This Toronto man is still owed over $55K and finally getting his condo back after 4-Year ‘harrowing’ fight with tenant — Is being a landlord still worth it?

Narinder Singh and his wife are relieved after their four-year nightmare tenant experience has finally ended.

The Brampton, Ontario man told Global News that his tenant, Deeqa Rafle, owes $55,177.85 in unpaid rent and utilities.

Singh claims that Rafle did not pay her rent consistently for the four years she lived at the Singh’s 32nd-floor Toronto condo.

“Squatters like her, they’re well aware of how to abuse the system, to what length they can abuse and they take full advantage of it,” Singh said in an interview.

How did Rafle get away with it?

“Harrowing experience”

Soon after Rafle moved into the luxury condo, she began complaining and asking for rent adjustments.

She then failed to pay rent consistently and also neglected to pay some utilities for which she was responsible.

The Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board (OLTB) ordered Rafle to pay Singh the maximum amount within the board’s jurisdiction, $35,000. However, this leaves an outstanding balance over over $55K.

During the legal process, Rafle told the OLTB that she was behind on the $2,600 monthly rent because of being hospitalized and unable to work for some time, and she hired a lawyer to appeal the board’s decision to evict her.

Landlord and Tenant Board member, Diane Wade, denied the appeal, and on November 25, Global News was there alongside Singh and his wife to watch Sheriff representatives carry out the eviction process.

“I’m at a loss for words, this has been a harrowing experience,” Singh told Global News.

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Is being a landlord worth it?

Singh is far from the only landlord who has had issues with tenants.

Yvonne Folkes from Brampton, Ontario spoke to Global News in 2024 about her tenant who owed her $32,000. That tenant eventually moved out but the money was still outstanding at the time, according to Folkes.

So, is being a landlord worth it?

The Small Ownership Landlords of Ontario (SOLO) is a not-for-profit organization that helps landlords with investment properties. SOLO says the regulatory system is often a burden for “mom and pop” landlords.

“The non-payment of rent can financially destroy small landlords. We have seen some of our members lose their investment homes and even their primary residences to power of sale after failing to keep up with mortgage payments,” said Varun Sriskanda, a member of SOLO’s board of directors.

“On a regular basis I hear stories of small landlords that are continuing to fall victim to unscrupulous tenants,” he said.

Ontario Landlords Association (OLA) is a community association set up to help landlords understand the laws and to “create Landlord-Tenant relationships.”

With resources, including forums, credit and criminal check services, and an education centre with “tips and tricks,” the OLA is a place for residential landlords to share their knowledge.

The website also links to the Residential Tenancies Act, which outlines important rules including, in the case of the Singhs, what a landlord can do when a tenant fails to pay their rent.

Another resource for landlords and tenants alike is Tribunals Ontario, which is where they can resolve disputes through the Landlord and Tenant Board. The site has detailed information on filing a complaint, the hearing process and how to end tenancy disputes.

Singh, who runs a dry-cleaning business, doesn’t think he will ever get reimbursed the outstanding $55K. He and his wife saved “penny by penny” for the condo as an investment for their retirement.

Sriskanda told Global News, “The risks are too high, and small landlords are bearing the brunt of Ontario’s housing crisis.”