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This a website published by the Province of Ontario.  It outlines the new revisions to the Residential Tenancy Act.  These changes were made to help landlords and tenants. They are also aimed on improving investment in rental markets in Ontario.  Some of these changes become effective this year. This website also outlines the new Ontario standard lease that becomes effective April 30, 2018.

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Home > Your Ministry > Housing > Rental Housing > Residential Tenancies Act

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What Are The New Rules For Ontario Landlords in 2017?

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What Are The New Rules For Ontario Landlords in 2017?

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This is a website published by the Ontario Landlord Association.  It provides many sources of information and assistance to Landlords.  Landlords can access many different communities within the province and it provides links to other provinces.

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There are lots of new rules for landlords in Ontario in 2017

With new legislation coming to Ontario to protect tenants our province-wide landlord community wants changes to also protect good small landlords & investors who provide high quality, affordable rental housing in Ontario

With property prices increasing in Ontario the provincial government announced they would be making some important policy changes that would protect tenants and home buyers and owners.

There was to be a bunch of comprehensive measures which would bring stability to the housing market. This made many small residential landlords interested in what would happen.

As home-owners who run rental businesses, small landlords are important stake-holders in Ontario. None of us wants instability and a lot of landlords were looking forward to the announcement of the new measures to strengthen the housing market and rental industry in our province.

What Are the New Rules For Landlords?

The Premier, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Housing spoke at the press conference on April 20th. The weather was a bit wet and the sparrows were making sure their chirps where heard (as the Housing Minister noted at the press conference).

Our community networked and lots of us viewed the Ontario Premier's YouTube Channel to watch the press conference. We were eager to find out what the new rules would be to help make the housing market more stable to help tenants and landlords and improve the Ontario rental industry.

Among the changes was a 15% foreign speculation tax, changes to allow municipalities to discuss creating their own vacancy taxes, and allowing some surplus lands be made available for rental property construction.

There was also talk of of big changes to the way landlords can do business in Ontario under what is called Ontario's Fair Housing Plan.

The announced changes included:
1. Newer Rentals Will Covered By the Rent Control Guideline
If your property was built after 1991 your property will now be covered by the rent increase guideline.

This means you can no longer raise the rent as much as you want to cover your costs. The 2017 rent increase guideline is only 1.5% New condo owners will now be covered by the rent increase guideline.

2. Utilities Can't Be The Reason For Your Above Rent Increase Guideline Application

So it utilities go up a lot you can't raise the rent for this reason.

3. Own Use Application Will Mean You Have To Pay Your Tenant 1 Month Of Rent

You can also offer them another acceptable unit to rent.

4 Standardized Rental Documents

The government will prepare and distribute certain documents that landlords will be required to use.

Ontario's Fair Housing Plan And Changes To How Landlords Can Run Their Rental Properties

While landlords understand the importance of protecting tenants, many in our community have serious concerns over these changes. For example:

Many new condo landlords invested in condos over other types of properties (and invested in rental properties over other types of investment vehicles) because they had the flexibility of raising their rents annually in order to cover any increasing costs (like maintenance fees, etc.)

By including post 1991 properties under the Rent Increase Guideline it may lead to many landlords/investors selling their rentals and thus causing the number of rental units to decline in Ontario.

Many members of our landlord community list rising costs of operating their rental businesses as one of their biggest worries. If utilities increase dramatically it will have a strong negative impact on small landlords.

It may even lead to more landlords renting out "non-inclusive" of utilities leading to more pressure on tenants.

Our community believes this will have a strong negative impact on both small landlords and tenants.

Many aspects of the landlord tenant relationship are not covered in the Residential Tenancies Act.

Our most experienced and successful small residential landlords like to get everything agreed to by all parties at the beginning of a tenancy. They make sure everything is clear and everyone understands what has been agreed upon.

With a strong and clear comprehensive residential tenancy agreement ("lease") things such as laundry use, shared common spaces and shared driveways can be agreed upon prior to a tenancy beginning to avoid potential confusion or conflict later on. A good lease with agreed upon clauses helps both good landlords and good tenants.

Let's Include A Lot More in the Ontario Fair Housing Plan To Protect Small Landlords

Last year the Province contacted us and said they wanted ideas and suggestions on how make changes to the Residential Tenancies Act and the Landlord and Tenant Board to encourage more people to invest in rental properties in Ontario.

So we asked our community for some ideas on how to improve the rental industry and had a huge response from places ranging from Thunder Bay to Hamilton to the Niagara Region, Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston, etc.

