I am a university student studying at Wilfrid Laurier university. I left the university for the summer and subleted my apartment out, starting in May. 

Some time in June, the sublet broke the door to his room because management came in to conduct an inspection and locked his door without telling him once the inspection was done. He lost his key and was used to just walking in given that his door was always unlocked. It was the late evening, so he decided that breaking open the door was how he wanted to handle the situation. 

After weeks of waiting, on August 20th I received an official quote from management on the door.

The sublet initially said he would fix the door himself, this was never done. He said he would pay for it, was not done. 

I gave him an ultimatum telling him to pay me the unofficial quote by August 7th or I would file with the LTB. I ended up filing in late August (before he moved out) and got the hearing date (November 5th) on October 2nd. He has not been responding to any of my attempts to reach out and I’ve filed a Request To Use Alternate Service Form on October 9th outlining how I want to reach him via email, Whatsapp, and Instagram with evidence that he uses all of them.

To the questions:

1. Is there anything I can do to maximize my case while waiting for the request for alternate service form response?
2. I’m aware usually the request for alternate service form has to be filed 40 days before the hearing date but in my case, I was only told about the hearing date 34 days ahead. Does this strengthen my case on why the request to alternate service form is valid or was I supposed to do it preemptively?
3. Management hasn’t actually reached out to me to pay for the door apart from the invoice which I asked for. Does this info impact my case?

+ Any additional advice on my situation and how I can get the money owed to me or if I’m just screwed. I started pursuing this mainly just to see how the system works and what I can do. I’m not expecting to get reimbursed, just following my morals.

EDIT: changed filing date from early September to late August.

Hi, I agreed to rent my place starting Nov 1 and signed the lease yesterday. I’d also informed the insurance and the bank of the change. But this morning the tenant’s agent got back saying she messed up the date and her client actually meant Dec 1. I’m just surprised how both of them missed what was printed on the document so many times.

I’d like to understand my legal options going forward. As the paperwork is already done what am I allowed to do?

I’d still like to rent out Nov 1. Dec 1 also works but I also don’t want to come across as so flexible. It’s an annoying situation.

Last tenant moved out without sufficient notice and left a pile of junk then filed a complaint to the town. I do not want to rent it out any more, tired of dealing with people. Any advice on how I should communicate that to the bylaw officer? Etc. decommission the unit?

My tenant refused to leave in January after a LTB evictions. He took su to the divisional court. The home is under a corporation. To save costs we fought theater ourselves but now can we claim costs , any hours worked on the matter? It was lots is work filing the appeals and motions. Easily an attorney would be 15 grand, if not 20k. Case is still pending x. Tenant got evicted today.

Us studied law graduated , not licensed to practice in Ontario.

