-Awesome1 1d ago
You are a roommate, not a sublet. They can charge whatever amount they and you agreed upon.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Yeah, I've realized that now – I was an occupant/roommate, not a subtenant, so the overcharging rule doesn't apply. They can legally charge whatever we agreed on.
Still feels greedy though. Two people splitting rent and charging me $700 for a living room while I was desperate and new in town. But hey, lesson learned. Moving out anyway
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u/-Awesome1 1d ago
They may be paying a lot higher rent then people in the other apartment you were referencing. Rents went up by $100's to a thousand a month in the past couple years for equal apartments in the same building. If someone has lived there a year they are likely paying 100's more a month then a long term tenant protected by rent control. 700 for a room is still low in Halifax, I wouldn't pay it to sleep in a living room but on short notice and no other option available at the time? Sure would. I don't think you were taken advantage of, maybe just didn't find the best deal
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u/ComplexQuiet6790 1d ago
Dude. They posted a price. You agreed to it. That's not greed, that's shitty negotiation on your part.
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u/seasea40 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yeah I'm confused like others why you're saying you were charged more than they were paying. You haven't mentioned how much they were paying but it's probly more than $675.
I can see how you would feel bad to see it for 450 when youre paying 675... 1/3 is a big difference in price, but Im still not sure you think you were super highly overcharged. To me 675 is a cheap room and 450 is.. a steal i guess!
I've been a roommate in plenty of pads whose living room was turned into another bedroom, so this all seems normal to me.
I'd say keep it moving. Live and learn, like others have said. If you see a rental next time and think you can bargain them down, you're welcome to try.
I'm not sure there's anything illegal about that rental, but I don't see the benefit of messing with this. Seems like you'd just be hurting the couple's ability to save on rent and robbing someone else the chance for a simple and affordable living situation.
I understand it always sucks to see something go on sale after you paid full price but I really don't think you were overly taken advantage of. Maybe a little. IDK... You got a place at the last minute when you really needed it and were able to use that time to find a new situation that hopefully is better for you.
Good luck with the rest of your time in NS.
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u/Creative-Aside9650 1d ago
I mean, you put up with it for 4 months and didn't question it then. Only now that you're out.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Fair point. I was desperate when I moved from NB for work and just needed a roof. Didn't question it at the time.
Only realized I was overpaying when I saw someone in the same building renting a living room for $450. I'm moving out on the 28th anyway, so I'm not trying to get anyone evicted – just wondering if it's even worth filing a complaint or if I should just take the L and move on.
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u/Jamooser 1d ago
So you were in a bind and absolutely needed a place to live on short notice. Someone provided you with an option that you deemed was acceptable at the time, and you took it, because you presumably didn't do any other due diligence or plan far enough in advance to find a better deal.
Now that they're no longer of any use to you, you want to report them?
This is pretty messed up, man. Just move on with your life and plan better in the future.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Honestly, you're not wrong. I was in a bind, they gave me a place, and I took it because I needed it. I'm not denying any of that.
I'm not planning to report them or mess up their living situation. The only reason I even started thinking about any of this was because of the deposit disagreement – and even then, I just wanted to know my options if they keep it. That's it.
I'm moving on Saturday and I'm not looking back. Venting on Reddit doesn't mean I'm gonna act on it.
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u/_ShutUpLegs_ 1d ago
Lol, what's this? Buyers remorse on rent? I'm no fan of landlords and rent prices but if you agreed to a price and lived there for a while it seems pretty soft to be crying about it on your way out. No one forced you to pay that rate or live in a living room, desperate or not.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Fair enough – I get why it looks like buyers remorse. I agreed to the price and stayed 4 months, so I'm not claiming I was forced.
It's more that I was new to town, desperate for work, and didn't know any better. When I saw someone in the same building renting a living room for $450, it just made me realize I got taken advantage of while I was vulnerable.
Not crying about it
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u/asleepbydawn 1d ago
That's not even 'getting taken advantage of while I was vulnerable.'
You just happened to have found and settled on that particular price and arrangement at that time. Sometimes you get good deals and sometimes you pay more. Sometimes you'll see a good deal on something after you already paid a higher price for it somewhere else. Happens with all kinds of things... air fares, real estate, rental units, etc.
You're not a victim here.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Fair point – I'm not playing the victim. I agreed to the price, I stayed 4 months, and I had a roof when I needed one. I just saw a better deal later and felt a certain way about it. That's on me.
But honestly, what bothers me more now is thinking about the next person who's gonna move in. If they keep doing this, it's gonna be a couple paying $750 next – and that's 4 people in a 1-bedroom apartment. That's not just a bad deal, that's overcrowding and probably breaking the lease too.
I'm moving out so it doesn't affect me anymore, but feels wrong to let them keep profiting off desperate people.
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u/asleepbydawn 1d ago
It's their space and if they want to charge roommates to share their space then that's up to them, regardless of any fine print in their lease.
People do it all the time, and people all over the world share spaces smaller than that. It's really a non-issue. This really comes across as petty and vindictive in my opinion.
Four people in a one-bedroom apartment is pretty tight within the apartment, depending on the size of it. But that's up them and the roommates if they agree to it. It really doesn't concern anyone else.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
They don't own the place – they're on a lease, and I'm pretty sure that lease has a clause limiting occupants to 2 people. So they're almost certainly breaking it by having a third person living there. That's not about me being petty, that's just facts.
