Dear Urban Diplomat: Is my landlord allowed to store junk in my backyard?

Dear Urban Diplomat,
Recently, my landlord said he was doing some “spring cleaning” and that he would be moving some things onto our property. So far, he’s left a big ugly couch on the porch, an old barbecue in the backyard and several rickety bikes in the basement. He told us to “use anything we want,” as if he’s doing us a favour. Needless to say, we don’t want any of this stuff in our space. I get that it’s his property, but we’re paying to be there. Can I tell him to get rid of his junk?
—Storage Wars, Humewood-Cedarvale

According to the Landlord and Tenant Act, landlords can’t substantially interfere with a tenant’s reasonable enjoyment of their living space. First, voice your discomfort to the landlord. If he keeps treating your rental like the set of Sanford and Son, file a complaint with the Landlord and Tenant Board, which will ultimately determine what constitutes “reasonable enjoyment.”

Dear Urban Diplomat,
I found an amazing deal on a basement apartment in High Park. It’s close to transit, and—wait for it—includes heat, electricity, my own washer and dryer and Internet for just under $1,500 a month. My problem is the landlords’ Labradors, who start barking and scuttling across the floor at 5 a.m. I work late and sometimes I don’t get home until 2 a.m., which means I’m seriously sleep deprived. I sent them a kindly worded note, but they said they wouldn’t make any changes. If I move, I’ll have to give up this great deal. Is there anything I can do?
—Totally Pooched, High Park

No living situation is perfect. Apart from those noisy dogs, it sounds like you’ve hit the apartment jackpot, so don’t be hasty in throwing it all away over a little dispute with your landlord. First, get yourself some noise-cancelling earplugs or a white-noise machine. As a last resort, you might gently ask your landlords if they’d consider getting some rugs to dull the scuffling, and try doing it in person rather than sending a passive-aggressive missive. These solutions are much cheaper than the $500 a month extra you’d be paying elsewhere.

Dear Urban Diplomat,
My neighbour has a backyard composter. It’s highly admirable, but her giant bin of food scraps is attracting rats the size of shoeboxes. I’d like to suggest that she bring her operation indoors, but I’d rather not start a neighbourly spat that’s ultimately more traumatizing than the occasional rodent sighting. Any suggestions?
—Ratted Out, East York

It’s reasonable to voice your concerns: what starts as an occasional rodent sighting could quickly turn into a family of rats living under your stove. Explain to your neighbour that while you support her eco-ambitions, you’re worried about those four-legged invaders sneaking into your house. Ask her to find a secure bin, or better yet, since your neighbour is probably equally wary of a rat infestation, join forces to encourage them to dine elsewhere.