There has to be more to this story. Has to be a LOT of boxes along with a possible ignitor for the fire marshall to cite her. If the boxes are being stored too near a water heater or furnace etc. yeah. Boxes blocking egress? But boxes stacked against a wall or in the center of a room with plenty of walk around room?.....that's a stretch.

I was involved in the management of apartment buildings and complexes for many years and I would say that the manager did exactly what should have been done...I don't imagine he would give her a bad reference just because she had a lot of moving boxes but it is certainly a big fire hazard to have them there for any length of time...and I suggest that the fire marshal had an obligation to inspect. I find it a little strange that moving boxes would upset anyone unless there was something going on with the boxes...like having them stacked floor to ceiling in most of the apartment or packed with a lot of paper etc etc...People are expected to move and to have moving boxes so something sounds a little strange...Did you actually see what she was talking about or just have her description?...If she is really creating a fire hazard, then he has every right to give her the notice to vacate...

She can call the Tribunal tomorrow to get the answers to any questions she has. They are very accessible to people. I call them all the time for work.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board

Landlords all too often throw fits more over ego and power trips than anything else. That's nothing to be concerned about. However if the fire inspector wrote the neighbor up there's something more to it. They're normally far more rational. The letter should have clearly identified the concern. Obviously giving a week for cleanup suggests there's more than we know to the story.

"My neighbour has a huge amount of stuff in boxes, a lot of them, because she's packing."

Wouldn't she have the same amount of stuff if it was not in boxes and was just set around the room and sitting in drawers and closets??

It should make no difference if she moves items into boxes for moving. (That is unless the boxes were in an inappropriate place like wildchild said.) In that case, the LL could have just told her to shove the boxes over a couple of feet out of the way of whatever it was that the boxes were bothering.

"She'll have things cleaned up by next week".

This is a "clue" to the real problem I think.

Thanks guys,
She does have a lot of stuff. I was in there. There are boxes piled high, but none in the way of an electrical/heat source.

Dilly-dally...."cleaned up" was my wording. I didn't mean that it was filthy or anything like you see on the tv shows. But she does have a week to get things back to normal.

Her beef, and mine is that the landlord didn't call her and speak with her one-on-one and suggest that she get rid of the boxes. She went right to the fire marshall. The landlord is a B, and has a huge ego. My next-door neighbour who is 80 has lived here for 35 years. Rules get changed, and new supers come and go (two turn-overs in the past 3 years). When lady asked why the changes, the B said "If you don't like it, move."
She would rather get rid of a quiet, senior who keeps her home immaculate and doesn't cause any problems, than explain or reverse the changes she incorporates. Lots of seniors here that have been here forever, and that's her attitude. You can really see that she's having trouble renting, or just doesn't care, when you see the types of curtains in one of the apartments....mismatched and drooping. Very unfortunate. It's a stunning building.....gorgeous views (I've posed some on the thread of the day), and each floor has their own laundry room. That's the best part!

Are these apartments under rent control? If so the landlord may be hoping to move the old tenants out so the rents can be brought up to current values.

We have cities like that in California where people have been living in the same apartment for decades where the rent can't be raised unless tenancy changes. San Francisco has/had that problem for landlords I believe.

In Ontario, the landlord can only raise the rent a preset amount each year. This is preset by the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board. This year it is 1.8%, I think. A landlord can't raise the rent more than that unless he has done extensive work and has permission from the Board.

I found this on a website discussing the Residential Tenancies Act in Ontario.

Q7. To what properties does the rent increase guideline apply?

A7. The guideline applies to most private residential rental accommodation covered by the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006. The guideline does not apply to residential dwellings first occupied on or after November 1, 1991; nor does it apply to social housing units and nursing homes. For these units, the RTA does not limit the amount by which a landlord can increase the rents.

So just as I thought the landlord benefits from getting rid of older tenants. In this case those who were residents before 1991. Unless they are being literal and mean being first occupied by anyone at all. I doubt it though. It's not the case in many rent controlled areas in the states at least. Only older tenants have the safety valve of rent controls. New ones start at any level the landlord chooses or what the market will bear.