(no subject)

[jaala]

To update the rat situation: If you're a member of the ON RMCA forum, here's the background. I didn't pick up the rats on Sunday but I'm still considering doing so. More on that later.

According to the Ontario Tenant Protection Act, I'm allowed to have any pet, regardless of "no pets" clauses, unless it (in the words of the summary here):

• caused undue damage,
• caused a serious allergic reaction in another person or the landlord,
• interfered with the normal enjoyment of the property by another tenant or the landlord, for example, causing undue noise,
• acted aggressively to others – thus affecting their safety, or
• is a species or breed of animal that is inherently dangerous

Quite frankly, I don't see their justification in that for prohibiting all rodents. (I've read the original wording in the Act too.) I think that if the landlords tried to evict me for owning two rats, their application would probably not be approved by the Housing Tribunal. The manager claimed that their justification for picking and choosing which animals are allowed is in a City of Kingston by-law. This is the only Kingston by-law that concerns animals and it contains nothing relevant to the situation.

So the question now is whether I gather the legal evidence and challenge them, or give up and get a cat instead. A cat would be far less well-suited to my lifestyle but if I could find one content to live in a bachelor apartment it would probably work out. Some have suggesed I get a rat surreptitiously; personally, I don't think that's desirable or even feasible. The management might grudgingly allow me to get a rat if I argued the point, but the conflict might well ruin my positive relations with the staff.

Thoughts?