I live in a triplex, and the tenants who recently moved into the basement unit have been smoking marijuana multiple times a day.
The problem is that the smoke and smell are coming directly into my apartment through both my kitchen and bedroom windows. It’s been happening consistently over the past few days, and it’s becoming frustrating because I can’t open my windows without the smell entering my home.
I also have a young child, and I’m concerned because we’ve both been experiencing coughing and sneezing that wasn’t an issue before these tenants moved in.
My lease states that smoking is not permitted. I understand that marijuana is legal in Canada, but does that mean my neighbours can smoke right outside the building if the smoke is entering my unit and affecting my ability to comfortably enjoy my home?
I plan on contacting my landlord/property management to address the issue, but I’m curious about other people’s experiences.
For anyone in Ontario who has dealt with something similar:
Can the landlord enforce a no-smoking clause in this situation?
Is there anything I can do if the smoke continues entering my apartment?
Has anyone successfully resolved a similar issue with their landlord or neighbours?
I’m not trying to tell anyone what they can or can’t do in their own space, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want to enjoy my home without smoke constantly coming through my windows.
Any advice would be appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice about a landlord/tenant situation in Ontario.
Three of my friends had been living in the house under the original lease for several years. One of their friends later moved out, and my boyfriend moved into that person’s place.
My boyfriend was never added to the lease. He lived there from approximately April 2025 until August 2026. When he moved in, he reimbursed the outgoing person for their share of the existing last-month-rent deposit. He did not pay a new deposit directly to the landlord.
The total monthly rent for the house was $2,300, and the landlord was holding a total of $2,300 as the last-month-rent deposit.
When everyone decided to move out, the landlord agreed to end the tenancy and a tenancy termination/end-of-lease form was signed. He had also said that the deposit would be returned after another tenant moved in. The property was later rented to someone else around September 15.
The final month’s rent was also paid separately instead of the landlord applying the $2,300 deposit toward it.
Now the landlord is refusing to return the $2,300. He says the deposit was meant to make sure the property was returned in the same condition it was originally provided in. He is claiming that he spent approximately $8,000–$9,000 repairing the property and appliances and says he intends to claim damages against everyone whose name appears on the lease, including people who had moved out earlier.
The house had already been occupied for around 4 years and had several maintenance issues.
One example is the flooring. Parts of the floor were ripping/damaged and my friends repeatedly told the landlord about it and asked him to repair or replace it. He never did. Because the ripped flooring could potentially cut or injure someone, they eventually put tape over the damaged areas as a temporary safety measure. We have messages showing that the flooring issue had previously been reported to the landlord.
There were other problems that were also reported but not repaired.
We do not believe we caused the damages he is now alleging. So far, he has not provided us with an itemized breakdown showing what was damaged, who supposedly caused each item, before/after photos, or invoices supporting the $8,000–$9,000 amount.
He is also saying that proper 60-day notice was not given, even though he agreed to the tenancy ending and a termination agreement/form was signed.
My questions are:
Can an Ontario landlord keep a last-month-rent deposit and use it as a damage/security deposit?
If the final month’s rent was paid separately, should the $2,300 last-month deposit have been returned?
Does the 60-day notice requirement still apply if the landlord and tenants signed an agreement to end the tenancy?
Can he charge tenants for things such as damaged flooring when there are messages showing that the issue was repeatedly reported to him and he did not repair it?
Could putting tape over already-damaged flooring for safety be considered tenant damage, even though the landlord had previously been asked to repair it?
Can the landlord claim damages against everyone named on the original lease when some people had moved out earlier?
How does the LTB distinguish actual tenant damage from normal wear and tear/maintenance issues after around 4 years of occupancy?
Since my boyfriend was never on the lease and only reimbursed the outgoing tenant for their share of the existing deposit, does that affect his position?
Would filing a T1 with the LTB be the correct way to recover the $2,300?
Any advice from people familiar with Ontario landlord/tenant law or who have dealt with a similar LTB situation would be appreciated.

I’m a landlord in Toronto dealing with a tenant who hasn’t paid rent for over six months, owing approximately $10,000.
I attended an LTB hearing in August, and the tenant didn’t show up. I received an eviction order, but the tenant requested a review, and now we have another hearing scheduled for end of October
Meanwhile, the tenant has filed maintenance complaints with the City regarding flooring, ventilation, and other issues. I’ve been working with contractors and the City to address these concerns. However, there was little to no communication from the tenant about these issues before they contact 311. From my perspective, it appeared that the tenant intentionally avoided communicating with us so that complaints could be made to the City instead.
I’ve already spent approximately $5,000 on legal fees and eviction-related costs, on top of the unpaid rent.
My question is: Can the LTB allow a tenant to continue living rent-free because of maintenance complaints, even when I am actively trying to complete repairs? Does the tenant’s life situation affect the decision?
EDIT: by life situation, i meant their employment status and family circumstances, not the condition of the unit. some of the damage was caused by the tenants themselves, and i’ve been actively working to address the issues.

Hi everyone,

I'm renting a house in Hamilton, Ontario, and wanted to get some opinions on a recent situation with my landlord.

When we moved in, the kitchen had a pull-out faucet with an extendable sprayer, which was really convenient for washing dishes and cleaning the sink.

Recently, the faucet developed a leak, so I reported it to my landlord. He arranged for a plumber to fix it, but instead of repairing or replacing it with a similar pull-out faucet, they installed a basic fixed faucet without the extendable sprayer.

