u/toonies_

I'm an Richmond Hill small landlord who owns only one property. I’m dealing with a stressful situation and need advice from people who've been through similar things.

Background:  The tenant made several unauthorized alterations to the property, including changing the front door lock at the start of the tenancy, replacing a 3-year-old kitchen range hood, and installing warm water bidet pipes on all toilets,etc. He refused to provide a spare key for emergencies several times.None of these changes were communicated to me beforehand, which clearly breaches the lease agreement. I only discovered these major changes when I visited the property to install the CO detectors. At that time, he and his wife asked that I pay for these unnecessary 'upgrades' and lower their monthly rent,I refused.

After 2 weeks, he gave 60-day notice by text and email that he wanted to end the lease and move out for a cheaper condo, I still chose to reimburse him $205 for the water tank rental out of sheer good faith.Following his notice, we spoke by phone and I offered a revised rent amount in good faith to see if we could reach an agreement. He counter-proposed a price that was not feasible for me, so we were unable to come to terms. I promptly requested that he sign the N9 form to formalize this arrangement, but he had chosen to remain silent. I have never pushed him out. I began preparing based on our calls.

Showing issues: The tenant refused two days of showings without explanation. I texted that I'd come by to retrieve the front door key (which the landlord is entitled to). I spoke only with his mother-in-law and the eldest daughter at the door — no entry. That was the exact moment I found out he and his wife were at the hospital. As soon as I realized the situation, I immediately apologized for the poorly timed visit.Later that same day, a showing agent showed the unit without my leasing agent's confirmation, but the mother-in-law permitted showing entry at the door. I wasn’t aware of any of this until I received his call.

Weaponizing: The tenant called at 9:20pm that late night, yelled at me, and threatened to call the police and sue me for “assaulting his two younger daughters.” He insulted me by calling me an animal, and falsely claimed that I harassed him during his hospital stay.I was caught off guard and stayed quiet,but I was trembling. Because I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I honestly felt like he had completely lost his mind.Once I learned about the showing agent’s unprofessional conduct, I immediately texted him to explain the situation and apologize.He left me with no response.

Ever since he threatened me, I haven’t been able to sleep for days. My daily life and work have been severely affected. I even need help to process the emotional pain and anxiety. He knows I am living alone and still harrassed me with aggressive calls and texts late at night.   

What I did after: I fired my leasing agent next day, de-listed the property for a month, and gave the tenant space as he mentioned a kidney pain.

Now: This week, I obtained his explicit permission to show the unit to my friend. However,he's texting me back (see screenshot) claiming I "insulted his family" and demanding compensation negotiation. I thought we had moved past his false claims after a few weeks of silence, but now he is bringing them up again to target me.

I need help. How do I shut down a toxic tenant like this? And how do I protect my own energy from being drained by all this?