Canada

Can he sue the landlord? It sounds like he's already paid way too much to fight this, but it also feels like active fraud on the landlord's part: "his landlord had given a Canadian address on the deed of sale when she purchased the unit; she had a Canadian social insurance number; and his rent cheques were going to a TD Canada account in Montreal."

Also, if this is a thing, why the fuck is the CRA letting someone accrue six years worth of arrears before informing them. They should be obligated to notify the renter yearly (at least) or forfeit any interest.

I mean really, all of that is moot, as the rule is completely ludicrous to begin with. It sounds to me like the people who implemented the rule (and the ones defending it) have never been renters themselves. Like you're supposed to ask a potential landlord for their fucking financials? They'll laugh in your face and move on to the next sap. Total bullshit.