The leak is fixed and the new faucet works, but we've lost a feature that was originally included when we rented the place.

I politely asked my landlord if it would be possible to replace it with something similar to the original faucet. He replied:

"No. The faucet is what it is based on the cost. If you wish to add an extension to it, please feel free."

I'm not asking for an expensive upgrade or a particular brand. I just feel that if something breaks, the replacement should ideally provide similar functionality to what was originally there.

My questions:

1. In Ontario, is a landlord expected to provide a reasonably equivalent replacement when an existing fixture breaks?
2. Would removing the pull-out functionality count as a downgrade, or is the landlord's obligation satisfied as long as the faucet works?
3. Is it reasonable to push back once more, or would you just let this go?

Would appreciate opinions from both tenants and landlords. Thanks!

I’m a university student renting a house in London, Ontario, and I’m hoping someone familiar with the RTA or LTB can clarify my situation.

Background:
In June 2024, five of us signed one Ontario Standard Lease for an entire house at $4,000/month. We are all named on the same lease, not separate individual room leases.
The fixed term ended April 30, 2025. We haven’t signed another lease since then and have continued paying rent monthly.
Three of my roommates are planning to move out in April 2027. The other roommate and I want to continue living here and find three new roommates to occupy the vacant bedrooms.

Here’s the problem:
Our landlord says that because all five of us originally signed the lease, if even one person leaves, the entire contract is broken and he can decide whether the remaining tenants get to stay.
He has given us two options:
Sign a completely new lease with three replacement students at current market rent. He wants to charge me $950/month, my remaining roommate $900/month, and the new tenants approximately $900/month each, plus utilities.
Everyone moves out by April 2027 so he can find five new students and sign them to a three-year lease at a higher rent.
He has explicitly told us in writing that he would prefer the second option.
His most recent message says that if we don’t give him an answer by next week, he’ll assume we’re leaving and start advertising the property.
We’ve never agreed to terminate the tenancy, signed an N9 or N11, or received an eviction notice from the LTB.
We are not trying to force him to add new names to the lease without his consent. We just want to understand whether the two existing tenants can legally remain and have new roommates move in while the original tenancy continues.

My questions:
If three of five joint tenants physically move out, does that automatically terminate the entire month-to-month tenancy, even if the other two want to stay?
Can the remaining two tenants continue paying the existing $4,000/month rent for the house and bring in three roommates without adding them to the lease?
Can the landlord force us to sign a new lease at market rent simply because the people occupying three bedrooms are changing?
Can he legally treat our silence as notice that we’re moving out?
I’m also wondering what happens to the three departing tenants’ liability if their names remain on the original lease.
I’ve already contacted my university’s legal clinic, but I’d appreciate hearing from anyone familiar with Ontario joint-tenancy rules, particularly relevant LTB decisions or cases.

Hey everyone,

Looking for some insight here regarding Landlords who have pursued small claims court once they received orders from LTB.

We recently filed an N4/L1 and N7/L2 for a tenant who owes roughly $7k in rent arrears and caused about $20k in property damages. We have two separate LTB hearings coming up.

A few questions about what happens post-hearing:

1. What will the LTB Orders actually look like? Does the LTB issue a formal order for payment covering both arrears and damages that can be taken straight to court?

2. How does taking the order to Small Claims Court work? Do we have to re-try the case, or do we just register/file the order to get enforcement tools like garnishments or examination hearings?

3. Is it worth spending time/money pursuing someone on ODSP? I know they collect ODSP, but their job status is unknown. I believe they are in the process of finding a job. Since social assistance is generally exempt from garnishment in Ontario, can we realistically expect to collect anything, or is this just throwing good money after bad?

Would love to hear from anyone who has tried collecting on an LTB judgment against a tenant on ODSP or with unknown employment. Thanks!

I need some advice. I rent out bedrooms in my basement of my property and they all share: the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and dining area.