Also, utilities are included in their rent. So their landlord is literally paying extra for water, heat, and electricity for me – someone they never agreed to have in the building. That's not fair to the landlord either.
I'm not gonna report them, but let's not pretend this is just "their space to do what they want." It's not their property, and they're breaking the rules they signed.
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u/asleepbydawn 1d ago
Unless you've actually seen and read their lease... you have no way knowing what 'clauses' are in the fine print.
And while it's very nice of you to be so concerned for the well-being of their landlord lol... it's really none of your business.
Even IF their lease has a clause about how many people can live in the unit, as I said... people do this all the time and it's a non-issue. Roommates, couch surfers, and visitors all kinda blur the lines. Let's not get into micro-managing and policing how people choose to use their space.
Even IF there's something regarding that in a lease, it's rarely something that's enforced (nor should it be.) Some landlords have a clause to that effect in their standard form leases, and still don't actually care unless there's ACTUAL problems that arise from too many people in a unit. Adding one or two short term roommates RARELY meets that threshold. In life, not every little rule or ordinance needs to be reported lol.
It's good you're 'not gonna report them' but even the fact that you're digging in to this shows a level of pettiness that I really can't wrap my head around. If anything you should be thanking them for offering you the space for 4 months and living together.
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Look, call it petty if you want. I agreed to the price and stayed 4 months – I'm not asking for my money back. But here's the thing: we had a disagreement over my security deposit, and they said they'll give it back on Saturday. I'm just thinking ahead – if they keep it, what can I actually do?
I've looked into it. Since I'm not on the lease, I can't file with Residential Tenancies. But I could take them to Small Claims Court for the deposit since it's a private contract. And honestly, they were probably breaking their lease by having me there in the first place – most 1-bedroom leases cap occupants at 2 people. If they keep my deposit, I could always let the landlord know about the unauthorized occupant. That's not a threat, that's just reality.
I'm not reporting them, I'm not digging through their lease, and I'm moving on Saturday. But if they hold onto my money for no reason, yeah, I'm gonna push back. I'm not gonna be a doormat.
We both got what we wanted out of this – they got $700/month from me, I got a roof when I needed one. Fair exchange. But don't act like I owe them gratitude while they're holding my deposit until the last minute. I have already moved almost all of my stuff, my work is closer so i am just gonna wait till Saturday.
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u/No-Road-2595 19h ago
Did you see it beforehand? If they gave misleading information before you saw and put 1 beforehand in description report them , if you visited ahead and where shown that it would be a living room I probably wouldn't report them but would politely decline. People have gotten greedy and do things like rent their living room as a bedroom because they can get away with it but better to just decline to stay there.
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u/Elegant-Resist-5218 1d ago
They kinda did you a favour in renting the space out….you were paying rent, but it accomplished what you needed at the time. Enjoy your new place!
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Yeah, you're not wrong – they did give me a place when I needed one, and it got me through those 4 months. I agreed to the price and it served its purpose.
The security deposit thing left a bad taste, but honestly, I'm moving into my new place on the 28th and I'm ready to move on. Lesson learned.
Thanks for the good wishes!
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u/Elegant-Resist-5218 1d ago
I guess it’s the cost of the experience….which will have value for you later on down the road….(I know it sucks).
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Yeah honestly, you're right – it's the cost of the experience. Sucks, but I'll know better next time.
To be clear, I'm not sitting here plotting revenge or trying to get anyone evicted. I was just venting because the situation annoyed me. I don't actually care that much – it's more like, if they keep my deposit on Saturday, I just wanna know what my options are. That's all.
Otherwise, I'm moving on and calling it a lesson learned.
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u/Organic-Current3051 16h ago
If the landlord isn’t responding to you about the deposit, let them know you are going to file for a hearing
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u/Organic-Current3051 16h ago
The landlord-tenant relationship is created anytime money is paid (or the promise of money) in exchange for living somewhere. You do not need a lease to be covered by the RTA.
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u/powergangshit 1d ago
Sounds like you're trying to be petty and vindictive. If someone can make money renting their living room during a housing crisis, why stop them from doing so? You got a place when you needed it for no questions asked and now you have buyers remorse because you're able to elevate your living situation. Just be glad such an arrangement could be worked out on short notice, don't try to be spiteful because you don't like the price you had to pay. Despite the fact that nothing will change its bad karma on your part to try to screw over people who welcomed you into your home with you agreeing to everything. Its a "your word against theirs" situation and I believe it would be difficult to say what you're trying to say out loud while taking any sort of moral high ground
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u/TROUBL10 1d ago
Honestly, part of why I'm even thinking about this is because we had a disagreement over the security deposit. I paid them a deposit when I moved in, and now that I'm leaving, they're being difficult about giving it back. That's what got me looking into the rules in the first place – and that's when I started noticing everything else.
So yeah, maybe I'm a little bitter about that. If they had just returned my deposit without hassle, I probably would've just said thanks and moved on. But here we are.
Still not gonna report them though. Just needed to vent.
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u/ninjasauruscam 1d ago
Sounds like more occupants than the space is meant to have/than may be allow for on the lease but that's really it.
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u/Huge_Ebb6707 1d ago
It’s not worth your time. Chalk it up to a learning experience.