Thousands of ideas were presented and the OLA made a submission to the Provincial Ontario government.

Since changes are being made to the Residential Tenancies Act now with the Ontario Fair Housing Plan let's take this opportunity for true comprehensive changes and improvements to overhaul the current system and help both good landlords and good tenants and improve the entire Ontario rental industry!

Here are just some of the changes our landlord community would like to see happen soon:

(1) Landlords Should Be Able To Charge A Damage Deposit If All Parties Agree

This was a very popular idea within our community. By making sure tenants have some "skin in the game" they will be more careful in the rental unit and won't leave garbage or needed repairs when they move out.

As it is now, landlords will need to go to Small Claims Court to recover their losses. And when tenants moving out leave garbage and damages behind it hurts new tenants who are moving in the same day.

Our community lists the need for a damage deposit as one of the key changes needed to improve the Ontario rental industry.

(2) No Pets Should Mean "No Pets" (and we need to be able to charge a pet deposit)

The overwhelming response in our community is a love for pets.

The issue is some tenants don't take care of their pets properly and that means damages to the rental unit.

We have many landlords who have stories of dog and cat urine soaked carpets. And tenants saying they don't have pets, and then bringing in lots of dogs and cats the same day they move in.

The OLA has suggested a "pet deposit" that pet-owning tenants could pay to help ease the financial fears of having people move in and having pets lead to thousands of dollars in damages.

To be fair to tenants, a Toronto landlord suggested if there are no "pet damages" their deposit will be fully refunded and tenants will have a way to make sure it happens. If for some reason it's not, the tenant can go to the LTB to get it back in a simple, easy and fast manner.

(3) We Need a Quicker and More Efficient Way To Evict Non-Paying Tenants

It can now take months and even years for landlords to evict non-paying tenants. If you want to encourage more people to invest in rentals in Ontario this needs to change.

For example, we should change the N4 period to receive rent from 14 days down to something more reasonable such as a week or 48 hours.

Hearings at the Landlord and Tenant Board should be guaranteed to be held within 14 days.

If the Enforcement Office cannot evict a tenant with a week, landlords need to be able to hire private bailiffs to fulfill and eviction order.

(4) Fast Evictions for Tenants Who Harm Other Tenants, Their Landlord, Or Seriously Damage The Rental

While this may sound a bit ridiculous for non-landlords, tenants who harass other tenants or their landlords is the reality for many of us.

This needs to change and landlords need a fast and efficient way to evict in these situations. A system such as Alberta landlords have would be a good policy for Ontario.

(5) When a Lease Ends Tenants Shouldn't Automatically Become "Month by Month"
Tenants In Ontario tenants have 'security of tenancy'. This means even when a mutually agreed upon lease is signed with a date for the termination of the lease, tenants can still stay on as monthly tenants afterwards.

This can become a real problem for small landlords as it doesn't allow for any business certainty for future actions.

One Ottawa landlord wrote "In the province of Ontario it's far easier to divorce your husband than it is to end a relationship with a tenant renting your basement."

Is this the type of policy that encourages more good people to invest in rental properties in Ontario? No.

Many new landlords are not aware of security of tenancy laws in Ontario and are shocked when they find out.

(6) How About Different Rules for Corporate Landlords & Small Landlords With Rentals of 3 Or Less Units

We know there are problems in many of the big rental buildings out there.

By helping creating a fairer and more just system for small landlords there would be more investment in the industry and more rental properties available for tenants.

For example, small landlords can't afford an expensive legal team to represent them at the LTB.

We also don't have thousands of units, so one non-paying tenant can lead to extreme financial and emotion stress on the small landlord.

A better system that protects small landlords would also encourage more investment by people who would be excellent, service-oriented housing providers.

These are people such as teachers, mechanics, dentists, nurses and all sorts of working people who want to invest in residential rental properties as a business and a way to help themselves financially.

New Rules For Ontario Landlords in 2017

With all the new changes many in our community are asking "what about rights for small landlords?"

How about we work together for a system that helps both good tenants and good landlords? Let's improve the Ontario rental industry and let's do it now!

Let's Support Small Landlords And Investors Who Create So Many Great Rental Properties For Tenants!

Tags: Ontario landlord rules 2017, Ontario Rent Control

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What Are The New Rules For Ontario Landlords in 2017? " Ontario Landlords Association

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There are lots of new rules for landlords in Ontario in 2017 With new legislation coming to Ontario to protect tenants our province-wide landlord community wants changes to also protect good small landlords & investors who provide high quality, affordable rental housing in Ontario With property prices increasing in Ontario the provincial government announced they would be making some important policy changes that would protect tenants and home buyers and owners.