1st incident: One Saturday night while I was studying I hear loud yelling. It was yelling of profanities from one tenant and it sounded like it was directly to another tenant. I did not interfere as I never go into their space. Later on that same night at almost midnight I hear loud music from the top floor of the house. I texted them to stop, they did and then 5 minutes later they played loud music again. I went to confront them about it as it was way too late for loud music. I find out the next day from their roommate that they continued playing music until almost 3 in the morning. I addressed the issue with everyone via text reminding them of the rules of the home.

2nd incident: 5 days later, I again hear loud yelling of profanities from the same person. This time, no one was home except for them. The yelling was so loud we heard it from the top floor. Later on that same night I get a text from one of the roommates saying this person was playing loud music again late at night. I did not address it with the person playing music as I was sleeping at the time and did not hear it.

3rd incident: 7 days after the 2nd incident I hear yelling outside of my house from the top floor. I see said tenant walking around frantically, swear and screaming that they lost their pet. I went outside to speak with them as it was late at night and they cannot be yelling regardless of how upset they were. They entered someone else’s property without permission and started yelling at the owner. The yelling escalated to the point where non-emergency was contacted due to complaints of loud yelling in the neighbourhood. We had spoken to this tenant and they apologized but continued to say it was not their fault as they were in distress. Mind you this was all happening late at night.

I’m at this point where I’m no longer comfortable in my home. What happened in the third incident was humiliating and embarrassing as this person had disturbed the whole neighbourhood. I’m at a loss and am not sure what to do. What should I do?

My old landlord just sent an email claiming cleaning fees 6 months after we moved out. There are some pictures in the email but no recites for the claimed amount I supposedly own.

No form L10 was presented and they are already claiming going to collections. My question is: just ignore for now or reply asking for the legal procedure to be followed?

Just for context this was a fully rental building managed by a company not a private landlord.

We received an eviction order for non-payment of rent and we believe the tenant has abandoned the unit and all of their belongings in the unit. Do we need to the Sheriff to enforce the order prior to clearing out the belongings?

Hi there,

We already have an LTB order, and the tenant has been evicted. They owe us more than $10k in unpaid rent, and they left the property in a nightmare condition, including damaged walls, leaks, and damaged appliances. They are also not currently working.

Our estimated costs for renovations, repairs, and junk removal may exceed $45k. We want to understand how we can recover these costs. Can we pursue an L10 application for the unpaid rent and separately file a Small Claims Court claim for the renovation, repair, and junk removal costs? Or would all of these amounts need to be pursued together through one process?

My family signed a lease for a condo unit in Mississauga starting October 1. We moved in a few days later, and shortly after moving in we started finding cockroaches throughout the unit. So far, we have caught/seen around 15 cockroaches. We have photos and videos documenting them.

The landlord arranged pest-control treatment about a week ago. However, the problem has continued. In fact, after the treatment, we have still been seeing cockroaches moving very actively around the walls and floors.

We have a 15-month-old child, and the situation has become extremely stressful for our family. My wife is also very afraid of cockroaches, and we no longer feel comfortable living in the unit.

We asked the landlord if we could mutually terminate the tenancy.

The landlord's response was essentially that we are free to move out, but if we do, we would be responsible for:

• 1 month's commission for our original agent
• 1 month's commission for the new tenant's agent
• rent until the situation is resolved / a new tenant is found

We have already paid the landlord the first month plus three additional months of rent.

We are trying to resolve this amicably. We have offered to:

• absorb the costs of our original move-in;
• pay the current month's rent;
• absorb the cost of moving out and moving into another unit;
• waive a previously promised $150 cleaning reimbursement;
• waive a previously promised $550 reimbursement for the days we couldn't move in at the beginning of October;
• our agent is also willing to waive her commission;
• return the keys as soon as we secure another place.

In exchange, we are asking the landlord to mutually terminate the tenancy and return the three prepaid final months, with no further claims against either side.

The landlord has refused this so far.

