The Landlord Tenant Board In Ontario: What It Is And When It Is Needed

Formally regarded as the Ontario Rental Housing Tribunal, the Landlord Tenant Board in Ontario is the adjudicative tribunal that oversees the resolution of disputes between residential landlords and tenants in Ontario. The board operates under the Residential Tenancy Acts of 2006. It is one of the eight tribunals that make up the Social Justice Tribunals Ontario.

The history of the board dates back to the Government of Mike Harris that enacted the Tenant Protection Act in 1998. The purpose of establishing the quasi-judicial body was to remove most residential disputes from the court system. The act and the tribunal were considered biased and favorable to landlords by some individuals prompting the government of Dalton McGuinty to replace it with the current act that governs the current tribunal with the new name, Landlord and Tenant Board.

The major objective of the Landlord Tenant Board in Ontario is to resolve disputes between landlords of residential buildings and their tenants. They also deal with eviction applications that are filed by non-profit housing co-operatives. The board will also provide information about its practices as well as the responsibilities of landlords and tenants under the act.

When You Need the Board

The Landlord Tenant Board caters to landlords and tenants in Ontario alike. There are different reasons why a landlord or a tenant may write to the board. Eviction is only one of the many reasons. Typically, it is expected that individuals try to settle their differences through mediation and other means before appearing for an adjudication hearing.

For a landlord, the need for the Landlord Tenant Board will arise when there is need to increase the rent of a unit above the rent control guidelines of the province. When a landlord needs to evict a tenant for any reason at all in Ontario, he/she also needs to apply to the LTB. The reason must be concrete for the board to entertain the application.

For a tenant, applying to the Landlord Tenant Board in Ontario becomes necessary when there is need to dispute an eviction. A tenant may also apply to the board for a rent reduction or rebate: this will have to be backed by tangible reason like the failure of landlords to meet maintenance obligations. A tenant can also apply for work orders or any other orders when there is a violation of the Residential Tenancies Acts by a landlord.

The Landlord Tenant Board in Ontario is a highly useful tribunal established to carter for landlords and tenants without bias. With the changes that have been made over time, the board is already an efficient institution that protects the rights of tenants and landlords.

For more information about the Landlord Tenant Board in Ontario or if you will like a well-experienced paralegal to represent you in your Landlord & Tenant case, get in touch with us today at Civil Litigations Paralegal Services. We are always ready to dedicate every resource at our disposal to give you a strong representation in your case.Landlord Tenant Board Ontario You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MariaDB server version for the right syntax to use near ‘AND ba.deleted != 1 AND bb.deleted != 1’ at line 1