hi.
i'm sorry to make this long, but i've been
thinking about the furnace all day and i've got a number of fairly
serious concerns. i wish i had brought these up to you before things got
underway, but it wasn't clear to me exactly what was going on and i
sort of assumed things would be done in a way that was up to certain
regulations.
i want to state up front that i'm not
going to go running to any kind of regulatory body. i mean, it's an
option that exists, but i'm not one to bring the government in to deal
with issues lightheartedly - that's an extreme step that i would
consider an absolute last resort. i'd probably move out before i did
that. i think that would ruin the tenant-landlord relationship, which
i'd rather keep cordial and positive. but, there's a lot of things about
this that aren't sitting right with me.
to begin with, i want to point out that the idea of running an air vent between units is prohibited by ontario law.
6.2.3.9. Interconnection of Systems
(1)
In a residential occupancy, air from one suite shall not be circulated
to any other suite or to a public corridor or public stairway.
that's pretty clear, and it's exactly what the return systems are doing.
now,
i want to be clear that this does not bother me, personally, as a
tenant. i think it may concern your brother due to noise and temperature
issues, as i don't keep regular hours and i'm likely to keep the
windows open if the air gets out of hand. but, as a practical matter, i
don't really care.
further, i've pointed out repeatedly that i plan to inhabit this unit for many years moving forwards, conditions allowing.
but,
flaunting the law on that point is going to make the unit unrentable in
the future should something happen that will force me to move out. i
think it's worth questioning the wisdom of carrying on that path, for
that reason.
further, the aesthetic changes attached to
running open ducts and condensation pipes through here are dramatic.
this is really a very nice unit. is it really worth damaging it's
aesthetic quality to such an extreme point to save costs on electricity?
put another way, what's the use of reducing the costs in the unit if
you make it unmarketable (or drastically reduce it's market value) in
the process of doing so?
i suppose the pipes could be drywalled over. but, that return vent is a more serious issue.
as
your existing tenant, something i'm more seriously concerned about is
fire code issues. i don't know the specifics about what exists upstairs,
so i don't want to jump to any conclusions, but i've reviewed the fire
code and i'm EXTREMELY SKEPTICAL that what exists upstairs is permitted
by law. i'm sure you expect your brother to inhabit the unit for many
years as well, but that's another issue that i think requires some
thought.
my one request is as follows: as a matter of
practicality regarding my safety as a tenant, i would request that you
have the situation inspected to ensure that all fire codes are met. i
think that's well within my rights as a tenant, and i think it's a more
than reasonable (and not at all confrontational) request.
j