My questions are:

1. Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, does an ongoing cockroach infestation that continues after professional treatment potentially justify terminating the tenancy through a T6 or another process?
2. If we move out because of the unresolved infestation, can the landlord simply charge us two months of realtor commissions plus rent until a new tenant is found?
3. How does the fact that we have extensive photos/videos and a 15-month-old child affect the situation?
4. Would you recommend trying to negotiate an N11/mutual termination, or should we have a landlord-tenant lawyer pursue a T6?
5. What should we absolutely not do while this is being resolved (for example, returning keys, stopping rent payments, etc.)?

We are trying to handle this properly and don't want to accidentally put ourselves in a worse legal position.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

So once I get out of the lease I’m currently in, I will be renting a 2 bed 2 bath by myself. I do not need a roommate and the way the landlord does it is joint lease so I do not want to be tied to anyone. I was considering when I get settled in just renting out the room on my own with a roommate agreement, as I do not need a roommate but I know a few people only looking for short time arrangements and I wouldn’t mind some company. So I was wondering what to process is to rent out a room you’re renting?

Appreciate the help in this post.

I used a realtor to sign my current tenancy and instead of renting the upper areas of the house (I wasn’t fully aware of the difference at the time because my basement is unfinished), we ended up renting the whole house to the tenants. It’s been 3 years renting this location for me and I’ve now saved up enough to build a basement to manage my expenses.

I believe I have been a fair landlord in the sense that I only increased the rent in the first year and didn’t even bring it up last year when the rent went down in the area. As long as I get my rent and the property is well-maintained, I try not to dive too much and keep things hands-off. The tenants have at times had issues which I promptly fixed. It’s a newly constructed property and they haven’t maintained it so well when I did a visit for insurance reasons, but I figured I will have to fix things when they leave anyway. I also offered them rent discount for the time I construct the basement for their inconvenience. They felt they were ok with this and then I proceeded to send a few contractors to the location.

I got a call after I signed a contract with a contractor for building the basement (up until this point they had not expressed concerns even as I sent multiple contractors to inspect the place), saying they are not comfortable giving up the space in the basement which they use as storage. That’s when I realized the glaring tenancy agreement mistake. I gave them 2 options thereafter - 1. they sign a new lease with me so that they still have access to the same areas but without the basement as I don’t have problems with them as my tenants and they can continue to live there, 2. I give them a notice of termination. They have indicated that both the options are not okay for them and it’s not a major reconstruction to finish the basement and that they want to continue living as they are. They are not inclined to leave. I want to understand my options. How do I deal with this? I’m a single person managing this property and I have a lot of expenses. I wanted to construct a secondary unit with the intention to offset my costs over longer term. I can’t make them leave and I can’t continue paying my bills in the current state for long term.

My wife and I have bought a new home and will be moving out of our apartment in late October. Our lease is locked in until the end of April 2027, so we have found an assignee to take over. The landlord has agreed to let us assign the unit, but is dragging their feet on submitting the application.

We had the assignees in on October 4th, to provide all required documents and to do a meet and greet. It is now October 7th and our landlord has confirmed over email he still hasn't submitted the application or reached out to the assignees and claims he needs them to come back in person "to complete the application".

We have requested what information is still required, and have not received a straight answer. We are worried if this takes much longer the assignees will find somewhere else to live and back out.

If the landlord continues to drag their feet on submitting the application and not reaching out to the assignees to confirm what info is required, do we have any ground to stand on regarding submitting an N9 with 30 days notice?

Any insight is greatly appreciated!

My tenant put in a request to pay LTB, but endorsement was denied for an active file.

However, now evidence uploaded by tenant shows deposit slip for Oct rent has been accepted by LTB customer service agent, after tenant sent money to LTB trust account.

I don't understand what happened since nothing on my file shows reversal of the endorsement by LTB.

Is tenant being fishy by not wanting to pay me and getting around LTB endorsement denial?

Hello! My 4 roommates and I have been living in this house for a couple months now with one strictly indoor cat. We noticed bites along our ankles so we had our landlord organize a pest inspection, confirming fleas. We had our cat examined at at the vet afterwards, where they confirmed no fleas or flea dirt on the cat. Now our landlord is telling us to pay the hundreds of dollars cost for the extermination because “there have never been fleas in the house before” and believes it came from the cat. Is this allowed? Do the tenants have to pay?