Ontario Tenant and Landlord Rights

Landlord and Tenant Rights Overview

Landlord and Tenant Rights are the fundamental building blocks for development of legal protections and/or standards in housing and housing accommodations in the private rental market.

In Canada, these rights vary from province to province, differing in unique ways based on their historical and geographical context. To keep things simple, we are going to focus on landlord and tenant rights in Ontario.

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Housing Policy and Programs in Canada

Immigration and industrialization contributed to increases in population, combined with post-war economic and social conditions contributing to population booms and busts and the need to compete in the global market — Canada has developed a perpetual need for housing.

Canadian governments have intervened in the private housing market to stimulate the economy and help Canadian citizens in need, but it’s a delicate balance that often tilts in favour of the economy.

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Rental Housing Policy in Ontario

Rental housing policy was first introduced to Ontario under the National Housing Act (1944) to protect low-income families and veterans returning from WWII.

Though after lobbying by developers and the private market, the NHA was repealed in less than a decade, but as we learned above, the act would make it necessary reappearance in Canadian law, largely excluding the legislative regulations governing rental housing.

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Basics of the Residential Tenancy Act (Landlord/Tenant)

This section is a brief overview of the Residential Tenancy Act currently governing landlord and tenant relations in Ontario.

The goal here is to develop an understanding of landlord and tenant rights and responsibilities as outlined by the Act as it relates to residential rental accommodations.

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Basics of the Residential Tenancy Act (Cooperatives)

Interestingly enough, housing cooperatives are included in the residential tenancy act - for obvious reason including the fact that they are a form of residential housing - despite being generally governed by a different set/combination of federal and provincial legislation, specifically the Canada Cooperative Act (1998) and the Co-operative Corporations Act (1990).

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