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The Landlord and Tenant Board website provides information to Landlords and Tenants to assist them in solving problems and disputes.  It follows rules outlined in the Residential Tenancy Act. This website also provides information to Landlords and Tenant about their responsibility. It is a board that operates under the Social Justice Tribunals Ontario.

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Important Notice

Service Alert, for Landlord and Tenant Board, 150 King Street, St. Catharines ON L2R7R4, MTO Building Ground Floor Room A. Due to the detection of an unidentified odour, the St. Catharines hearings site of the Landlord and Tenant Board is closed. All hearings scheduled for today (Thursday March 29, 2018) have been postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date.

Our offices will be closed on Monday, April 2 for Easter Monday.

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Important Notice Service Alert, for Landlord and Tenant Board, 150 King Street, St. Catharines ON L2R7R4, MTO Building Ground Floor Room A. Due to the detection of an unidentified odour, the St. Catharines hearings site of the Landlord and Tenant Board is closed.

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When landlords and tenants have a dispute, an application can be made to the Landlord and Tenant Board to help resolve this dispute.  This video provides information about what happens on a hearing day.  ‘A mediator is appointed by the board to help resolve the dispute before the hearing.  If the problem is resolved with the mediator, then the hearing is cancelled.  If the problem is not resolved with the mediator, then a hearing is usually held on the same day.  At the hearing both the landlord and tenant can present their side of the story and their evidence. They can ask questions and call witnesses.  The member of the board hears the application and can ask questions to either party.  At the end of the hearing both parties present a summary of their side of the story.  The member of the board will decide after the hearing and will mail a copy of the decision/order to both the landlord and the tenant’.

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Landlord and tenant board. Your Hearing Day.

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On the day of your Hearing you have to sign in to make sure the Board is aware of your attendance. Tenants have the opportunity to receive free legal advice from Tenant Duty Counsel. As a landlord, you don't receive the same.

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This video is about the new standardized lease agreement that must be used by all Ontario landlords beginning on April 30th, 2018.  As a landlord this agreement is mandatory and if you don’t comply you can be charged a fine. The video goes on to explain interesting changes to legal requirements that will affect a Landlord or tenant rights. The video also speaks about processes that will now be formalized such as keeping record of payment and complying with the appropriate forms to be completed if rent is late, there has been damage to the property, etc.

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New Standard Lease Form (Ontario) - Breakdown

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Basic Tenant & Landlord  Responsibilities 

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Basic Tenant & Landlord  Responsibilities 

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This picture shows the basic responsibilities of a Landlord and a Tenant.  The landlord has to follow all these responsibilities.  This brief description allows the tenant and the landlord to understand their rights for the Provincial Tenancies Act.  This picture does not include all their duties.

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responsibilities of landlord - Google Search

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Landlord Fights For Months To Evict Career By The National

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Landlord Fights For Months To Evict Career By The National

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This video is about two different landlords’ experience dealing with a bad tenant. The video explains that it can be hard for a landlord to deal with tenants that do not pay or do illegal things such as rent out an apartment although they are not the owner. In both situations the Landlord had to access the Landlord and Tenant Board to sue the Tenant for unpaid fees, but had to wait months to process paperwork. This can allow the tenant to stay free and becomes very costly to the landlord. This video shows some of the responsibilities as well as difficulties that a landlord can face when dealing with tenants. The video goes on to say that there is ‘not much sympathy for the landlord’ which can put landlords in a situation that they have to increase their rent to recoup their losses.

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Landlord fights for months to evict career criminal tenant

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Landlords must have a valid reason to evict a tenant.  The landlord must give the tenant a written notice that details the reason the tenant is being evicted. These reasons are outline in the Residential Tenancy Act.  The landlord must first obtain an order from the Landlord and Tenant Board.  This picture outlines some reasons a landlord can evict a tenant.  It also shows the corresponding number of days a notice for eviction can be given.

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Options A Landlord Can Use When Dealing ith A Tenant

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Options A Landlord Can Use When Dealing ith A Tenant

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These are two options that the Landlord can use when dealing with a Tenant.  The Landlord and Tenant Board, helps to mediate between the landlord and tenant to come to an agreement.  This agreement is enforceable.  If the tenant decides not follow through, the landlord can use a sheriff to enforce an eviction order and Small Claims Court for any money owed.